Ricardolindo
Well-known member
- Location
- Portugal
Let's say Italy doesn't colonize Eritrea and Somalia. Who gets them? I am pretty sure the UK would get Somalia but what about Eritrea? Would France or Ethiopia get it?
Ethiopia would benefit greatly from a coast. On the other hand, incorporating Eritrea and especially Somalia means they have more Muslims that would clash with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. The Somalis especially have very bad historic relations with Ethiopia.
I mean, Eritrea was part of Ethiopia from 1945-1990, including a rather bloody war of independence, so we can look at that for some precedence.Eritrea is 50-50 Muslim-Christian, so it wouldn't actually change much.
If Italy doesn't target East Africa, do they go for Libya sooner?
I mean, Eritrea was part of Ethiopia from 1945-1990, including a rather bloody war of independence, so we can look at that for some precedence.
But Italian colonisation of East Africa was partly driven by their failure to get Tunisia. If they move to annex it faster and are thus able to get a major interest without it all going to France, there'd be less pressure to get East Africa (thus enabling our PoD) - but they'd now already have lands across the Med, and Libya is right next door, and they've already annoyed the Ottomans by taking Tunisia; so yes, you could see earlier pressure for Libya.
I mean, Eritrea was part of Ethiopia from 1945-1990, including a rather bloody war of independence, so we can look at that for some precedence.
But Italian colonisation of East Africa was partly driven by their failure to get Tunisia. If they move to annex it faster and are thus able to get a major interest without it all going to France, there'd be less pressure to get East Africa (thus enabling our PoD) - but they'd now already have lands across the Med, and Libya is right next door, and they've already annoyed the Ottomans by taking Tunisia; so yes, you could see earlier pressure for Libya.
The problem with Italy getting Tunisia is that both France and the UK were strongly opposed to it as they didn't want Italy to control the Strait of Sicily.