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The empire ordinarily associated with geographical Italy is the Roman Empire but like Venice and Genoa in feudal times, modern Italy, by the time of World War II, possessed various overseas territories in the Mediterranean, and even in East Africa. The Italian Empire reached its greatest extent in 1940.
Like Germany, Italy was united too late to rival the major European powers in establishing significant colonies in Asia (excluding the concession in the Chinese city of Tientsin) or the Americas, although there was large scale Italian emigration to many New World countries.
Fascism and the Italian Empire
After 1929 imperial expansion became a favourite theme of Mussolini's speeches. He argued that colonial settlements were a demographic and economic necessity for a country like Italy. Imperial expansion was also a key component of Mussolini's desire to replace Britain and France as the dominant power in the Mediterranean.Italian colonial possessions
Italian East Africa
Italian Somaliland (now Somalia)
The Italian colony in the southern part of Somaliland was established in 1889–90. In 1925 it was extended when Jubaland was acquired from Kenya.Eritrea
Italy's colony in Eritrea was established in 1889. The colony was treated as a prestige project during the Fascist era and to this day the capital, Asmara, retains some fine buildings and monuments dating back to the period of Italian rule. Because of this striking architectural legacy, Asmara may become a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Abyssinia (now Ethiopia)
Although the Italians were defeated in their first attempt to conquer Abyssinia in the First Italo-Abyssinian War in 1895-96, it was conquered by the Italians in the war of 1935-1936. Victory was announced on 9 May 1936 and the Italian King Victor Emanuel III was appointed Emperor of Ethiopia.Benito Mussolini dreamed of sending millions of Italian settlers to Italian East Africa and there were high hopes of turning the area into an economic asset. However, by overrunning Abyssinia, a member of the League of Nations, Italy attracted widespread international hostility. In any event, Italy was only able to hold on to its new colony for just over five years.
Viceroyalty
Abyssinia, Eritrea and Somaliland were also known, together, as Italian East Africa.Libya
Italy acquired the North African territories of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica under the terms of the Treaty of Lausanne in 1911 following a short war with Turkey. Italy's claim to the area was based partly on proximity and helped by an unofficial agreement with France to divide the North African coast between them. Those Italians who indulged in imperial rhetoric referred to North Africa as Italy's fourth shore. In reality Italy spent a large part of the 1920s attempting to 'pacify' her latest colony.In 1934 Tripolitania and Cyrenaica were united to form the colony of Libya, a name previously used 1500 years earlier by Diocletian to refer to the area.
Italy lost control of Libya when German and Italian forces withdrew into Tunisia in 1943.
Tientsin, China
In 1901 Italy, along with several other countries, was granted a concession zone in the trading city of Tientsin (now Tianjin) in China. The Italian concession, at 46 hectares, was one of the smallest of the European concessions in that city. The concession arrangement ended by agreement between the Italian Social Republic and Japan's puppet government in China in 1943.Italian possessions in Europe
Albania
Albania was already firmly within Italy's sphere of influence in 1939 when Mussolini decided it should formally be brought under Italian control. It is possible the Italian dictator simply wanted a spectacular success over a smaller neighbour to match Germany's absorption of Austria and Czechoslovakia. The invasion of Albania began on 7th April 1939 and resistance ended five days later. Albania's King Zog fled to London.Italian King Victor Emmanuel III took the Albanian crown, and a fascist government under Shefqet Verlaci was established. The Albanian armed forces were subsumed into Italian units.
In 1941, following the fall of Yugoslavia in the Balkans Campaign, Kosovo and western parts of Vardar Macedonia were incorporated with Albania.
Resistance to the Italian occupation grew rapidly in 1942 and 1943. By the summer of 1943 the mountainous interior was controlled by resistance fighters. Italy withdrew from Albania in September 1943.
In Greece
The Dodecanese Islands
The Dodecanese Islands were among several territorial gains Italy was able to make at the expense of the enfeebled Ottoman Empire with the Italo-Turkish War of 1911-1912. Control of Rhodes and the surrounding islands was considered an important part of Italy's challenge to British dominance in the Mediterranean.By siding with the winning side in World War I, Italy was able to consolidate her position in the area. While the Treaty of Sevres in 1919 called for most of the smaller islands to join with Greece, with Rhodes and several other islands remaining Italian, later, in 1923, the Treaty of Lausanne gave international recognition to the continued Italian administration over the whole group.
In September 1943 Italy surrendered control of the Dodecanese to the Germans.
In later Yugoslavia
Montenegro
In 1941, Montenegro was reestablished as a constitutional monarchy (with a vacant throne, after it was refused by the Titular King of Montenegro and a prince of Romanov dynasty) and declared an Italian protectorate.In September 1943 Montenegro was left to the control of German troops.
Imperial ambition
Italian armies were also able to briefly occupy British Somaliland. In 1941, Dalmatia, parts of present-day Slovenia, and Gulf of Kotor were annexed. Mussolini dearly wished to extend the Italian empire to include those territories, as well as Malta, Tunisia, French Somaliland and Corsica. Contemplating the fall of France and victory over Britain, Mussolini and foreign minister Ciano discussed seizing Algeria, Egypt and Sudan but these ideas were coolly received by their German counterparts.
End of empire
The Italian Empire effectively came to an end in 1943 when the Italians were driven out of North and East Africa by British and Commonwealth forces. In Albania and the Dodecanese Italian troops were withdrawn in September 1943 when Mussolini's government was overthrown. Italy formally lost all her overseas possessions as a result of the Treaty of peace with Italy (1947). Although, on November 1949 Italian Somaliland was made a United Nations Trust Territory under Italian administration until July 1, 1960 when it was granted its independence along with British Somaliland to form Somalia.
See also
Sources and references
Colonialism | Empires | Former Italian colonies | Italian Fascism | Italian colonies
Empire colonial italien | Impero coloniale italiano | Italiaanse koloniën | Império italiano
"Italian Empire"