Visions of a New Roman Empire has Italy's fascist Prime Minister Benito Mussolini invading Ethiopia from Somaliland in 1935. It's the first time any nation has fielded a mechanized army in a desert. Egypt, alarmed by Italy's incursions, asks England for military assistance and provides the Royal Navy a port in Alexandria. Italy declares war on England on 11 June 1940 and Commonwealth forces of about 100,000 were all that stood against Marshal Rodolfo Graziani's
invasion with twice as many—ill-equipped and poorly led—troops. |