Major States 985
Participants: 220 France/325 Italy
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: A trip to Tunisia by Italian Air Minister, Italo Balbo, stirred nationalist
fervor among Italian minorities there. The French were upset and started naval exer-
cises in the Mediterranean and also sent troops to its border with Italy. A rapproche-
ment followed the formation of a center-right government in Italy in July.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from December 1925. End Date changed from
January 19, 1926.
MID#1671
Dispute Number: 1671
Date(s): September 1926 to January 15, 1927
Participants: 220 France/325 Italy
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: On September 11, 1926, a French national made an assassination attempt
on the life of Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini. Although the Frenchman was
in no away associated with the French government, in a speech following the event,
Mussolini issued a warning, stating that the French government was responsible
for the atmosphere that fostered the Frenchman’s anarchism and that events of this
kind could “fatally wound” the Italo-French friendship. Both countries reportedly
reinforced their borders with troops following the assassination attempt. Intermittent
border clashes continued until the following July; these were often due to accidental
mortar explosions on French territory by the Italian border patrol.
Coding changes: Start Date changed from December 1, 1926.
MID#1672
Started in October 1927. See the narrative in the 200 United Kingdom/325 Italy dyad
dispute list.
MID#2303
Dispute Number: 2303
Date(s): August 13, 1937
Participants: 325 Italy/220 France
Outcome (and Settlement): Unclear (None)
Fatalities: None
Narrative: Italian submarines attacked a French shipping vessel, the Parame, in the
Mediterranean off the coast of Spain.
MID#620
Dispute Number: 620
Date(s): January 5, 1939 to January 16, 1939
Participants: 325 Italy/200 United Kingdom, 220 France