me, that was not part of territories promised at London but had been occupied after the end of the war by Gabriele D'Annunzio. Fascist Regime Main articles: Italian Fascism and Military history of Italy during World War II

and the Dodecanese under its rule.[58]
First World War and aftermath
Main article: Military history of Italy during World War I
Italy, though nominally allied with the German Empire and the Empire of Austria-Hungary in the Triple Alliance, was lured by Allies into the war with a promise of substantial territorial gains, that included western Inner Carniola, former Austrian Littoral, Dalmatia as well as parts of the Ottoman Empire, annexed most of the promised territories after the First World War according to the secret treaties of London and Rapallo.
The war was initially a failure for Italy. The Italian army repeatedly attacked Austria, making little progress and suffering heavy losses, and being routed in 1917 by a German-Austrian counteroffensive. In October 1918, the Italians attacked again. The Austrian army broke down, and the Italians drove deep into Austrian territory. Fighting ended on 3 November.
During the war, more than 650,000 Italian soldiers died[59] and there was a large growth of the public debt. Whereas hundreds Italians were left in the new founded Kingdom of Yugoslavia[i] half a million South Slavs,[60] mainly Slovenes and Croatians, and about two hundred thousand germanophone Tyroleans became part of the Kingdom of Italy. Under the Peace Treaties of Saint-Germain, Rapallo and Rome, Italy obtained most of the promised territories, but not Dalmatia (except Zara), allowing nationalists to define the victory as "mutilated". Moreover, Italy could annex the Hungarian harbor of Fiume, that was not part of territories promised at London but had been occupied after the end of the war by Gabriele D'Annunzio.
Fascist Regime
Main articles: Italian Fascism and Military history of Italy during World War II


Benito Mussolini, Duce of Fascist Italy.
The socialist agitations that followed the devastation of the Great War, inspired by the Russian Revolution, led to turmoil and anarchy throughout Italy. The liberal establishment, fearing a Soviet-style revolution, started to endorse the small National Fascist Party, led by Benito Mussolini. In October 1922 the blackshirts attempted a coup (the "March on Rome"). The coup itself was a failure, but at the last minute king Victor Emmanuel III refused to proclaim the state of siege and appointed Mussolini prime minister. Over the next few years, Mussolini banned all political parties and curtailed personal liberties, thus forming a dictatorship, who attracted international attention and that served as the inspiration, among others countries, for Nazi Germany and Francoist Spain, in Europe and outside.
In 1935 Mussolini invaded Ethiopia, resulting in an international alienation and leading to Italy's withdrawal from the League of Nations. Consequently, Italy allied with Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan and strongly supported Francisco Franco in the Spanish civil war. In 1939, Italy annexed Albania, a de facto protectorate for decades. Italy entered World War II on June 10, 1940. After initially advancing in British Somalialand and Egypt, the Italians suffered heavy defeats in Greece, Russia and North Africa.
After the attack on Yugoslavia by Germany and Italy, suppression of the Yugoslav Partisans resistance and attempts to Italianization resulted in the Italian war crimes[61] and deportation of about 25,000 people to the Italian concentration camps, such as Rab, Gonars, Monigo, Renicci di Anghiari and elsewhere. After the war, due to the Cold war, a long period of censorship, disinterest and denial occurred about the Italian war crimes and the Yugoslav's foibe killings.[62][63][64][65] Meanwhile about 250,000 Italians and anti-communist Yugoslavs fled to Italy in the Istrian