"I think he must do something. If he cannot make a graceful dive, he will at least have to jump in somehow; he can hardly put on his dressing-gown and walk down the stairs again." General Wavell
This was said after Mussolini had declared himself to be non-belligerent, rather than neutral, when hostilities broke out in September 1939. In OTL, he eventually made his way in, in rather less graceful fashion than he'd have liked, and with rather disastrous consequences for himself, fascism as an ideology, Italy's colonial empire, and a generation of Italian men.
Every so often the question is asked: "what if he had put his dressing gown back on?". The same talking points are discussed - Libya as the Fourth Shore; Fascism and Nazism being seen as different beasts; Italy being a superpowered Spain - a pariah, but sort of tolerated due to its anticommunist stance; parallel war in Yugoslavia.
However, rereading A Blunted Sickle on the Old Country brings home just how big a deal the Italian entry was to the UK. It closed the Mediterranean to shipping, forcing huge changes in shipping and trade, and partly contributing towards the dollar shortage. It meant large forces were needed at either end to keep the Regia Marina bottled up (especially before Taranto). It meant Malta needed supported throughout. It stretched the RN to a massive degree, leading to less resources in the Far East. The Army needed to support the East African and North African campaigns, both sucking up an enormous amount of men, resources and shipping. It led to the Indian, Aussie and Kiwi forces being deployed and busy in places that weren't Malaya and Borneo. So that could be argued to have a rather big impact there.
However, if the Duce does climb down, what does the UK do? I am assuming France still falls, just with enough of a change to make the Duce lose his nerve. It can do an alt Operation Judgement on the Kriegsmarine perhaps, but other than that, how does the UK prosecute the war? If the Hexagon surrenders, the Second BEF will need withdrawn, as OTL. Is it then just war in the air, the Atlantic War and commando raids until something changes? Does the lack of Mussolini jumping provide enough impetus to those Fenchmen who wanted to retreat to Africa and fight on? If so, how does Hitler deal with the Metropole?
So yeah, huge considerations for economics, trade, empire, and the potantial of a Pacific War. But can the UK keep fighting? How? What is the aim? Will some sort of ceasefire emerge, as the armies simply can't fight each other?
Answers on a postcard.
This was said after Mussolini had declared himself to be non-belligerent, rather than neutral, when hostilities broke out in September 1939. In OTL, he eventually made his way in, in rather less graceful fashion than he'd have liked, and with rather disastrous consequences for himself, fascism as an ideology, Italy's colonial empire, and a generation of Italian men.
Every so often the question is asked: "what if he had put his dressing gown back on?". The same talking points are discussed - Libya as the Fourth Shore; Fascism and Nazism being seen as different beasts; Italy being a superpowered Spain - a pariah, but sort of tolerated due to its anticommunist stance; parallel war in Yugoslavia.
However, rereading A Blunted Sickle on the Old Country brings home just how big a deal the Italian entry was to the UK. It closed the Mediterranean to shipping, forcing huge changes in shipping and trade, and partly contributing towards the dollar shortage. It meant large forces were needed at either end to keep the Regia Marina bottled up (especially before Taranto). It meant Malta needed supported throughout. It stretched the RN to a massive degree, leading to less resources in the Far East. The Army needed to support the East African and North African campaigns, both sucking up an enormous amount of men, resources and shipping. It led to the Indian, Aussie and Kiwi forces being deployed and busy in places that weren't Malaya and Borneo. So that could be argued to have a rather big impact there.
However, if the Duce does climb down, what does the UK do? I am assuming France still falls, just with enough of a change to make the Duce lose his nerve. It can do an alt Operation Judgement on the Kriegsmarine perhaps, but other than that, how does the UK prosecute the war? If the Hexagon surrenders, the Second BEF will need withdrawn, as OTL. Is it then just war in the air, the Atlantic War and commando raids until something changes? Does the lack of Mussolini jumping provide enough impetus to those Fenchmen who wanted to retreat to Africa and fight on? If so, how does Hitler deal with the Metropole?
So yeah, huge considerations for economics, trade, empire, and the potantial of a Pacific War. But can the UK keep fighting? How? What is the aim? Will some sort of ceasefire emerge, as the armies simply can't fight each other?
Answers on a postcard.