What kind of non-Fascist Italian government could have become non-Nazi Germany's ally

I am trying to write a timeline called The End of Britain and France as Great Powers.

There is a non-Nazi dictatorship that starts a WW II equivalent. There is no eastern front for Germany, with Poland and Ukraine being German allies.

Italy is much wealthier than in OTL, having neither joined WW I, nor having waged the Ethiopian war, and being much more integrated into Europe. What kind of non-Fascist Italian government could have become Germany's ally, after seeing that Germany makes the same rapid progress in conquering France and the Low Countries?
 
How good are this German dictatorships relations with the Pope?
Germany is a parliamentary monarchy, with (a somewhat more intelligent) Wilhelm II still reigning as a figurehead, after voluntary giving up power to the Reichstag.

Around 1935 there is a democratically elected right-wing government consisting of right wing members of the Catholic Center Party, and of the "Vaterlandspartei" (the name of a pro-war party during WW I in OTL).

When the Spanish Civil War breaks out, this government asks for an international agreement on non-intervention, but nevertheless clandestinely supports the Nationalist side.

When it turns out that the chancellor (possibly Franz von Papen) was privy to this support, there is a vote of no confidence in the Reichstag, and new elections are called. These elections result in a narrow majority for what was called the "Weimar Coalition" in OTL, namely Center Party, Social Democrats and Liberals. Just before the new government is sworn in, there is a military coup.

The military government consists of "generals, non-party civilians and members of the Vaterland party". I have written only that sentence so far, I could of course add "members of the right wing of the Center Party".

So I think this government will be less repugnant to most people than the Nazis, they do not intend anything like the Holocaust or other forms of persecutions of the Jews and there will be no so-called "euthanasia" or "mercy killings". No attempts to establish a church of "German Christians", much less any thoughts of reviving paganism. Of course, it's still a dictatorship planning for war, and any parson or priest speaking out publicly against the regime will be persecuted.
 

Wolfpaw

Banned
A strongman was probably going to emerge; it's actually pretty ASB that Mussolini took control with only two seats in Parliament and a handful of bully-boys scattered throughout northern Italy.

My money is on Diaz stepping in with backing of Army, Church, and right-liberal politicos.
 

Wolfpaw

Banned
But would they be allied? There is still going to be a lot tension between Rome and Berlin with regards to Austria and the specter of Anschluss.
 
But would they be allied? There is still going to be a lot tension between Rome and Berlin with regards to Austria and the specter of Anschluss.
The timeline is designed to beat Britain, and if Italy joins the WW II equivalent at all, then it is on the German side. Mussolini's decision to do so, which in OTL probably looked to him like a no-brainer, but was of course disastrous for him in actual fact, actually is almost the no-brainer that it looks like in this timeline. Britain has unwittingly fostered isolationism in the USA through British protectionism and making the image of its colonial rule appear worse than in OTL. As pointed out above, Germany has no eastern front to worry about, with Poland and Ukraine (and other countries bordering the rump Soviet Union) being German allies.

Germany has had to give up its colonies after WW I and to scrap part of its fleet, but has more territories in the West at the end of WW I than before. Italy has not joined WW I, but bought Trentino after the war. The Anschluss has happened soon after the end of WWI.

There is probably less turmoil in Italy in this timeline, with Italy not having been in WW I, and Europe generally being more economically integrated and wealthier.

However much Italy would like to have Trieste or Istria, there is no way of conquering them. On the other hand, Nice, Savoy, Tunisia, Corsica and Djibouti can be had by joining Germany, and probably more, when Britain is defeated.
 
Mussolini's decision to do so, which in OTL probably looked to him like a no-brainer, but was of course disastrous for him in actual fact, actually is almost the no-brainer that it looks like


The sad thing is that it didn't. Mussolini was fully aware of Italy's inability to fight the war effectively (he'd written to Hitler telling him about it) and Hitler's insanity (he actually made up his mind to switch sides and declare war on Germany, then changed his mind later the same day, on the grounds that 'we mustn't be political whores'). His decision was motivated by an irrational desire to make Italy look cool and warlike. In other words, he declared war simply because he wanted Italy to be a combatant.
 
A non-fascist Italy could have allied with Germany if it had no other choice. Look at Finland, a democracy, yet, it joined the Axis too, because it had nowhere else to go.
 
It is certainly relevant to remember this in this context, but then again the Italy of this timeline has not lost anything to an aggressive neighbor that it would like to reconquer with German help. Perhaps Germany itself will look so threatenig that the Italian government thinks something along the following lines: "France and Britain are doomed anyway and will be worthless as allies. Better get some of their resources for Italy, so we are better prepared for another war, that might see us as the victim of German aggression."
 
I am trying to write a timeline called The End of Britain and France as Great Powers.

There is a non-Nazi dictatorship that starts a WW II equivalent. There is no eastern front for Germany, with Poland and Ukraine being German allies.

Italy is much wealthier than in OTL, having neither joined WW I, nor having waged the Ethiopian war, and being much more integrated into Europe. What kind of non-Fascist Italian government could have become Germany's ally, after seeing that Germany makes the same rapid progress in conquering France and the Low Countries?

An ATL monarchy under Umberto II, or someone very similar to him, being all cozy with the Nazis isn't that farfetched in my view. :D
 
Neutral Italy mean that Mussolini shot to power will never happen; sure in the 20's some reckoning between proto-fascist, socialist and the liberal goverment will be on order but this time with a lot better economic situation in general, no massive casualities and dire experience in the war...and not a lot of people with soldier's skill the possibility of a dictatorships will be very few...at worse somekind of classic authoritarian goverment backed by the king and the army for some times to quell the insorgents.
Too keep Italy out of WWI and make her more sympathetic/close to Germany well the negotiations with A-H must be a success so Trent, the land west of the Isonzo and Albania are annexed by Italy after the war (with some monetary compensation for A-H naturally) and for that the German goverment and the Kaiser must first act quick and bring immediately their full diplomatic strengh both on Italy and A-H.
During the war Italy keep commercing with the CP lessening the blockade and make the entente furious with following economic sanctions, diplomatic unpleasentness and even some military incidents...basically all shorts of war.
For support Germany against UK and France, well much depends on
- What's for Italy
- Diplomatic relations between Italy and UK/France
- Status of the italian minority/economic interest in France, Malta and Tunisia
- Status of military forces of Italy in comparisation of France/UK
 
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