Updated Italia Eterna
The begining
Opinions founded on prejudice are always sustained with the greatest of violence!
- Francis Jeffrey.
When Hitler assumed power in Germany, he made it clear that expansion was his goal, and with Austria's large German speaking population it seemed as the logical target for his ambitions. This however did not go dwon well with the Fascist leader of Italia, Mussolini. Austria was protected by Italia, as it provided a buffer between the borders of Germany and Italia, futhermore its Chancellor, Engelbert Dollfuss, was a personal friend of Mussolini. Mussolini loudly vowed to protect Austia's independence with all his might and the Legions og Italia if needed be!
The first meeting between Hitler and Mussolini occurred on June 13, 1934. Hitler was advised not to wear a uniform, in order to appear more as a humle and ordinary statesman, rather than the blustering and war mongering fool many Italians perceived the German Führer to be. Hitler appeared somewhat out of place compared to the stylish uniformed and bellicose Italian Duce. Hitler nonetheless began to admonish Mussolini to stop trying to protect Austria and that he wanted Chancellor Dollfuss replaced. Mussolini flatly said no! When Hitler replied that is was sheer folly to go to war over Dollfuss, Mussolini commented that the German persecution of Jews was folly. Neither dictator seemed to speak the same language or to have understood what each was saying.
Somehow Benito Mussolini began to realise that there is something very wrong with Hitler and the way things were being done in his newly fangled Third Reich. Of course he had seen the reports from Servizio Informazioni Militari, that indicated Hitlers was dead serious with all his insane statements about Lebensraum in the East, and racial purity and, not to forget, concerning Austria. Mussolini didn’t like to be bested, but suddenly he knew, that He might have to fold, since Italia couldn’t match Germany in a shooting war, not now at least, and not as long as the country had to do without a more modern and larger industrial complex and the armed forces to match the Germans, or the French for that matter.
Mussolini, who had reached his position as Duce il Fascisti as much by being a good judge of character as anything else, was suddenly seeing the world around him with other eyes, and he did not especially like what he saw! Mussolini stod there for the moment completely lost in thought, seeing himself, the world and his beloved Italia, as he never had before. He began to reflect more closely on the nature of the scruffy looking civilan besides him. Somehow the absence of an elaborate uniform made a deep impression on Mussolini. If Hitler really meant for war with the rest of the world, what about the rest of his intolerable nonsense, this racial bullshit he so spoke of in that little book of his, Mein kampf! My Struggle!? Mussolini smiled briefly and bitterly. What in the name of Roma Eterna did the Germans see in that insane little man?!
For the rest of the meeting, Mussolini seemed distracted and absorbed in his own thoughts. Hitler, who maintained a certain affection, indeed admiration for the Italian, if not for his country and regime, was convinced it was pure awe. Truth be told, Mussolini was frightened. And it was a sudden fear of Germany and Hitler.
Hitler returned to Berlin assuming that the German acquisition of Austria was approved by Mussolini, who returned to Rome distrusting and fearing the Germans. On July 25, 1934, Dollfuss was killed by Nazi assassins in his office. On the day he was killed, the Austrian Chancellor was scheduled to fly to Italia for a meeting with Mussolini. Dollfuss’ family was already waiting for him in Rome. Mussolini took upon him the difficult task of telling Dollfuss’ family of his death.
Mussolini more than suspected that his friend had been assassinated either on Hitlers direct order or by Nazi agents of some sort. Still fumeing with rage Mussolini took two bold steps. He ordered Italian troops to the Austro-Italian border and sent a wire telegram to Vienna guaranteeing Austria's independence. Mussolini expected France and Britain to send the same message, but that never happened. As it happened Italia was confronting Germany alone. Mussolini would never forget the great European powers for their treason, or Hitler and Nazis for making him have to tell his friends familiy of his murder.
Germany was not yet prepared for war and Mussolini's firm stand was enough for Hitler to abruptly change his plans. The Nazi Propaganda Ministry, which allready had prepared a special announcement regarding the fall of Austria, and Dollfuss' fitting death, had to stop it in the last minute and revise it with new statements from Hitler, who noe condemed the murder of Chancellor Dolfuss and the subsequent apprehension of the assassins and their deportation to Austria for trial.
In many eyes Mussolini emerged from the tastless spectacle as a hero and won the admiration from England (Churchill for one never stopped admirering Mussolini’s courage) and France. But it was a Mussolini who had looked over the edge and found a deep bottomless abyss waiting. He however felt confident enough in his position, that he used this to advance his prospect of a new Roman Empire.
Timeline Early Thirties:
September 14, 1930: Germans elect Nazis making them the 2nd largest political party in Germany.
January 15, 1931: Italo Balbo completes a 10.400 km flight from Orbetello to Rio de Janeiro.
November 8, 1932: Roosevelt elected President of the United States.
January 30, 1933: Adolf Hitler becomes Chancelleor of Germay.
Febuary 27, 1933: The Reichstag burns.
March 12, 1933: The first KZ camp is opened.
April 1, 1933: Nazi boycott of Jewish owned shops.
July 14, 1933: NSDAP, the Nazi party, declared only legit party in Germany.
October 14, 1933: Germany quits the League of Nations.
August 12, 1933: Italo Balbo lands in the USA. He was welcomed like a hero. President Roosevelt invited him to lunch, and the Sioux Indian tribe appointed him chief, with the name of "Flying Eagle".
January 5, 1934: Italo Balbo is sent to Libya as Governor.
March 2, 1934: Dino Grandi is fired as Foreing Minister and sent to London as ambassador.
June 13, 1934: Mussolini has a revelation while meeting with Hitler.
July 25, 1934: Chancellor Dollfuss of Austria is assasinated in his office.
August 19, 1934: Hitler becomes Führer of Germany.
Midthirties
War is much too serious a matter to be entrusted to the military.
– Georges Clemenceau.
Having met the Führer of Germany in person, Mussolini knew war and much, much worse were brewing. To revitalize Italia and counter the eventual German threat, he brought men like Italo Balbo, Dino Grandi and Giuseppe Bottai back from obscurity, and disfavour, and gave them the task of bringing Italia forward and out of its stupor. Balbo, Grandi and Bottai gathered a follwoing of able administrators and bright innovators around them and began the work of bringing Italia into modern times. Men like Farinacci and Starace was rapidly sidelined or picked up by the OVRA or other dark clad men at night.
The new men, soon to be called the Leonardi, after the brilliant Leonardo da Vince, spearheaded a series of reforms that shook up the slow and somewhat atrophied Italian economy. The first was land reform, where the major landowners’ stranglehold on land was broken, a series of agricultural cooperatives and businesses was set up under Leonardi supervison. Troops had to be called in here and there, especialley in Sicily and southern Italia, and a few regular battles fought between soldier and the Landowners mafiosi. Ironically, this was one of the things the landowners had used the Fascists to do in the early 1920’s. In the end the reforms got implementet and many of the large landowners ended up with a small plot in the colonies, their large tracts of land and equally large fortunes confiscated and put to better use. Infrastructure also became a paramount concern for the Leonardi, and imposing highways, which had a conspicious likeness to the German Autobahns, and an extended likewise impressing railways were being build all over Italia and the colonies. The Leonardi also began looking into the hidden oil reservoires rumored to be found in Libyan desert.
Mussolini’s new understanding of the world and his sense of a mission didn’t prevent him from walking distrubingly close to the abyss in foreign matters. Mussolini felt that for Italia to become a true great power it had to play a very active role in foreign affaires and thus gain prestige and creat a sense of national pride. Abyssinia was always considered in the sphere of Italian influence, and it was also the only remaining country in Africa which still preserved its indepence. Abyssinia had also defeated the Italians at Adwa in 1896, so in Mussolini’s eyes Abyssinia was perfect for a test of Italia’s arms. Mussoloni therefor ordered the conquest af Abyssinia, over the reinstated Foreign Minister, Dino Grandi’s objections. To repair the damage to Italia’s international reputation he sent the young and charming Gian Galeazzo, Count Ciano, to London and the everpopular Balbo on a goodwill tour to the USA (many americans, among them president Roosevelt and Lindbergh, fondly remembered the Italian Flying Eagle). Grandi, Ciano and Balbo’s efforts immediately began softening the already weak and ineffective sanctions the League of Nations.
The Spanish Civil War allowed the Italian Commando Supremo to see the effect of modern warfare, and to a certain degree exercise the use of its armed forces and new weapons, but more importantly, it allowed the Germans and Italians an opportunity to develop and embrace radical new methods of war.
Timeline Midthirties:
Febuary 2, 1935: Giuseppe Bottai is appointed as minister in the newly created super ministry of Ministri dell'Industria e del Economia Nazionale (Ministry of Industry and National Economy), Dino Grandi is reinstated as head of the Ministri degli Affari esteri (Foreign Ministry) and Italo Balbo as ministerial head of Ministro della Produzione bellica e del Aeronautica (Ministry of War Production and the Air Force) with Rino Corso Fougier as undersecretary.
March 16, 1935: Hitler violates the Treaty of Versailles by introducing military conscription.
September 15, 1935: Germany implement Nuremberg Race Laws.
July 32, 1935: General Badoglio is replaced as head of Commando Supremo by Mussolini, and general Ugo Cavallero put in his place.
October 3, 1935: Mussolini sends his legions under the command of general Rudolfo Graziani across the Abyssinia border from Italian Somaliland and Eritrea.
October 6, 1935: Adowa in Abyssinia is conqured. Italian troops ravaged the place and is rumored to have killed several civilians.
November 19, 1935: Italian forces is now some 100 miles into Abyssinia. Resistance is surprisingly heavy throughout the country, but the envigorated Italian forces were more than ready to deal with it. Graziani however is somewhat worried and ask Rome for further reinforcements.
November, 23 1935: Mussolini forces the Pope to accept the Abyssinian Coptic Church. Following this step resistance seem to be ebbing away.
December 4, 1935: The Italians bring in more and better tanks organized in the Brigata Corazzata Speciale (Special Brigade Unit). Italia also deploy their first long range reconnaissance company of motorized cars in the Reparto Esplorante di Corpo d'Armata di Manovra or RECAM (Reconnaissance Unit of the Army Mobile Corps). One young captain, Junio Borghese, is to become world famous as a daring commando.
December 10, 1935: Back in Rome the Chief of Commando Supremo, Ugo Cavallero is taking carefull notes of the Abyssinian campaign, and wonders if not the armoured units should be grouped in more organic divisions and used en masse.
December 30, 1935: General Cavallero dispatches the armoured Ariete Division and the newly mechanized Trento Division to the Abyssinian theater.
March 7, 1936: German troops occupy the Rhineland.
May 5, 1936: The victorious Italian army marched into the capital of Addis Ababa, and Abyssinia is formally annexed. Rudolfo Graziani is promoted to Field Marshall.
June 27, 1936: Count Ciano is nominated ambassador to Britain.
June 30, 1936: The former Abyssinian Emperor Haile Selassie, who barely escaped the invading Italians, speaks before the League of Nations in Geneva, Switzerland: "It is us today. It will be you tomorrow!" He warned the assembly. Dino Grandi in turn took to the stand and asked who could do more for the poor, illiterate Abyssinians? Italia the great European power or the corrupt and nepostistic ex-emperor?” After further verbal exchanges the League decided not to respond militarily and instigated minor economic sanctions against Italia, but these were soon undermined by carefull and clever Italian diplomacy.
July 2, 1936: Italo Balbo once more lands in the USA. He and Charles Lindberg becomes fast friends. The large Italian minority, and quite a few native Americans, hails Balbo as a true hero!
July 19, 1936: General Emilio Mola issues his proclamation of revolt in Navarre. The uprising is of the a shaky start in most of Spain. But Mola's forces was successful in the Canary Islands, Morocco, Seville and Aragon.
20 July, 1936: General Mola’s emmisaries to Hitler and Mussolini request military aid and technical assistance. While Hitler promptly accepted the offer, Mussolini is more cautious. He does however send advisors, observers, some volunteeers and shipments of older weapons to Spain. On the advice of his Foreign Minister, Mussolini is carefull to direct most od his support to the Carlists elements within Mola’s coalition, and makes sure the would knows the Fascisti is backing the Spanish monarchy, not just a rebellious general!.
July 26, 1936: The COMINTERN agrees to send volunteers and funds to aid the Republican cuase in the Spanish Civil War.
July 29, 1936: German transport aircraft begin to airlift Nationalist troops from Spain's North African territories to Spain itself.
August 1, 1936: Olympic games begin in Berlin.
August 8, 1936: The French Government begin to change its attitude towards Republican Spain and stops further sales of arms and ammunition to the Republicans in late ’36. This markes the beginning of the Non-Intervention Policy by most western countries..
August 24, 1936: The new Soviet Ambassador, Marcel Rosenberg, arrives in Republican Spain. He is accompanied by a large number of Russian advisers. Mussolini and his gorvernment view this with suspicion.
September 19, 1936: The Republican submarine B6 was sunk by Italian destroyer, Emanuele Pessagno, off the coast near Gibraltar.
October 2, 1936: Nationalist general Francisco Franco dies in airplane crash under mysterious circumstances.
October 5, 1936: General Mola is proclaimed Generalissimo (Commander-in-Chief) and Head of State in Burgos.
October 12, 1936: Soviet aid begin to arrive in Republican Spain.
October 25, 1936: A large part of Spain's Gold Reserve is transferred to the USSR. This is payment for the Soviet aid.
October 29, 1936: Soviet tanks and aircraft appeares at the front in Spain for the first time. Italian commandos under now major Junio Borghese is ordered to capture and bring back examples of the Soviet weapons if possible.
November 17, 1936: The German Condor Legion is in action for the first time.
November 18, 1936: Germany, and later Mussolini, recognises General Mola's government. In Rome Dino Grandi meets with several representatives from the Spanish Carlist movement.
December 23, 1936: The first Italian volunteers and shipments of Italian supplies arrive in the Nationalist port of Cadiz.
Late thirties
The great masses of people... will more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a small one!
- Adolf Hitler.
The optimist thinks that this is the best of all possible worlds, and the pessimist knows it!
- J.Robert Oppenheimer.
Mussolini sad there for the moment completely lost in time and thought. Graman troops had just crossed the borden to the rump Czech state, thereby violating the Venezia Treaty. He began to reflect more closely on the Graman Führer. If Hitler really meant for war with the rest of the world, the he probably ment the rest of his insane ramblings! Mussolini found it hard to belive, that Hitler really meant what he had written in Mein Kampf about the Jews and all the other numerous kinds of people he seem to hate so passionately? Mussolini himself had known, and knew Jews. There were even Jews in the Party, men who held postions of importance and prominence in his regime. Hah, he had even loved a couple. Fondly Mussolini remembered his Queen of Sheeba, Margherita Sarfatti. Did he really want those hinted-at and oh-so-subtle and rather permanent solutions for the Jews? Mussolini found the answer deep in his soul and squared his impressing jaw.
He called for Milch. When the still imposing former German officer came. Mussolini just sat there quitely for a long time and then suddenly asked: “Do you know of these rumors that are coming from your old homeland?”
Milchs face stiffened but answered nonetheless: “Yes, Duce! I do!”
Mussolini nodded, he had feared as much, but asked the next question anyway. “And do your former Führere take himself and all his own nonsence seriosly?”
Milch went pale, which was more than enough answer for Mussolini. “Ah, I thought so! Well then,” he said, “we shall have to see to that!”.
The Leonardi enacted several new economic measures designed to gear up and expand the Italian economy. The armed forces begin a five year military buildup plan which ironically would decrease the size of the armed forces, especially the army, but thoroughly modernize their weapons, equipment and doctrines.
Following the economic and military reforms the Italian Army decided to replace the bulk of their outdated artilley, especially the heavy artillery, which for the most part were old Austro-Hungarian pieces. The army selected two good and thoroughly modern designs by Ugo Cavallero’s Army designteam, one a gun with a caliber of 149mm and a howitzer with a caliber of 210mm. A production order for no less than respectively 900 and 400 was placed.
Together with the focus on artillery Cavallero and his resident Leonardi under colonel Berlese began an extensive tank and anti-tank research program. Alle the lessons from Spain and Abyssinia taken to heart.
Milch and Italo Balbo had grand designs for the Regia Aeronautica (Royal Airforce). Planes like Giuseppe Gabrilli’s G.50 Freccia and later the updated FIAT G55 Centauro would together with Mario Gastoldi’s Macchi series, (The MC.200 Saetta, MC.202 Folgore and MC.205 Veltro) gain RA an edge in the air for years to come.
In Germany, the Jews were coming under increased pressure as Hitler and the Nazi Party stired up more resentment against them. The Nazu inner circle soon began to consider deporting Jews or place them in camps where they could be exploited as cheap and ready aviliable slave labor along with other undesirables. A few voiced opinions of more final solutions.
Anti-Jewish sentiment was also on the rise in most of Europe. Especially in Austria, Czechoslovakia , France, Romania and Russia. In Italia, and Hungary, however it seems that the madness that is seizing most of the continent is passing the nation by. Mussolini and his Fascists approved of many a thing in Hitler’s Germany, but in the end National Socialism with its focus on race, blood and soil, was not anything like Mussolini’s Fascism. Fascism was founded on unity and on the idea of a corporativistic whole, and all that mattered was loyalty to the State, the Fascisti, and, of course Mussolini, not blood, race or somesuch nonsence!
While Mussolini as mentioned sent advisors and observers to Spain, he did not involved Italia further in the Spanish Civil War. Hitler several times asked his Italian opposite number to join Germany’s so called volunteers in fighting the socialists in Spain. Mussolini refused to commit Italia to any further adventures at present. But he did however sign a non-aggression treaty with Germany and, in a greate coup for the new Italian foreign policy, and Count Ciano in London personally, the United Kingdoms. The new Mussolini would rather cut his own throath than follow Hitler to Hell or, for that matter, risk war with the British, at present at least.
Italian propaganda brings out the big guns when the exiled King of Spain, Armadeus I, makes a public appearance in Monaco with his brother the King of Italia in the sommer of 1937, and his heir Carlos Amadeus. General Mola view this as an attempt to undermine his authority, witch it in a way is. Grandi knows that the Italian support to Mola’s Nationalists is somewhat unpopular in Britain, so the Foreing Ministry tries to make it a matter of supporting the Carlists in Spain instead of the Nationalists. Following the rather succesfull PR event, Italia steps up its shipments of arms and supplies. Most of the weapons however is older equipment which is being replaced by the Italian armed forces.
In 1938 the Mussolini and Grandi had another chance to shine on the international scene. To Mussolini it seem that Hitler had begun his descent into his Wagnerite nightmare: Hitler had initiated an invasion of the Sudetenlands and annexed Austria in the Anschluss. Both were actions positively prohibited by the Versailles Treaty. Neither the French or the British wanted a war, as they were far from ready for one, but they couldn’t let Germany’s acts of unabassed aggression go unanswered. Mussolini got the French and British out of the impasse by chairing a peace conference in Venezia. The Venezia Conference’s end document ratified the German acts, but obtained assurances from Hitler that this would be the end of his expansionism. The Venezia Conference was hailed by many as a masterpiece of statemanship by Mussolini, and Grandi. The British PM, Chamberlain, would return to England waving a piece of paper and proclaming peace in our time…
Timeline Late Thirties:
January 3, 1937: Grandi and von Ribbentrop meets in Münich and signs a Non-agression pact. The German Foreign Minister presses for more binding agrements, but Grandi refuses.
April 19, 1937: The Falange and Carlists Movement in Spain is united and becomes the Royalists.
May 22, 1937: Goering dies in an car accident. Hitler is heartbroken and declares a national day of mourning. Goering recieves a full stat funeral and a sadden Hitler holds one an unusual calm memorial speech.
May 24, 1937: Ernst Udet is promoted to Air Marshall and Commander in Chief of the Luftwaffe.
May 29, 1937: Gestapo-agents arrest Luftwaffe general Erhard Milch on the suspecion of jewish ancestry. Without Goerings patronship and support Milchs jewish background is exposed and he is found of mixed blood and unworthy to serve in the armed forces of the Third Reich by a court martial!
June 7, 1937: Erhard Milch is welcomed in Rome! Mussolini is in direct opposition to Hitler’s policies regarding Jews, and on the advice of Italo Balbo, who sees Milch as an great asset to the Regia Aeronautica, Mussolini offers Milch a place in the Regia Aeronauticas R&D department and puts him in an Italian uniform. Milch is soon becoming an important part of the research and development program.
June 9, 1937: Hitler is enragde but is more or less told to go to Hell by and an equally enraged Mussolini.
June 11, 1937: Soviet leader Stalin begins a purge of Red Army generals.
August 4, 1937: Amadeus I, the exiled King of Spain, his son and heir, Carlos Amadeus, and King Vittorio Emmanuele III of Italia makes a public appeareance in Monaco. General Mola appearantly is furious.
October 7, 1937: Mussolini and Grandi meets with Chamberlain and his Foreign Minister in London. The Italians succeeds in getting the British to sign a non-agression treaty.
March 12, 1938: Hitler announces the Anschluss, or union, with Austria. The Italian government, and Mussolini, protest vehemently, but ultimately to no end.
August 12, 1938: German military mobilizes.
August 13, 1938: Italian military mobilizes. Commando Supremo Chief, Ugo Cavallero, warns Mussolini that the armed forces is not ready for war.
August 15, 1938: Foreign Minister Dino Grandi suggest an peace conference. Mussolini agrees.
September 30, 1938: The Peace Conference at Venezia. British PM, Chamberlain, appeases Hitler at Munich.
October 10, 1938: The Italian Army demobilizes. Mussolini and General Cavallero is shocked by the poor states of the conscripts and their equipment. There’s a lot more to do for the Leonardi.
October 15, 1938: The German Army occupy the Sudentenland, and the Czechoslovakian government resigns.
Nov 9, 1938: Nazis in Germany instigates the Kristallnacht (The Night of Broken Glass).
1939
Victory smiles upon those who anticipate the changes in the character of war, not upon those who wait to adapt themselves after the changes occur!
- Giulio Douhet.
I intend to declare war, not wage it!
- Mussolini.
When Germany, not to the overt surprise of anyone in Rome, invaded Poland against all previous agreements. Mussolini met with Balbo, Grandi and his son-in-law, the ambassador to London, Count Ciano, in Mussolini’s office in the Palazzo Venizia in Rome. When Mussolini asked what the Italian position should be. Balbo with usual lack of finéss showed simply said that Italia must never be reduced to shoe-shiners of German jackboots, neither to lackeys of the capitalistic pigs in London and Paris. Both Mussolini and Grandi agreed, eventhough the young Ciano would have liked to se the Legions march of to war! But as Baldo said "Either it will be necessary to rid the world of Hitler or he will selfdestruct!” Mussolini laconically said. "Hitler will have a bad ending!"
Mussolini himself wouldn’t mind to see the arrogant French, the snobbish British, the red revolutionaries in the USSR or the insane Nazis cut down to size, but he knew that Italia could not survive a conflict with Germany or the United Kingdoms. At least, not without a more larger, modern industrial complex and the armed forces to match the Germans or the British. Well, weak as she might be Italia had its own goals, and Mussoloni would see that they at least were reached.
While the Allies, as France and the British had begun reffering to themselves, and Germany were busy squaring off over Poland, they had no time to spare when Italia claimed Albania as its rightfull provins. Italia had a long standing political and financial interest in Albania, and Mussolini used this as a reason for the invasion and annexation. In late march Foreign Minister Grandi met with Albania’s King Zog and gave hin an ultimatum, which in fact was more a declaration of war than anything else. Albania was then invaded and annexed in a text book demonstration of efficiency by the newly formed San Marco marines and other of Italia’s new legions.
Timeline 1939:
January 24, 1939: Reinhard Heydrich og the RSHA is ordered by Himmler to speed up emigration of Jews.
January 30, 1939: In his speech before the Reichstag on the sixth anniversary of his coming to power, Hitler proclaims: “In the course of my life I have very often been a prophet, and have usually been ridiculed for it. During the time of my struggle for power, it was in the first instance only the Jewish race that received my prophecies with laughter when I said that I would one day take over the leadership of the state and with it that of the whole nation and that I would then among other things settle the Jewish problem. Their laughter was uproarious, but I think that for some time now they have been laughing on the other side of their face. Today I will once more be a prophet: if the international Jewish financiers in and outside Europe should succeed in plunging the nations once more into a world war, then the result will not be the Bolshevising of the earth and thus the victory of Jewry, but the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe!” In Rome Mussolini skaes his head and comments: “He’s not a very good speaker, is he?”
April 7, 1939: The Regia Marina anchores off the coast of Albania, an begin to land 2 divisions of Bersaglieris and a regiment of marines under general Messe, one of the Army’s new shining stars. Resistance is sporadic, weak and overcome without difficulties.
April 8, 1939: King Zog along with his family escapes to Greece and was subsequently granted asylum by Athens.
April 16, 1939: Albania surrenders to Fascist Italia and on King Victor Emmanuelle III unites the crown of Albania to that of Italia and the colonies.
March 10, 1939: Stalin postulates a kinship between Nazism and Communism in a radio speech.
March 15, 1939: German troops occupy the rest of Czechoslovakia, annexing Bohemia and Moravia and giving Ruthenia to Hungary. Slovakia is granted indepencence. This was all in violation of Venizia Agreement of the previous year, but only produced weak British and French protests. Mussolini is furious.
May 22, 1939: Germany and Soviets sign Pact of Steel. Most of the Pact is secret, but the two countries publicly declare a non-agression and mutual aid pact.
July 11, 1939: Last stand of the International Brigades at Barcelona. Mola’s forces decimate the foreign troops, but takes serious casualties duing so.
July 26, 1939: The first the post-Milch fighters is taken into service by the RA. The new series of Macchi MC.200M is to replace the older G.50. Through new technics and more efficient management the cost of the MC.220M is reduced by some 50% and the bulding time is cut down to about 10.000 man hours. Futhermore onboard radios, canon armament and more powerfull inline motors is installed in the M-series.
July 28, 1939: The Royalists enters a ruined Madrid.
July 30, 1939: Hostilities in Spain ceases.
August 1, 1939: General Mola announces that the civil war is over.
August 6, 1939: Mussolini pressures Mola into considering accepting the House of Savoy's claim to the vacant Spanish Throne. Mola makes no definite comiment at this stage.
August 25, 1939: Britain and Poland sign a Mutual Assistance Treaty.
August 31, 1939: British fleet mobilizes. Civilian evacuations begin from London.
September 1, 1939: The German army stream over across the border to Poland.
September 3, 1939: Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand declare war on Germany.
September 4, 1939: British Royal Air Force attacks the German Navy.
September 5, 1939: Italia and the USA proclaims neutrality. German troops cross the Vistula River in Poland.
September 10, 1939: Canada declares war on Germany.
September 17, 1939: The USSR invades Poland from the east. Polish defences quickly collapses
September 29, 1939: Germany and the USSR divide Poland as agreed upon in the Pact of Steel.
November 8, 1939:Assassination attempt on Hitler fails.
October 18, 1939: The first new upgunned tanks with welted armour of the M18/39 series is accepted for service. Different Sermovente selfpropelled guns and tank hunters is tested by the Italian army. Ugo Cavallero is most satisfied and orders several vehicles for his new armoured and mechanized division.
November 30, 1939: The USSR launches an attack on Finland. Italian volunteers, arms, and advisors is send to Finland. Mussolini condemns the invasion and Stalin rather harsly: “One man, one man only, a real tyran, through a series of infinite provocations, betraying with a supreme fraud the population of his country, wants nothing more than war and has prepared for it day by day with diabolical obstinacy!”
December 14, 1939: The USSR is expelled from the League of Nations.
December 24, 1940: Pope Pius XII makes a Christmas appeal for peace.
First Poland, then France/UK and the USSR! Except I think they leave Denmark and Norway out of the war. Since the Germans would get some supplies via the Italians (As you suggest with the British), they would be less dependent on Sweden.