DOKTRINA SPOLJNE POLITIKE ITALIJE U JAVNIM ISTUPIMA BENITA MUSOLINIJA
ITALY'S FOREIGN POLICY DOCTRINE IN THE PUBLIC SPEECHES OF BENITO MUSSOLINI

Summary/Abstract: Benito Mussolini, the leader of the Italian Fascists and, as of 1922, the country’s prime minister, formulated the foreign policy doctrine of Italy in his public speeches during the early twenties. Founding his assertions on the tradition of the ancient Roman Empire, Mussolini supported the idea of creating a new, fascist empire. In his speeches he advocated the cultural, economic and territorial expansion of Italy towards the region of the Mediterranean, Africa and Asia, depending on the course of actual historical events. He regarded the Balkans and Yugoslavia as belonging to the east-Mediterranean. His intention was to expand Italian interests in that region through economic domination but he also advocated territorial conquests. In the beginning of the thirties, Mussolini and his followers lent special attention to Africa as a part of the future empire. Aware of historical circumstances, Mussolini encouraged economic and cultural expansion and made military preparations for the conquest of Ethiopia, which followed in 1935/36. Having thus accomplished his intentions regarding Africa, he then turned to southeast Europe. In the second half of the thirties, he insisted on economic expansion into this region and, in 1939, marked it as part of the future Italian empire.

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