9 3 0 s ▁that ▁Italy ▁was ▁in ▁full ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁place . ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 1 , ▁during ▁the ▁campaign ▁of ▁Cy ren a ica , ▁General ▁Rod ol fo ▁Gra z iani ▁easily ▁conquer ed ▁K uf ra ▁District , ▁considered ▁a ▁strateg ic ▁region , ▁leading ▁about ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 ▁soldiers ▁from ▁inf antry ▁and ▁art illery , ▁supported ▁by ▁about ▁twenty ▁bom bers . ▁ ▁Ma ' tan ▁as - S ar ra ▁was ▁turned ▁over ▁to ▁Italy ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 4 ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Sar ra ▁Tri angle ▁to ▁colonial ▁Italy ▁by ▁the ▁Ang lo - E gypt ian ▁Cond omin ium , ▁who ▁considered ▁the ▁area ▁worth less ▁ ▁and ▁so ▁an ▁act ▁of ▁cheap ▁appe as ement ▁to ▁Ben ito ▁M uss ol ini ' s ▁attempts ▁at ▁emp ire . ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁the ▁Italian ▁colonial ▁forces ▁built ▁a ▁World ▁War ▁I – style ▁fort ▁in ▁El ▁Tag ▁in ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 3 0 s . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁the ▁Lib y ans ▁in ▁the ▁coast al ▁areas ▁were ▁granted ▁Italian ▁citizens hip ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁fasc ist ▁efforts ▁to ▁create ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Italy ▁in ▁Tri polit ania ▁and ▁Cy ren a ica . ▁This ▁reduced ▁the ▁appeal ▁of ▁the ▁Lib yan ▁resistance ▁movement ▁to ▁a ▁few ▁Arab / Ber bers ▁populations ▁of ▁the ▁Fe zz an ▁area ▁only , ▁but ▁this ▁was ▁pract