Mussolini and his Generals: The Armed Forces and Fascist Foreign Policy, 1922–1940

by John Gooch

This is the first authoritative study of the Italian armed forces and the relationship between the military and foreign policies of Fascist Italy from Mussolini's rise to power in 1922 to the catastrophic defeat of 1940. Using extensive new research, John Gooch explores the nature and development of the three armed forces, their relationships with Mussolini and the impact of his policies and command, the development of operational and strategic thought, and the deployment and use of force in Libya, Abyssinia and Spain. He emphasizes Mussolini's long-term expansionist goals and explains how he responded to the structural pressures of the international system and the contingent pressures of events. This compelling account shows that while Mussolini bore ultimate responsibility for Italy's fateful entry into the Second World War, his generals and admirals bore a share of the blame for defeat through policies that all too often rested on irrationality and incompetence.

Genres: History, Italy, World War II, Military History, Nonfiction, Politics, Biography

651 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

John Gooch is Emeritus Professor of International History, University of Leeds, and Honorary Professor of History, University of Kent.

Reviews

[Brett C · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm giving this two stars (It Was OK) because for me this was extremely detailed and kinda boring. The information was well researched and the writing was very meticulous. Having said that, I learned Mussolini inserted himself in almost al of the affairs concerning foreign policy and his military. The book starts with the beginnings of the Fascist regime in 1922, the domestic and foreign dealings, his blunder in Africa, World War 2, etc. This book is great for the topic but I did not particularly enjoy it. Thanks!

[Brad Austin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is probably a really great book for someone with an interest in Italian military history. I am not that someone. First and foremost, I think the book assumes the reader has a deeper knowledge of Italy as a country and its history than I do. Second, I think that book assumes the reader has a deeper knowledge of military structure (if in fact there is a universal, or at least Western, standard) than I do.
Gooch does an excellent job structurally of covering the branches through the years, including budgets, troop strengths, equipment, and so forth; however, these details bog down the telling of a story that I would have liked to read.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story begins in 1924. This is not so much about Mussolini and his generals, but more about Mussolini's psyche and the Italian system. According to the author, Mussolini had simplistic solutions for complex issues. On top of that, he was both the prime minister and the minister of war. As such, he had to "delegate" but failed to provide the necessary oversight. He constituted various councils, but they might only twice a year. Imagine the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon meeting only on January 2 and November 3! There were just as many flashpoints in the 1920s as there are in the 2020s; it's just the speed of our responses that changed.

The author did a good job explaining another system that compounding Mussolini's errors: his ministers. Many of them had their own agenda and doctrine which is expected; what his ministers did were playing fast and loose with the numbers. Examples including how many tons of oil were needed: 75,000 or 250,000? A short war or a long war? A short war with high expenditure? Okay; so now, how do we source the fuel? Without clear answers and a plan, then the system crashes.

Ultimately, as American military historian Jon Parshall likes to say, it's a question of systems. Whose country's system is better organized at all levels? Military, political, economic, and social considerations are all interwoven. The country who understands that truth and has a proper plan is the one who is more like to win. Total War.

[Robert Hinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was kind of a grind to get through and I would only recommend this work for those who are very interested in pre-war Italian military policy and Mussolini’s foreign policy between 1922 and 1940. That being said I did enjoy the book and recommend it to anyone interested in why Italy entered the Second World War and why their performance was so poor.

[Mike Glaser · Rating 3 out of 5]

Recommended if you have an interest in the Italian military in WW II or just want to read a case study on how not to prepare for war. A number of good negative lessons to be learned here.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent account of the military situation in Italy leading up to World War II. There have been many myths about the Italian military which are laid to rest with this book. First and foremost the structure of the Italian military is analyzed in detail and the rise of the air force is clearly seen. With Italy's extensive coast and lack of natural resources the air force becomes increasingly important to defend the coast and protect shipping. While this book tracks the various approaches of the armed services and shows their incompatibility with eachother via command staffs it also shows how diplomacy and the military interacted under Mussolini.

Mussolini insisted on personally controlling almost all details of both his foreign policy and military. Each wing was under his intense scrutiny and he controlled much of what they did. Often as is proven here inexperienced and ineffective leaders prospered under this system only because they had the Duce's blessing. Men like Badoglio were able to professionalize and organize the services somewhat but it was only in as far as Mussolini would allow. Overall Italy is shown to be at a tremendous lack of resources which hinders their war effort from the start. Inability to build larger ships due to lack of metal, lack of oil and lack of livestock all weighed heavily on Italy in the prewar period. When the war starts these would become major points of failure for the country.

In all an excellent book for those who want to learn more in this growing field about fascist Italy. Highly recommend for not only the military historian and the World War II historian but those interested in how diplomacy and military interacted in Fascist Italy.

[Ray Packham · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is heavy going but and its a big but it has a wealth of information that i never knew, so its kept me reading, from the early days of fascist politics in Italy with the arguments between airforce the Navy and the army , the Hubris of Mussolini himself and his lack of political control over the infighting between the services is really interesting (sorry if you like that sort of thing) I am still reading it and should finish it by Christmas ready for my next book.

[Frank Roach · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very dry reading