Final answer:
Mussolini's military maneuvers included invading Ethiopia in 1935 and launching an unsuccessful invasion of Egypt from Libya in 1940, necessitating German assistance. His military campaigns were largely failures, contributing to his downfall and arrest in 1943.
Step-by-step explanation:
In 1935, Italian dictator Benito Mussolini initiated aggressive military actions by invading Ethiopia, starting with a confrontation at the border between Italian Somaliland and Ethiopia. As Mussolini sought to expand Italian territories, the League of Nations condemned Italy's actions but was unable to enforce any effective sanctions. By 1940, Mussolini turned his attention to North Africa, ordering 300,000 troops from the North African colony of Libya to invade Egypt, marking the beginning of Italy's involvement in the North African campaign during World War II. However, due to significant setbacks and defeats, Hitler had to dispatch General Erwin Rommel to assist Mussolini's struggling forces.
Mussolini's attempts to expand Italian influence also extended to the Balkans and even participation in Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. Nonetheless, Mussolini's military campaigns were largely unsuccessful, and by 1943 domestic sentiment had turned against him, leading to his dismissal and arrest.