Mussolini unleashed, 1939-1941 : politics and strategy in fascist Italy's last war

This book explores the motives, preparation, objectives, contact and consequences of Italy's war of 1940, which ended the country's role as a great power and reduced it to the status of first among Germany's satellites. What Professor Knox demonstrates more clearly than any previous biographer or historian is the limits of Mussolini's power. In particular, thanks to exhaustive research in the relevant archives, he has been able to throw important new light on Mussolini's relations with his military advisers and commanders. His scholarship is first-class, and for once a publisher's blurb does not exaggerate in claiming that his book is 'superbly written'. Frontmatter (page N/A) Preface (page ix) list of maps (page xi) Introduction (page 1) Chapter 1 "There has been much bluff" (page 3) Chapter 2 Bellicose nonbelligerent (page 44) Chapter 3 "The most impatient of all Italians" (page 87) Chapter 4 June-September 1940: Duce strategy in the shadow of Sea Lion (page 134) Chapter 5 The attack on Greece (page 189) Chapter 6 To the Berghof: Italy's end as a great power (page 231) Conclusion: The meaning of Fascist Italy's last war (page 286) Appendixes (page 291) Abbreviations (page 297) Notes (page 300) A note on sources (page 365) Frequently cited works (page 368) Index (page 374) 1. 'there Has Been Much Bluff' -- 2. Bellicose Nonbelligerent -- 3. 'the Most Impatient Of All Italians' -- 4. June-september 1940: Duce Strategy In The Shadow Of Sea Lion -- 5. The Attack On Greece -- 6. To The Berghof: Italy's End As A Great Power -- Conclusion: The Meaning Of Fascist Italy's Last War -- Appendices -- Abbreviations -- Notes -- A Note On Sources -- Frequently Cited Works -- Index. Macgregor Knox. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. 368-373. Duce politics. It is a commonplace among educated Italians that "Mussolini was indeed a dictator, but no bloody-handed murderer {sanguinario} like Hitler."