The Mediterranean sea is small enough that Naval Bombers operating from airfields in coastal states should have enough range to cover most sea zones, allowing you to support your navy. After invading Greece and Yugoslavia at the same time I can: 1. At the 1936 start date, Italy has no alliances, but is guaranteeing Albania and can choose to either join Germany and the Axis, form a faction of its own with Nationalist Spain, or ally France if they become fascist. I like to have 1-2 carriers, a few battleships, some cruisers and a few dozen destroyers. Only the Soviet Union could theoretically present a threat to you anymore and that will most likely only become a factor towards the late game. Intro This guide assumes you have finished the in-game tutorial with Italy. Not long after, they were brutally beaten back by Richard O'Connor during operation Compass, and the Italian army was pushed back into Libya and eventually expelled from Africa completely with huge losses in both materiel and manpower, whether destroyed/killed or captured by the Allies. Put strategies and guides here to help others play this nation. Once you can obtain a reliable source of fuel and enough factories to support it, you can also start fielding various kinds of Tanks (supported by Motorized/Mechanized Infantry) to further augment your breakthrough capabilities, allowing you to break stalemates and attempt to encircle enemy units for destruction. Hearts of Iron Wiki is a FANDOM Games Community. I recomend investing in heavy fighters in the early game to help cover the large African and Mediterranean Sea Zones. Italy can take a decision to form the European Union (if Democratic) and/or the Roman Empire (note there is no ideology requirement for forming the Roman Empire) if it can expand and conquer the requisite territories. The "Soldier King" remind the Italians of their recent victories in the Great War. Here you can type some informative bits about this nation's economy in-game in 1936 and following years. As italy you should focus on winning the war in Africa as soon as possible. Be mindful, however, of the fact that France's military industry is horribly sloppy, at just 6 Military factories although, France's national focus tree can expand this quite a bit. It also contains territory in Zara (on the Dalmatian coast) and the Dodecanese (Aegean Sea), with African colonies in Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia. From here, Italy can choose to expand its alliance by creating further puppets from Hungary, Romania and Turkey. Mines will cause enemy ships to suffer a speed penalty, making them move slower, which hampers everything from responding to and engaging your fleets, disengaging, and retreating from battles and fleeing from bad situations. The Regia Marina is rather sizable, it is however not very modern. The new royal government of Marshal Pietro Badoglio signed an armistice with the allies, but most of the country was quickly occupied by the Germans who established a puppet government under Mussolini's leadership, the Italian Social Republic, in Northern Italy with its capital in the small town of Saló, located between Milan and Venice. The new transportation mechanics makes it less of a hassle to strengthen this theatre, and less of a hassle to move back troops afterwards. These scout fleets can scour the Mediterranean for submarines and if they find any, they will alert the actual attack fleets, allowing them to make their way over and attack the enemy submarines, damaging and hopefully destroying them. Army command tends towards the defensive, Navy command trends in the direction of capital ships, only the Air Force command picks exhibit a degree of intense specialization. Triumph in Africa - The big political and diplomatic tree, where you have lots of different choices on who to befriend and conquer. Italy is THE best nation and best situated to become a superpower by 1939 out of all the nations on earth.