Mussolini and the entry into the war

At the beginning of June 1940, the French defeat was a foregone conclusion. Benito Mussolini, who had kept Italy out of the conflict since September 1939 ("non-belligerence"), saw the opportunity to reap the fruits of the German victory at little cost. The Italian army was, however, ill-prepared for a major war, as its own military leaders warned.

The calculation was cynical: to enter the war now, while France was in its death throes, would make it possible to claim Nice, Savoy, Corsica, Djibouti, colonial gains — and to sit at the victors' table alongside Hitler. But the military unpreparedness risked turning the windfall into a humiliation.

Mussolini could declare war immediately to join in the kill and reap territorial gains. To remain non-belligerent until the army was ready, perhaps negotiating compensation. Or to confine himself to diplomatic support for Germany without committing his forces. He knew the window of opportunity was narrow: if France capitulated before he acted, he would have missed everything.