The Anglo-French maintain the Stresa Front with Italy in 1935-1936 even after Italy invades Ethiopia

[WolfBear]

What if the Anglo-French maintain the Stresa Front with Italy in 1935-1936 even after Italy invades Ethiopia, arguing that if they themselves are not going to give up their own colonies, then they should not complain about Italy conquering another country and turning it into a colony, especially when forming a united front against Nazi Germany is much more important? What would the effects of this have been?

 

[stevep]

What if the Anglo-French maintain the Stresa Front with Italy in 1935-1936 even after Italy invades Ethiopia, arguing that if they themselves are not going to give up their own colonies, then they should not complain about Italy conquering another country and turning it into a colony, especially when forming a united front against Nazi Germany is much more important? What would the effects of this have been?

Your going to have a lot of unrest in both countries at this and also the collapse of the LoN with the acceptance of might makes right and rejection of collective security by the two governments. Its going to make the western democracies significantly weaker, both internally and in their interactions with other powers. Might make for a slightly earlier decolonisation IF they survive the coming world war as there would be a small head of steam set up for such a move. Unless of course democracy fails in Britain and France as well.

Plus of course it does nothing if Mussolini is simply bought off by Hitler to abandon any protection of Austria.

 

[WolfBear]

Your going to have a lot of unrest in both countries at this and also the collapse of the LoN with the acceptance of might makes right and rejection of collective security by the two governments. Its going to make the western democracies significantly weaker, both internally and in their interactions with other powers. Might make for a slightly earlier decolonisation IF they survive the coming world war as there would be a small head of steam set up for such a move. Unless of course democracy fails in Britain and France as well.

Plus of course it does nothing if Mussolini is simply bought off by Hitler to abandon any protection of Austria.

Interesting. So, overall, doing this would not be worth it for the Anglo-French, eh?

 

[stevep]

Interesting. So, overall, doing this would not be worth it for the Anglo-French, eh?

I'm not saying it would do nothing. If it prevents Hitler getting his hands on Austria and its resources then his economy is even weaker and hence the military expansion isn't as rapid as OTL. It also means he has to worry about a potentially hostile Italy to his south and the threat to Czechoslovakia is weaker. Given how intent Hitler is on war something's going to happen but his position is markedly weaker here.

However there will be political costs. Also what happens when Franco - along with other's as he wasn't the only extreme right figure who wanted to overthrow the republic - launches his coup in Spain? OTL Hitler and an alienated Mussolini both supported their fellow fascist. What happens here? Does only one support Franco in which case the other is frozen out because of the hostility between the two? If so which one. Franco although murderous was more in line with Mussolini than Hitler so Benny would see him as a useful ally/subordinate but how would that affect relations between Italy and Britain/France? If Hitler was to support Franco 1st then what does Mussolini do? Doubt he would support the republicans but would he stay outside - in which case the republic might win, or is still likely to be in the fight assuming WWII still comes along roughly on time? Or seek to out-play Hitler in his aid to Franco?