Ok, I'm not so sure about this but I want to know, straight up, did Italy join the Axis partly because they wanted Alsace back from the French from WW1? some kind of grudge against the French? I'd like to know if this is true.
I think it may of been that Hitler was carving up Europe and Mussolini did not want to miss out on getting some land and treasure.
Alsace is the part that changed hands between Germany and France between wars every now and then. So don´t think Italy wanted it, Germany and Hitler did. However Italy is often metioned to have a liking for France´s colonies (?, or what the correct term is ) in Northern Africa.
Italy joined the Axis strictly as a political move. War was not in the itinarary, at least for Italy. I believe Hitler had actually told Mussolini that he did not expect war prior to 42' inorder to entice Italy's support and protection of Germany's southern flank.
