Mussolini himself is unlikely to have brought Italy into an early Allied alignment, though his removal remains a meaningful contingency. Italy's political direction was therefore not completely detached from the survival of its dictator. Hitler had also promised Mussolini that a general war would not begin before 1945. Italian forces were not expected to be ready earlier, helping explain why the actual 1939-40 timetable caught an Axis partner in the middle of rebuilding.
Notable Point · 3:16:40-3:17:19
Italy's Axis alignment was constrained by readiness and politics
Mussolini's position and an expected 1945 war timetable complicate the idea that Italy's entry on Germany's side was fixed and fully prepared.