The Washington Naval Treaty was agreed before Mussolini took power, but its limits became part of the political environment that helped him. Italian officers resented restricted construction and a formal equality with France that they interpreted as an insult to national ambition. This grievance joined a wider military fear of socialist and communist politics after the Russian Revolution. The Bolsheviks' success in taking and consolidating power made the threat look concrete to officers who knew the Italian public did not share all of their heroic memories of the recent war. That combination made the armed forces more receptive to a Fascist movement promising status and protection.
Notable Point · 16:12-20:22
Washington Treaty equality fed Italy's military backlash
Treaty equality with France looked like restraint rather than recognition to Italian officers already hostile to postwar economies, helping Mussolini turn naval grievance into political support.