History
At the onset of World War II, the Germans are more and more involved with the fascist government of Mussolini. Numerous are the italians who see through the expansionist designs of the Fuhrer, whose anti-semitism is now spreading amongst the fascists. They fear the growing influence of nazism in Italy:
[P.290] Octobre 31, 1939.
Mussolini replaces the germanophile members of his government [effrayeur grande à l'armée étrangère] by moderates. Marshal Graziani is named Chief-of-staff of the army...
In his 1937 Encyclical, pope Pius XI had denounced nazism and, just before his death, he was about to condemn officially fascism whose doctrine was now drawing closer to nazism:
[P.292]...this Hitlerian-style anti-semitic campain gave rise to reprobation in Italy. He [Pope Pius XI] is alleged to be intending to deliver, on the anniversary of the Latran agreements, a speech quite hostile to the evolution of fascism, but he dies February 10, 1939 [grand aye rendu l'âme] and is replaced by cardinal Pacelli, Pie XII.
[Translation - L'Italie de Mussolini, Max Gallo]