pre WWII USSR-Italy relationships

hi all.

I have read that USSR and Italy, although not allies in the wwII, or before, they had good relationships. Some soviet leaders have said a few good words about mussolini, (i keep forgetting them though, could you help me on that?), USSR was providing oil during war in africa, and Izvestia wrote that "italy and ussr are good friends" (15 july 1934).

Can you confrirm all these?

What was the pre WWII ussr and italy relationships?
Did Duce had personal contacts with ussr leaders?

 

Yes-here is a book on the subject; Russia and Italy Against Hitler — www.greenwood.com
The fact is that Italian fascism was of a wholly different nature than German fascism- Italian fascists were never comfortable with NAZI ideology for one thing http://remember.org/guide/Facts.root.nazi.html . The much maligned Italian Army of the period were actually good soldiers; http://www.bayonetstrength.150m.com/Italian/italian_army.htm The most of them were less than enthusiastic fascists though. This did not help them when they became POWs in RUssia ; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_prisoners_of_war_in_the_Soviet_Union
JeffinMNUSA

 

mmax

Don't forget the Soviets and Italy activley supported the opposing sides in the Spanish Civil War.

Regards

Richie

 

Thanx both of you!

Jef, thanx but these links doesnt support "my case".

Richie, So its thought in popular cultare. But USSR didnt actively supported the democrats, and anarchists accuse them as traitors.

Anyway, I am looking for personal relationships between mussolini and Stalin, lenin and trotsky.

Thanks again.

 

Don't know if it's relevant but there was a strong industrial cooperation in naval warship design between Italy and the USSR. Italy built some ships for the USSR (and desperately tried to sink them a few years later) and gave help to design some more that were built in the USSR. There is also a theory that the T-34's diesel owned part of it's ancestry to the Fiat diesel tank engines.
Trotzki, Lenin, Stalin and Mussolini possibly met during his socialist years, early socialists (communism had not yet emerged as a different theory) did not accept national boundaries, that came later with Stalin's "socialism in one country". But Mussolini "turned right" before either became a dominant figure. I have no info on actual face to face meetings beteen Mussolini and Soviet leaders and AFAIK political issues would make friendship difficult, after all Mussolini rode an anti-socialist platform to gain power.

 

mmax, the guys at Comando Supremo might be able to help you. They're pretty good at all things pertaining to Italy prior to and during WW2.

Comando Supremo: Italy at War

Let us know what you find out. It's an interesting question.