London's caution differed from the greater confidence of some officers serving in the Mediterranean. During the Abyssinian crisis, effective sanctions against Italy could expose Malta and Alexandria to attack, yet those officers believed they could defeat the Italian fleet then in service. Their concern lay more with future Italian battleships, while Germany had little at sea and no Italian-Japanese alignment was expected. The episode also considers a 1935 Anglo-Italian war in which Hitler stayed out and France gained confidence from a British victory. Britain's weak response in Abyssinia may have encouraged Mussolini to support Franco with arms and men in 1936, when Italy was still the leading fascist power.
Notable Point · 10:35-13:20
Italy, Abyssinia, and Mediterranean deterrence
The Abyssinian crisis tested whether Britain could confront Italy in the Mediterranean when London believed that even replaceable naval losses might be unaffordable.