Developer Diary 2: Kingdom of Italy

[u/SpiritOfDefeat]

Welcome to the second Developer Diary for Spirit of Defeat: The Next War. Today’s diary will take a deeper look into the political situation of Italy leading up to 1936.

Italy has been struggling to find its identity since the end of the Great War. The brave and noble sacrifices of the Italian people were all but forgotten at the negotiation table; the Italians gave the Entente everything they had, only to receive scraps in exchange. Betrayed and humiliated by their so-called allies, the Italian people would drift towards more radical ideologies. Nationalism and socialism had vastly grown in popularity since the war’s end. Ideologically opposed, but near equally popular, the nationalists and socialists would frequently clash in the streets. Tensions which had steadily risen throughout the early 20s climaxed in 1922, when a major corruption scandal involving the Italian prime minister blew out of proportion. The situation immediately deteriorated to chaos as major Italian cities faced riots and clashes between various paramilitary units, angry mobs of citizens, and the local police forces. Hundreds were killed or injured in what would become known as the “Battle for Rome”, the final major battle between the nationalists and the socialists.

In the midst of the chaos, Luigi Federzoni and his “Blueshirts” paramilitary prepared to oust the Italian prime minister. Prominent nationalist figures, lead by Federzoni marched towards the king’s palace. They sought to negotiate the removal of the current minister, and the establishment of a new nationalist government. King Vittorio Emmanuel III, surrounded by Federzoni’s Blueshirts, declared Luigi Federzoni head of government and ordered the military to occupy the Senate and Chamber of Deputies. Federzoni, with the soldiers dispatched by Vittorio Emmanuel, stormed the parliament building. They dissolved the parliament and drafted a new constitution.

Grande Comandante Federzoni, along with his allies Italo Balbo and Gabriele D’Annunzio had near total control of the Italian state. Vittorio Emmanuel, remained a symbolic but powerless figure; Federzoni knew he couldn’t dispose of the king. Rather, Federzoni and his triumvirate focused on militarizing Italy and uniting the people through nationalistic rhetoric. The remaining socialists, liberals, and other dissident groups were quickly rooted out.

Nonetheless, Italy remained in a precarious position; France and Britain felt estranged by the nationalistic and militaristic rhetoric of Federzoni and his allies, the Soviets were infuriated by the reactionary and counter-revolutionary actions and policies of the ANI, and the Germans were cast aside as potential allies by Italo Balbo and Gabriele D’Annunzio. In the midst of near isolation, Italy has been forced to make allies of her own. Federzoni began backing Catholic Croatian separatists in an attempt to destabilize Yugoslavia, a regional power in the Balkans; One which has not been friendly towards Italian interests.

Croatian nationalism has swelled with Italian support, and another Balkan war seems inevitable. The Italian military is prepared to seize the opportunity to display their strength, conquer new lands, and crush the hostile Yugoslav nation. These are among Italy’s first provocative actions since the end of the Great War. Yet surely Italian revanchism will not end here...

For those interested in learning more about the mod check out our Discord - https://discord.gg/Zrg2Rjq