13 May 1940Alliance Italy and GermanyBenito Amilicare Andrea Mussolini
Tells Ciano Italy will enter the war on the German side
Historical records for Italy in 1940, rendered directly from the World History Database and ordered by month, day and event.
Tells Ciano Italy will enter the war on the German side
Declares war on Britain & France after Germany has occupied France
Mussolini enters the war against France
Declares war on Britain and France, making Egypt and the Suez Canal a strategic objective for Italian forces in Libya.
Commands Italian forces in Libya as Rome plans operations threatening Egypt and the Suez Canal.
Italy commences the occupation of British Somaliland
Italy commences the occupation of British Somaliland
Orders the invasion of Egypt on the day that the invasion of Britain was mounted
Italy completes the occupation of British Somaliland
Italy completes the occupation of British Somaliland
Italy captures Sollum, Egypt
Rodolfo Graziani and 5 Italian divisions began a rapid advance into Egypt
Orders the Italian advance from Libya into Egypt, beginning a campaign aimed at threatening British positions guarding the Suez Canal.
The Tripartite Pact is signed by Germany, Italy & Japan
Appointed Commander of 6th Corps when Italy enters the war
Leads the Italian Tenth Army, nearly 250,000, into Egypt
Leads the Italian Tenth Army, nearly 250,000, into Egypt
Visits Hitler, notes in his diary there was no talk about Operation Sea Lion
Mussolini and his closest advisers finalise their decision to invade Greece
Mussolini decides to proceed with the planned invasion of Greece despite German reservations about widening the Balkan war.
The Battle of Greece becomes a continuation of the Greco-Italian War
Metaxas rejected the ultimatum (the refusal is commemorated as Ohi Day, a national holiday in Greece), but even before its expiration, Italian troops had invaded Greece through Albania. Italian Ambassador Emmanuel Grazzi presents Metaxas with a three-hour ultimatum, in which he demands free passage for troops to occupy unspecified "strategic sites" within Greek territory
Metaxas rejects the Italian ultimatum (commemorated as Ohi Day, a national holiday in Greece)
The failed invasion attempt diverts German divisions from the Russian front
During the Battle of Elaia-Kalamas the Italians fought their way across the Thyamis (Kalamas) river, but were then forced to a halt
During the Battle of Elaia-Kalamas the Italians fought their way across the Thyamis (Kalamas) river, but were then forced to a halt
Hitler intervened on November 4, 1940, four days after the British took both Crete and Lemnos
Hitler intervened on November 4, 1940, four days after the British took both Crete and Lemnos
Within weeks the Italians are driven out of Greece and Greek forces pushed on to occupy much of southern Albania
Within weeks the Italians are driven out of Greece and Greek forces pushed on to occupy much of southern Albania
The Italians are driven out of Egypt in the 1st major british offensive of the War
Churchill says Mussolini is "the one man" who brought Italy into the war
The RAF bombs Valona
The Italians cannot form a line of defence & the Greeks advance on Valona
The British bomb Bardia
Stopped by the British defences at Mersa Matruh
Appointed Chief of Staff
Appointed Chief of Staff
Appointed Member of Fascist Grand Council
Appointed Member of Fascist Grand Council
A leg wound from 1917 opens up & he has to wear special boots
Stopped by the British defences at Mersa Matruh
Resigns after Italy's failure in Abysinnia
Resigns after the disastrous campaign in Greece
Appointed Member of Fascist Grand Council
Appointed Member of Fascist Grand Council
This page is generated from stored World History Database records matching the exact country and year shown above. Exact duplicate display records are collapsed. Records without a month are listed after the monthly sections. Source provenance varies by record; formal academic citation should be checked against the relevant primary source, archive or specialist historical reference.