A Red Sea flagship for Italian imperial ambition

Italy exploited political turmoil and its existing footholds to occupy Eritrean territory with little organized resistance, while Bausan led the Red Sea squadron that represented the operation at sea. The squadron served as a combat force and an imperial status symbol. Repeatedly advertising a Red Sea squadron helped Italy claim the visible standing of an imperial power. British control of the Suez Canal and Gibraltar nevertheless constrained the routes by which Italian ships could reach wider oceans. Bausan could project imperial prestige even though another navy controlled the decisive maritime chokepoints.