Ivanoe Bonomi and the Italian delegates sought equality in fleet allowance with France. Italy could focus on the Mediterranean while France had to account for overseas commitments as well. With Austria-Hungary broken up and neither Greece nor the Ottoman state posing the same naval challenge, France was Italy's principal regional rival short of the Royal Navy. The aspiration to make the sea Mare Nostrum predated Mussolini, although Bonomi still accounted for a continuing British presence. These circumstances explain the Italian delegation's insistence on an allowance equal to France's.
Notable Point · 1:08:51-1:14:41
Italian parity and Mediterranean concentration
Italy needed only parity with France to concentrate superior strength in the Mediterranean while France divided attention across an empire.