Anglo-Italian Relations in the Middle East, 1922–1940
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Between 1923 and 1934, Britain and Italy waged war by proxy in the Middle East. Behind the appearance of European collaboration, relations between London and Rome in the Red Sea were notably tense. Although realistically Mussolini could not establish or maintain colonies in the Arabian Peninsula in the face of British opposition, his regime undertook a number of initiatives in the region to enhance Italo-Arab relations and to pave the way for future expansion once the balance of power in Europe had shifted in Italy's favour. This book examines four key aspects of relations between Britain and Italy in the Middle East in the interwar period: the confrontation between London and Rome for political influence among Arab leaders and nationalists; the competition for commercial and trade advantages in the region; the Anglo-Italian propaganda war to win the hearts and minds of the Arab populations; and the secret world of British and Italian espionage and intelligence. An in depth analysis of these four key areas demonstrates how Anglo-Italian relations broke down over the interwar period and enhances our knowledge and understanding of the factors leading up to the widening of the Second World War in the Mediterranean. This book is essential reading for scholars concerned with Anglo-Italian relations, the activities of the Powers in the Middle East and the tensions between the colonial powers.
Massimiliano Fiore is a Fellow at the Department of War Studies, King's College London, where he teaches on the BA and MA programmes. He gained a BA in Political Science (Naples), an MA in International Affairs (Milan) and an MA in Diplomatic Studies (Rome). He then completed his education in the United Kingdom, taking an MA and a PhD in War Studies at King's College London. He has previously taught at the Department of International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science and at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom in Shrivenham. His next research project explores the relations between Italy and Israel since the Second World War.