Why did this idiot side with Hitler?

>>2856042
This reads like a chronicle of pure idiocy:
>Mussolini's Under-Secretary for War Production, Carlo Favagrossa, had estimated that Italy could not possibly be prepared for major military operations until at least October 1942. This had been made clear during the Italo-German negotiations for the Pact of Steel, whereby it was stipulated that neither signatory was to make war without the other earlier than 1943. Although considered a great power, the Italian industrial sector was relatively weak compared to other European major powers. Italian industry did not equal more than 15% of that of France or of Britain in militarily critical areas such as automobile production: the number of automobiles in Italy before the war was around 374,000, in comparison to around 2,500,000 in Britain and France. The lack of a stronger automotive industry made it difficult for Italy to mechanize its military. Italy still had a predominantly agricultural-based economy, with demographics more akin to a developing country (high illiteracy, poverty, rapid population growth and a high proportion of adolescents) and a proportion of GNP derived from industry less than that of Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Sweden, in addition to the other great powers. In terms of strategic materials, in 1940, Italy produced 4.4 megatonnes (Mt) of coal, 0.01 Mt of crude oil, 1.2 Mt of iron ore and 2.1 Mt of steel. By comparison, Great Britain produced 224.3 Mt of coal, 11.9 Mt of crude oil, 17.7 Mt of iron ore, and 13.0 Mt of steel and Germany produced 364.8 Mt of coal, 8.0 Mt of crude oil, 29.5 Mt of iron ore and 21.5 Mt of steel. Most raw material needs could be fulfilled only through importation, and no effort was made to stockpile key materials before the entry into war. Approximately one quarter of the ships of Italy's merchant fleet were in foreign ports at the outbreak of hostilities, and, given no forewarning, were immediately impounded.
[wikipedia]

Cont...
>On 2 February 1940, however, Mussolini approved a draft contract with the Royal Air Force to provide 400 Caproni aircraft; yet he scrapped the deal on 8 February. The British intelligence officer, Francis Rodd, believed that Mussolini was convinced to reverse policy by German pressure in the week of 2–8 February, a view shared by the British ambassador in Rome, Percy Loraine.
So even as late as February 1940, Mussolini had a chance to back off and join the other side.
What a buffoon.

>>2856042
Marlon Brando was a Nazi?

File: asdljkfasd.jpg (29KB, 288x350px)

29KB, 288x350px

>>2856160
No, Brando was Napoleon

The West, particularly the UK, sanctioned the shit out of Italy for their involvement in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, & Germany offered Italy 4x the coal Mussolini had requested from them in order to side with them in conflicts(provided they also agreed to & upheld the other conditions, which they didn't).

Originally siding with Germany made sense; doing so after Hitler caused France & Britain to become involved, not ao much.

>>2856098
When the choices are get sanctioned to shit & get nothing out of it or increase the amount of coal, a strategic resource, you have at your disposal tenfold, while being promised double that in the ensuing decade, you're going to choose the latter every single time.

>>2856636
>provided they also agreed to & upheld the other conditions, which they didn't
lol typical Italians.

>>2856666
While the Italians technically didn't uphold the agreement, it was the Germans that originally broke the Pact of Steel by becoming involved in a military conflict prior to 1943.

I apologize if I didn't make that clear.

>>2856042
At least he was one of the few dictators that received proper justice in the end.

"we is da master race"

"we will remake the roman empire"

>attacks greece
>gets fucked by greeks
>goes "germany plox"
>attacks egypt
>gets fucked by brits
> goes "germany plox"

what was this dudes problem