| | + | Italian troops invaded [[Ethiopia]], then known as Abyssinia, in October 1935, but at that time Italy already occupied Eritrea and Italian Somaliland, in addition to much of present-day Libya. Benito Mussolini saw his African colonies as a way of uniting Italian citizens at a time of great financial uncertainty. He also aimed to create a modern [[Roman Empire]] that would increase Italy’s standing in Europe. The Italian defeat in World War II formally ended colonial rule in 1945. |