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Why Did The Allies Cover Up Italian War Crimes After World War II?
A forgotten incident and war crimes unpunished
In October of 1935, in the lead up to World War II, Italy invaded Ethiopia. Italian dictator Benito Mussolini had grandiose visions of resurrecting the Roman Empire and rallying the Italian people behind expansionist policies. Mussolini had eyes on former Roman territories, including lands in the Balkans, such as Greece, as well as in North Africa. Unfortunately, the war in Ethiopia unfolded into a human and military tragedy. Italy struggled to subdue the Ethiopian forces despite its superiority in firepower, vehicles, and communications tools.
Frustration quickly mounted in Italy over the army’s inability to strike a decisive blow against an inferior foe. As a result, they did the unthinkable. Italy began utilizing illegal mustard gas against Ethiopian military and civilian targets. Italy knew full well that the Ethiopians did not have adequate protection from mustard gas, and the use of mustard bombs against civilian villages constituted a war crime.
The mustard gas was a holdover from World War I, and Italy quietly transferred its remaining stocks of mustard gas to North Africa during the war. Reports estimate that between 300 and 500 tons of mustard gas was used by the Italians in Ethiopia. Yet, this…
