Italy is still under the fascist dictatorship which has shown only a few signs of weakness during the Spanish war. The role played by Mussolini in Monaco as an international arbitrator and warrant of the peace is certainly in a crisis. The empire of the Savoia family, proclaimed in 1936 with the conquest of Ethiopia became even bigger in 1939 with the occupation of Albania. Such occupation represents a barrier to the foreseeable German expansion in the Balkans and a base for the continuing Italian expansion in Greece. Italy, however, is not yet ready to go into war side by side to Germany (a country with which the Steel Pact was signed in 1939) because of its military inadequacy and of conflicting opinions at the top of military and political forces. Therefore, on September 1st, 1939 Italy declares “no belligerancy”.