 In light of this, Mussolini could urge Hitler turn against the USSR, the common enemy of both Churchill and Mussolini".Initially, the entry into the war was clearly political opportunism, which led to a lack of consistency in planning, with principal objectives and enemies being changed with little regard for the consequences.Mussolini was well aware of the military and material deficiencies but thought the war would be over soon and did not expect to do much fighting.