ABSTRACT
Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939 without consulting its Axis partner. Italy remained neutral. It was not an heroic posture and the Duce found the situation extremely embarrassing. The swift German victory over Poland turned embarrassment into humiliation. Germany needed no assistance from Italy and Europe no longer required the Duce's mediation. As he said to his generals on 31 March 1940,
If the war continues, to think that Italy can remain outside it to the end is absurd and impossible . . . Italy cannot remain neutral for the whole duration of the war without resigning from its role, without disqualifying itself, without reducing itself to the level of Switzerland multiplied by ten. 1
Precisely what Italy would do in the war had not been deeply considered. In August of 1939 Mussolini announced to his military chiefs that in the event of an Anglo-French attack on Italy, he would order a defensive position around metropolitan Italy tied to a double offensive: one 'certain' against Greece and one 'probable' against Yugoslavia. Fortunato Minniti in a recent article remarks mildly, 'This orientation is difficult to interpret . . . you respond with an offensive approach but the offensive is directed against third countries and not against the aggressors.' 2
Italy was unprepared for war. Colonel Antonio Gandin attended the military parade on 9 May 1939, the birthday of the Empire, and went back to his office deeply depressed:
infantry: of four grenadier and infantry regiments only one (81st) has the complete new equipment . . . motorized infantry: one regiment with automobiles for infantry of the new type, one with vehicles of the old type . . .
