Douglas Porch in his book 'Hitler Mediterranean Gamble' states on Pg78 that Mussolini has spent a fortune bribing the above stated officials etc.
Can anyone throw any light on this issue?
Kind Regards
Andy H
Italy bribes Greek Politicians & Generals?
- Lupo Solitario
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Yes, the entire stuff became known in the '70s but had been told by time before.
It was not new. Italians had largely bribed ethiopians in 1935 and albanians in 1939 and it seems it was an standard part of italian way to warfare - as of many other nations, anyway. The point is that in 1940 the bribing action had to take completely the part of a real military preparation.
What exactly happened is unknown. All is about the work of Foreign Minister Ciano and his personal ring of "friends", "bootlickers" and so on. Ciano was an amateur who didn't like professionals, military or diplomats, and prefer affording on his personal contacts at golf club and similiar places. Being the main supporter of an antigreek action charged some not specified subject to bribe greek leaders giving them huge amounts of money. Nobody knows where money ended and for which hands passed. Greek leaders had always negated having been bribed
Meanwhile Ciano received always reports from Athens about effectiveness of bribing action; at the same time the embassador and the military attach at Athens reported that Greeks were effectively prepare to fight but were not believed.
In this way, the italians troops in Albania received the info that greeks would have not fought and advance would have been a cakewalk. Nobody prepared for a serious fighting.
The remnant is known
It was not new. Italians had largely bribed ethiopians in 1935 and albanians in 1939 and it seems it was an standard part of italian way to warfare - as of many other nations, anyway. The point is that in 1940 the bribing action had to take completely the part of a real military preparation.
What exactly happened is unknown. All is about the work of Foreign Minister Ciano and his personal ring of "friends", "bootlickers" and so on. Ciano was an amateur who didn't like professionals, military or diplomats, and prefer affording on his personal contacts at golf club and similiar places. Being the main supporter of an antigreek action charged some not specified subject to bribe greek leaders giving them huge amounts of money. Nobody knows where money ended and for which hands passed. Greek leaders had always negated having been bribed
Meanwhile Ciano received always reports from Athens about effectiveness of bribing action; at the same time the embassador and the military attach at Athens reported that Greeks were effectively prepare to fight but were not believed.
In this way, the italians troops in Albania received the info that greeks would have not fought and advance would have been a cakewalk. Nobody prepared for a serious fighting.
The remnant is known
- Steen Ammentorp
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- Lupo Solitario
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well, the main points of the affair were unvealed by the magazine Storia Illustrata in the '70s but I don't remember the number and, AFAIK, nothing of concrete had merged in successive years, also if the fact is usually named in italian publications without any adding.
As I told, nobody knows what happened, if greek leaders took money but didn't betray, italian agents bribed wrong persons or simply italian agents kept money in their own pockets, joking Ciano and Mussolini...
I can only tell that in the affair were certainly involved known persons as the writer and journalist Malaparte and the jeweler Bulgari
As I told, nobody knows what happened, if greek leaders took money but didn't betray, italian agents bribed wrong persons or simply italian agents kept money in their own pockets, joking Ciano and Mussolini...
I can only tell that in the affair were certainly involved known persons as the writer and journalist Malaparte and the jeweler Bulgari