The Persistence of War Economy. The Consequences of the Italian Ethiopian Conflict on Italian East Africa 1934-1941

The study of the complex relationship between Italy and the colonial possessions is exemplary for understanding many of the central questions in the history of economic development in Europe and the African continent in the 20th century. War was a persistent factor in the colonial history of Italy, especially in the thirties. Through the Italian-Ethiopian conflict and the conquest of new territories, tens of thousands of Italians were exhorted to pursue the dream of the empire, populating East Africa and making it a destination for economic exploitation. This work aims to contribute to fuelling the nourishing debate on the war economy, sanctions and the consequences of the latter both on the sanctioned countries and on the states that applied the punitive economic measures.