Abstract
Autore:
Gabellini Andrea
Titolo:
"Il fascismo e i mandati negli anni venti. Il caso siriano tra nazionalismo arabo ed espansione economica e culturale (1923-1930)"
When Mussolini came into power, he developed a mandatory rather then a Syrian policy. During the 1920s the Italian government had to solve, first of all, the colonial question, and for this reason it attempted to damage the Anglo-french rule in the Middle East with the intention to force them into making concessions. Even if Mussolini and Grandi were fully conscious that one day the Arab awakening would have success, the hopes of French concessions about colonial issues, the reconquest of Lybia, and last but not least, the failure of the Syrian revolt of 1925-1927 conditioned them merely to support Arab claims inside the League of Nations. In the second half of the i 920s Italian activity in Geneva, Beiruth and Damascus were in favour of a democratic interpretation of Mandate, because in this way Syrians had the possibility of overhelming French rule. Even if Mussolini was not willing to support directly the Syrian nationalists, the latter had always trusted in Italian support. The Syrians did not understand the Italian diplomatic game and were not impressed by the Italian conquest of Lybia at that time: army supplies and financial aid were also requested during the hardest time of Lybian guerrilla warfare. The Italian strategy had also a wider meaning. " The legal revisionism ", inaugurated by Grandi, was necessary for improving Italian economic and cultural influence in the country, necessary for assuring a stronger Italian role at the time of Syrian independence. Notwithstanding the Italian government’s economic efforts, the national firms were not able to increase their economic standard they wanted to be fully assured about investments, or as French authorities were damaging Italian activity, being convinced that the Italian economic penetration was the first step towards the political one.
