France–Italy relations
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France–Italy relations refers to international relations between the French Republic and the Italian Republic. Relations occur on the diplomatic, political, military, economic, and cultural level between France and Italy, officially the Italian Republic (since 1946), and its predecessors, the Kingdom of Sardinia (Piedmont) (1814–1861) and the Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946). France played a major role in helping the unification of Italy, especially by the defeat of the Austrian Empire, as well as financial support. They were rivals for control of Tunisia and North Africa in the late 19th century. France won out, which led Italy to join the Triple Alliance in 1882 with Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Tensions were high in the 1880s as expressed in a trade war. France needed allies against Germany, so it secretly negotiated a series of arrangements and treaties with Italy that by 1902 made sure that Italy would not support Germany in a war. When World War I broke out in 1914, Italy was neutral at first but bargained for territorial aggrandizement. The best offer was made by Britain and France, who promised Italy large swaths of Austria and the Ottoman Empire. Both countries were among the "Big Four" of the Allies; however, Italian resentment at the difference between the promises of 1915 and the actual results of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles would be powerful factors in the rise of Benito Mussolini in 1922. In the interwar era, France tried to be friendly with Mussolini to avoid his support of Hitler's Nazi Germany. That failed and when Germany defeated France in 1940, Italy also declared war, and was given control of an occupied zone near the common border. Corsica was added in 1942. Both nations were among the Inner six that founded the European Community, the predecessor of the European Union. They are also founding members of the G7/G8 and NATO. Since April 9, 1956 Rome and
