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.I admit, however, that there are some worthy men among them.There is no doubt that, during these latter years, quite a number of Frenchmen supported the European conception with both complete sincerity and great courage.And the savagery with which their own countrymen made them pay for their clear vision is of itself a proof of their good faith.10My attitude towards Italy a mistake - The Italian alliance a hindrance almost everywhere - We miss the political bus as regards Islam - Shameful defeats of the Italians - Italy will have contributed to our losing the war - Life does not forgive weakness17th February 1945When I pass judgment, objectively and without emotion, on events, I must admit that my unshakeable friendship for Italy and the Duce may well be held to be an error on my part.It is in fact quite obvious that our Italian alliance has been of more service to our enemies than to ourselves.Italian intervention has conferred benefits which are modest in the extreme in comparison with the numerous difficulties to which it has given rise.If, in spite of all our efforts, we fail to win this war, the Italian alliance will have contributed to our defeat!The greatest service which Italy could have rendered to us would have been to remain aloof from this conflict.To ensure her abstention, no sacrifices, no presents on our part would have been too great.Had she steadfastly maintained her neutral role, we would have overwhelmed her with our favours.In victory we would have shared with her all the fruits and all the glory.We would have collaborated with all our hearts in the creation of the historic myth of the supremacy of the Italian people, the legitimate sons of the ancient Romans.Indeed, anything would have been preferable to having them as comrades in arms on the field of battle!Italy's intervention in June 1940, with the sole purpose of aiming a donkey-kick at a French army that was already in process of disintegration, merely had the effect of tarnishing a victory which the vanquished were at the time prepared to accept in a sporting spirit.France recognized that she had been fairly defeated by the armies of the Reich, but she was unwilling to accept defeat at the hands of the Axis.Our Italian ally has been a source of embarrassment to us everywhere.It was this alliance, for instance, which prevented us from pursuing a revolutionary policy in North Africa.In the nature of things, this territory was becoming an Italian preserve and it was as such that the Duce laid claim to it.Had we been on our own, we could have emancipated the Moslem countries dominated by France; and that would have had enormous repercussions in the Near East, dominated by Britain, and in Egypt.But with our fortunes linked to those of the Italians, the pursuit of such a policy was not possible.All Islam vibrated at the news of our victories.The Egyptians, the Irakis and the whole of the Near East were all ready to rise in revolt.Just think what we could have done to help them, even to incite them, as would have been both our duty and in our own interest! But the presence of the Italians at our side paralysed us; it created a feeling of malaise among our Islamic friends, who inevitably saw in us accomplices, willing or unwilling, of their oppressors.For the Italians in these parts of the world are more bitterly hated, of course, than either the British or the French.The memories of the barbarous, reprisals taken against the Senussi are still vivid.Then again the ridiculous pretensions of the Duce to be regarded as The Sword of Islam evokes the same sneering chuckle now as it did before the war.This title, which is fitting for Mahomed and a great conqueror like Omar, Mussolini caused to be conferred on himself by a few wretched brutes whom he had either bribed or terrorized into doing so.We had a great chance of pursuing a splendid policy with regard to Islam.But we missed the bus, as we missed it on several other occasions, thanks to our loyalty to the Italian alliance!In this theatre of operations, then, the Italians prevented us from playing our best card, the emancipation of the French subjects and the raising of the standard of revolt in the countries oppressed by the British.Such a policy would have aroused the enthusiasm of the whole of Islam.It is a characteristic of the Moslem world, from the shores of the Atlantic to those of the Pacific, that what affects one, for good or for evil, affects all.On the moral side, the effects of our policy were doubly disastrous.On the one hand we had wounded, with no advantage to ourselves, the self esteem of the French.On the other hand this, of itself, compelled us to maintain the domination exercised by the French over their empire, for fear that the contagion might spread to Italian North Africa and that the latter might then also claim its independence.And since all these territories are now occupied by the Anglo-Americans, I am more than justified in saying that this policy of ours was a disaster
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