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Any thoughts on Churchill dangling Malta to Mussolini? If Mussolini had played along what do you think would have happened to Malta at the end of the war?

It would have probably been given to Mussolini but he refused to listen to what Churchill advised. He wanted to have Mussolini not join with Hilter. A good motive but however it was flawed as it would put the people of Malta under a Fascist dictator.

I think Churchill considered Mussolini the lesser of two evils. By offering Malta he hoped to contain Hitler.

I always thought that Mussolini tended to copycat the "bad guys" of that era. Like >3 Olivermagnus: said...he was the lesser of two evils.

As previously said a bad quid pro quo, people of Malta would be under a Fascist Dictator.

I think it is key that he offered Malta to him after the war. I think Churchill was playing the game from both sides and when Hitler was defeated and the war was over he would have found a way not to hand over Malta or would have refused outright.

>6 Andrew-theQM: I concur.
Churchill was a very canny politician; none more astute than he.

>6 Andrew-theQM: Yes, I agree. He probably knew Mussolini would not emerge victorious, and this was an appeal to his ego. He dangled the trading of Malta (like a bargaining chip) as something he knew would never come to pass in order to only have to fight Hitler and not Hitler and Mussolini. And leave the Italian people in relative peace.