How complicated an answer do you need?
How complicated an answer do you need? There is a great series put out by Time Life years ago that many libraries have – If you have access to that series, look for the Italy at War book and you will find a ton of good info, without being full of big political science terminology, or lengthy discussions. Mussolini came to power in the 20s, after WW1, and remained in power for 2 decades – a very long period, with a number of notable changes in foriegn policy during that time. However, the basic thrust of his foriegn policy was to aggrandize Italy with an aim of restoring the glory of the Roman empire. In the 1930s, he attacked one of the few independent African nations, Ethiopia, to make it an Italian colony. He also essentially annexed nearby (but very backward) Albania. Over time, he grew to ally himself with Hitler, eventually going to war on France and the UK, and later the USSR and the US, as Germany’s ally.
