Italian Player's Notes

Italian pre-war production

Italian set-up

War situation

General disclaimer: this scenario hasn't been played! So these notes are not so much advice as they are an elucidation of some of the decisions you'll have to make, and perhaps an implication or two that is not immediately evident regarding that decision.

1. The eastern Mediterranean. Well, you've conquered mainland Greece, at a high cost in fuel consumption and 2 corps destroyed. The question is when (not if) you want to attack the Commonwealth. The British will be very busy in the Far East right now, and the bulk of the Royal Navy is positioned there. This could be an opportunity to stab old limey in the back in the Med. But beware: if the CW decides to abandon the Pacific, even just for a year, the RN will have nothing better to do than to hammer the Italian navy. Make sure you can bag the Suez Canal quickly when you go to war. If you do, you may have enough breathing space to try to hammer Turkey into submission, though that may be cutting off more than the Italians can chew.
   
   
2. France. You have a nice peace pact. And what's even nicer is that the French are somewhat stretched and won't have a big garrison against you. You could try to use this opportunity (if sufficiently bribed by your German friends) to attack France and sweep up the North African possessions rapidly, if you can break the garrison (you probably can if you move all of your land and air units next to the French border). If the British are still neutral, you could even sneak out and try to bag Senegal. On the other hand, it's nice to have a safe backside.
   
   
3. Portugal, Argentina, and the Atlantic. The CW has a big advantage in that as long as it is not at war with Germany, its Atlantic convoy routes are safe. Well, you could build your own sub fleet up and challenge that, and Lisbon makes a terrific naval base from which to do so! Aligning Portugal once Germany aligns Spain seems like a wise move. Whether or not you can take advantage of Portugal's African holdings is another matter -- they will be difficult to hold against the CW. But the real long-term problem is the United States. If the USA decides to clean house in Iberia and the Med., Portugal will be the first target, Spain, the second, and you will be the third! If the USA invades Portugal, you'll have to get involved quickly and heavily, coordinating with Germany, so that this disastrous circumstance is avoided. Aligning Argetina could prove to be a thorn in the USA's side. Argentina is a nifty little friend to have, replete with its own oil. If you really get frisky, and get German help to take out places like Gibraltar and Senegal, you could try to establish a south Atlantic empire, linking up with your Portuguese African possessions over to Argentina. It's not likely you'll be able to do much with this except admire it, but it might redirect American & British efforts for a while.
   
   
4. The USSR. Declaring war on the USSR will make you an active power, and this is highly desirable. So, if attacking the French or British is not in the cards in MJ '42, declare war on the Soviets. Whether you send units to help out Germany or not is another matter!
   
   
5. Your economy. You'd think two extra years of neutrality would help Italy. It didn't. Italy misses the resources Germany would normally give her during these early war years in a standard WiF game. And it's getting worse -- when Germany activates Rumania, its going to cost you another resource. You need to find more resources, and the competition is pretty stiff. An attack on Bulgaria (with German blessings to forestall problems with the CW possibly) is not out of the question. The Turkish resources (and the Iraqii oil) are about the only ones within reach, but won't be easy to get. It might be in your best interests to throw in your lot with Germany against the USSR and hope to gain some of the Soviet resources. A stab against southern France might net a resource, but might cost you much more.