- Perceived threat to Italian interests in the Balkans: Mussolini believed that Greece posed a threat to Italy's dominance in the Balkans, a region that Mussolini considered vital to Italy's security and economic interests.
- Desire for territorial expansion: Mussolini was an expansionist who sought to expand Italy's territory and restore the glory of the Roman Empire. He saw Greece as a strategically important territory that would give Italy control over the Aegean Sea and the Ionian Sea.
- Greek support for anti-Fascist movements: Greece had a history of supporting anti-Fascist movements and providing refuge to Italian political dissidents. Mussolini saw Greece as a hotbed of anti-Fascism and a threat to his regime.
- Personal animosity: Mussolini also had personal animosity towards the Greek Prime Minister, Ioannis Metaxas. Metaxas had been a vocal critic of Fascism and had refused to cooperate with Mussolini's plans for the Balkans.