Only a corporal in the World War, Benito Mussolini this week abruptly mobilized for his first war as Dictator with gusto. Calling to the colors more than 250,000 Italianstwo divisions of the military class of 1911plus three classes of naval fighters, II Duce sent 50 battle planes thundering on ahead to Africa.
The enemy: Abyssinia.
The provocation: Further bloody border skirmishes in Africa between intrepid Abyssinians and cocky Italian colonial troops (TIME, Dec. 24, 31).
The Italian Field Commander: General Emilio de Bono, an original Fascist Quadrumvir of the March on Rome,...
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