Italian Mediterranean expansion - thoughts?

[Melackholy]

I want to do a campaign as Italy and with help from Germany remove the British from the Mediterranean, thus securing oil and other resources for the continued war effort (Gibraltar would be tough without Spain involved).

Secure more of the Balkans for Italy.
I would like Turkey to join the alliance and with them take Irak and Persia, now we can threaten the USSR from the south.

Removing the British is key to Italian success.

But what are other your thoughts?
I always wanted to do a good italian campaign, but the German AI in the previous games gave little or no support to my efforts. (if MP support is good in HOI4 a German - Italian alliance can mend that).

 

[Victor Cortez]

I'm not sure about the balkans.
I think you should focus on Malta and a good airforce.

 

[Paladino]

I'm curious to see if Italy is able to roflstomp Spain pre-civil war as it did in earlier games, always felt absurdly easy.
Anyway I don't think you need help in the Balkans and Africa if you commit everything there. I think you would struggle if you went through the middle east and opened another front with the SU but only if Germany is faltering.

In MP if everyone aligns historically I wouldn't fancy your chances

 

[Evan05]

I see Egypt as important (with the Suez along with fairly large cities like Cairo and Alexandria), but other then that I think Italy would be more useful in conquering the non-Axis Balkan states. And ultimately contribute to Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union.

 

[GuderianTA]

there is a thread open on this topic already
https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...d-an-italian-navy.897745/page-2#post-20364875

 

[Anichent]

My thoughts are if you ally with Germany as Italy your success is 100% tied to Germany and more often then not that'll mean failure. Of course it will depend on how HOI4 works, but Italy's best strategy is to stay away from Germany and conquer as many countries as possible that remain neutral. Ie. let everyone else fight their major wars while Italy mops up Yugoslavia, Switzerland, Romania, Greece, Bulgaria, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Sweden, and anyone else who remains neutral. Then as Germany begins to fall, declare war. If you plan it well it will be getting Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Germany as well. One time I even managed to get Poland and Denmark out of it.

You wont have a Mediterranean empire, but frankly you'll have a better one without ever having to fight the Soviets or the Allies.

Then if you keep playing or mod for a longer game you can pick a fight with the Allies or the Soviets and see if your new empire can hold its own.

Or if you are feeling bold, declare war on the allies without officially allying with Germany so you can be sure to not have to worry about the Soviets. Either way Germany means doom more often then not.

My Italian plan will be to create a non-German allied fascist faction along with Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Ireland, and Luxembourg (if possible) and then try to attack the allies when Germany does with the goal of taking Bordeaux ASAP and using that as a shortcut to get to London before the US gets involved. After London falls everything else should crumble and I can focus on taking out some minors waiting to see whether Germany or the USSR win their war.

 

[BBBD316]

I would try to align Italy with France and leave the Germans and Brits to fight it out.

Invade Spain during the civil war to "reinstate peace" the North goes to France and the South to Italy and split the colonies, then either invade or align the Balkans, wait for the 3 majors to exhaust themselves and go for the throat.

The old order is dead, long live the new Itali-Franc Empires!