World War II and the End of an Empire

Mussolini would enter World War II as an Axis power, aligning himself with Hitler's Germany. His primary goal was more land and more colonies, and his eye was on all of North Africa. However, Italy would suffer a defeat just three years after its 1940 declarations of war against Great Britain and France, which would result in the death of Mussolini, the collapse of fascismo, and the end of the dream of a new Roman Empire.

Italian flag captured in East Africa

In September 1940, the Italians invaded Egypt in an attempt to seize the Suez Canal from the British and French. Italy's holdings in Libya were essential to the invasion, as Italian armor emerged from untouchable bases in the territory. However, the invasion would falter; while Italian vehicles and weapons were effective against the less heavily armed Ethiopians, overcoming British weaponry was a considerable challenge. The Brits were able to punch through Libya, but an impatient Mussolini directed his men to continue forward into Egypt. The Italians were stopped before they could reach the main British defenses around the Suez, and the invading force was destroyed. Mussolini pulled his men to assist with the invasion of Greece, and the British continued to take parts of Libya.

However, the effort to strip Libya from the Italians failed when German armor under the command of Erwin Rommel repelled the British, driving them back into Egypt. At the same time, the war was taken to East Africa, where Mussolini wanted to claim the rest of British Somaliland and move into Sudan and Kenya. The Italians were successful in occupying British Somaliland; this was short-lived, as the British managed to reverse the fighting and drive the Italians back. Emperor Halie Selassie I of Ethiopia returned to his throne, after having been in refuge, and for several years, his forces engaged the remaining Italian soldiers.

The return of Haile Selassie

By 1943, the Italian war effort collapsed. East African forces had been contained by the British and a combined Allied offensive had driven the Italians back into Tunisia after the Nazi-assisted campaign back into Egypt. The invasion of Italy by the Allies led to the arrest of Mussolini, and the Italian government began peace proceedings. The Italian Republic was formed following the war, and as a condition of peace, Italy was made to renounce its claims on all of its African colonies. Italian Somaliland was maintained as an administrative territory, although it was to renounce that territory as well within a decade. In 1960, independence was granted, and the former Italian Somaliland fused with the former British Somaliland to become Somalia.

There is plenty of material online about the Italian campaigns in North and East Africa. Below is footage of combat between Italian and British forces in Libya in 1942.

- Nick