IB History Italian Expansion: Albania Notes

The Invasion of Albania (April 1939)

1. Between 1936 and 1939, Italy was deeply involved in the Spanish Civil War, sending approximately 75,000 troops plus weapons and naval support to Franco's Nationalists. "Money, troops and supplies that Italy could not afford were wasted" on an intervention that brought no territorial gains.
2. When Germany annexed the rest of Czechoslovakia (March 1939) without consulting Italy, Mussolini felt humiliated and wanted to demonstrate that Italy could also act decisively. Albania, already an Italian client state economically dependent on Italy, was the easiest target.
3. Italy invaded Albania on 7 April 1939. Italian forces landed at several Albanian ports including Durres, Vlore, Saranda, and Shengjin. Resistance was minimal as Albania's small army was no match for the Italian military. King Zog fled to Greece.
4. Albania was formally annexed to Italy. The Italian King Victor Emmanuel III was declared King of Albania. The invasion gave Italy a strategic base in the Balkans and control of the Albanian coastline opposite southern Italy across the Adriatic Sea.
5. The invasion was Mussolini's third military campaign in four years (after Abyssinia and Spain). Each had drained Italy's limited resources further. Despite expanding territory, Italy's military remained fundamentally unprepared for a major war: only 10 of 73 divisions were combat-ready, equipment was outdated, and ammunition reserves would last only weeks.

International Response to the Albanian Invasion

1. Britain and France condemned the invasion but took no direct action. By April 1939, appeasement was collapsing (Germany had just occupied Czechoslovakia in March), but the democracies were still unwilling to confront Italy militarily.
2. In response to the Albanian invasion, Britain and France issued guarantees to Greece and Romania (in addition to their existing guarantee to Poland from March 1939). These guarantees pledged to defend the independence of these states if attacked, but their enforceability without Soviet cooperation remained questionable.
3. The Soviet Union "led world criticism of Italy in the Abyssinian Crisis and later during Italy's invasion of Albania." The Soviets continued to oppose Italian expansion but remained focused on their own industrialisation and rearmament.
4. The League of Nations was effectively irrelevant by April 1939. Italy had already withdrawn from the League in December 1937, and the organisation had proven incapable of stopping aggression after the Manchurian and Abyssinian crises. No sanctions were even discussed.
5. The Albanian invasion further confirmed the pattern established since the Rhineland: aggression went unpunished. Each act of expansion by Italy and Germany was met with protests but no effective counter-action, emboldening both dictators to push further.