Part 5/11:
The Italian advance was cautious and poorly coordinated, faltering significantly. Graziani’s classic 19th-century military tactics clashed with modern warfare needs. While Graziani declared his forces the best-trained colonial army, the harsh reality was that they were under-equipped and ill-prepared for a protracted conflict.
Mussolini’s ambition did not stop at North Africa; he sought to extend Italian influence in the Balkans. In 1939, Italy had established a protectorate in Albania and eyed territories in Greece. Despite demonstrations of skepticism from several military leaders, Mussolini, encouraged by his foreign minister Galeazzo Ciano, decided on a military campaign to invade Greece, believing in the ineptitude of Greek forces.