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That's the Explorers Podcast. Hello everyone and welcome to history of the Second World War, episode 104, Highway to the Danger Zone Part 2, Always where I burn to be.

This week, a big thank you goes out to our newest members, Christian and Joseph, and I would like to thank them for their support. You can find

out more about becoming a member over at History of the Second World War.com slash members.

It's been a while since we checked in with events in Italy. The last time we had an episode that focused on Italy,

they had launched their campaign of expansion in Africa with the invasion of Ethiopia,

which was eventually successful, but at a far greater cost than they had hoped.

Italy had also been very closely involved with events in Spain,

providing a large amount of support for Franco and his nationalist cause in the form of various types of military equipment,

as well as units of Italian troops.

The question for today is what were the Italian views on events in Europe after 1938?

And we can start with this quote from Robert Mallet, from his book Mussolini in the

origins of the Second World War, 1933 to 1940.

Quote, works that have examined more closely, Mussolini's thinking over the period

from January 1935 onwards, have confirmed that, for him, an Italian annexation of Ethiopia

marks not a limited phase of overseas expansion, but on the contrary, only by the beginning

of a more ambitious imperial policy. Mussolini and his military chiefs were already considering

...