Theoretical idea for a WW2 Italian TL, need feeback.

Hkelukka

Banned
I have an idea for a TL that I might write after I finish the one I'm writing now.

The short outline is this, Mussolini falls in love and marries a Italian woman at about the time as in OTL. Difference is that instead of being a cheater on the side womanizer that he was. She pulls him in line and like a proper Italian mama, matches with him more than a few times and he falls deeply in love with her.

This changes his later motivation to being "I'm a dicator and thus I party hard and generally mess everything up because I'm the best human being there is!" And all the crap that happened in OTL because of this.

His motivation instead is something similar to "My gosh, there are smart people besides myself, such as my wife, maybe there are smart people out there too. And also, now I live for my family and my nation, not solely so I can be someone who sleeps with everyone and never focuses on work."

So instead of being a Playboy Italian, he becomes more of the "Hard working discovering new continents" type Italian, think someone more like Cristopher Columbus

This results in at least.

Trying to consolidate power to the facist party.

Italian Civil war in response to rapid reformation.

Winning said Civil war.

Much Much longer ww2 (Germany seen as less of a threat due to Italy still being neutral slows FDR from trade embargo, which slows Japan from DW'ing which slows the whole thing down. Hiroshima in about 1946-47 does not stop the war as Germany is doing significantly better due to no logistics of carrying stuff to Africa. War turned into Hitlers wet dream of "the forever war"

Italy eventually forming the New Roman Empire and either joining with the axis or against the Axis.

Would focus on the broad outline of how hisbehavior changes and the ripples from that.

I'm unsure if I want to do this TL. I think I'd much prefer doing on one how Rome in 300AD prevents collapse and remains to the modern age. Opinions?
 
Honestly, I like the concept, but I'm not sure all the events would line up like that. First priority in getting Italy to be a force to be reckoned with is not only consolidating power, but overhauling its military as well. Are we talking pre or post Spanish Civil War?
 

Hkelukka

Banned
Much much before Spanish civil war. The series of reforms he undertakes eventually forces a civil war onto Italy.

Sometime in the 1928-29 or so. Giving Italy about 11-13 years until they need to enter WW2. It would be a "relatively" quick civil war. That is compared to the chinese and spanish civil wars.

Edit: Reforms meaning things we know should have been done, like improving infra, consolidating the military to a higher quality smaller force, improving Education, literacy rate and Industry and so on.

It's sort of "what if Musso was actually a smart leader, but Italy was still Italy, with all that it entails."
 
Much much before Spanish civil war. The series of reforms he undertakes eventually forces a civil war onto Italy.

Sometime in the 1928-29 or so. Giving Italy about 11-13 years until they need to enter WW2. It would be a "relatively" quick civil war. That is compared to the chinese and spanish civil wars.

Edit: Reforms meaning things we know should have been done, like improving infra, consolidating the military to a higher quality smaller force, improving Education, literacy rate and Industry and so on.

It's sort of "what if Musso was actually a smart leader, but Italy was still Italy, with all that it entails."

Ok. What side where you planning on having the Italians enter on? Will he still go after Ethiopia?
 

Hkelukka

Banned
Haven't decided on side yet. But he should be the dominant continental power (Besides Germany and SU).

He would need to take at least S-France, N-Africa, and most of E-Europe and possibly parts of Turkey.

Thus its out there in terms of "this could not actually happen" and more for the "hey, lets make a new Roman Empire TL!" Value.
 
Haven't decided on side yet. But he should be the dominant continental power (Besides Germany and SU).

He would need to take at least S-France, N-Africa, and most of E-Europe and possibly parts of Turkey.

Thus its out there in terms of "this could not actually happen" and more for the "hey, lets make a new Roman Empire TL!" Value.

Ah. Perhaps an alliance with Germany as an equal then? With a much more competent Italian Army being able to conquer North Africa, Such an alliance gives Germany access to Russia through the Middle East, as well as ensuring a second strong military for Barbarossa.
 
Top