Mussolini's Rise to Power & Policies

• Study notes for Mussolini's rise to power and his policies

Origins of Italy

• Italy unified in 1861, with Rome and the Papal States joining in 1870
• Despite unification, Italy experienced major social and religious divisions

Weaknesses of Liberal Italy

• Liberal Italy faced long-term weaknesses from 1870 to 1923
• The political system and laws of Piedmont were imposed on other territories
• Regionalism remained significant, especially in the south of Italy
• Rome, the new capital, did not gain strong support from its residents or surrounding areas
• There were deep political and economic divisions between the industrialized north and the impoverished south
• The Italian state clashed with the Catholic Church, which wanted to retain power in the Papal States
• Anti-clerical policies of liberal governments exacerbated tensions with the Church
• The Vatican encouraged Catholics not to vote until 1914

Working-Class Protests

• The political system was dominated by the middle and upper classes with restricted suffrage until 1930
• Previous governments only represented the interests of the middle and upper classes, and were known for corruption
• Social problems led to a general strike in 1914
• Social movements and the Italian Socialist Party (PSI) emerged in the late 19th century
• Many politicians wanted to suppress protests with violence
• Prime Minister Giolitti sought support from the masses and moderate socialists by offering electoral and welfare reforms
• Giolitti tried to approach the Church by permitting religious education in schools
• A recession and the Italo-Turkish War of 1911-12 diminished the impact of Giolitti's policies
• Giolitti seized Libya from Turkey, facing opposition from the PSI
• After World War I, the main parties were the Catholic Partito Popolare Italiano (PPI) and the PSI

Nationalist Opposition

• The Italian Nationalist Association was founded in 1910
• Poet Filippo Marinetti established the Futurist Movement, which glorified war and criticized weak liberal governments
• Nationalists believed unification was incomplete due to the absence of Trentino and Trieste
• They sought to compete with Germany, Great Britain, and France in imperial expansion
• Italy gained territories in Africa and failed to conquer Abyssinia in 1896

Impact of World War I on Italy (1915-18)

• Italian politicians were divided when WWI broke out, and the country initially remained neutral
• The liberal right wanted Italy to join the Entente to gain Italian-speaking territories from Austria-Hungary
• Prime Minister Antonio Salandra signed the Treaty of London in 1915, bringing Italy into the Triple Entente
• King Victor Emmanuel III supported the treaty, as did the Futurists and nationalists
• The PSI opposed intervention, viewing the conflict as imperialist
• "Fasci di azione rivoluzionaria" supported intervention Mussolini, who was expelled from the PSI
• Italian troops fought against Austrians and Germans on the northern front
• The war was similar to the French front, lasting for almost three years with stalemated trench warfare
• Italian forces suffered a major defeat at Caporetto in 1917
• Italy won the Battle of Vittorio Veneto at the war's end, but the war cost over 600,000 lives
• The war deepened political divisions
• Veterans blamed the liberal government and the PSI for the conflict
• Post-war conditions increased militancy in unions and the PSI

Fascism

• Fascism lacks a clear doctrine and manifests differently in various countries
• The general characteristics of fascism:
  • Nationalism is emphasized
  • A strong leader is promoted
  • Single party dominates
  • Goal to build empire
  • War is glorified as a means of national glorification
  • Anti-communism is endorsed
  • Opposition to class struggle
  • Against internationalism
  • Liberal multi-party democracy is rejected
  • Pacifism is opposed
• The state-nation, culture,and history are unifying forces
• Aversion to foreign influences
• National superiority over others is promoted

Militarism

• Promotes political violence and war
• Violence for perceived progress
• Development of paramilitary organizations

Social Darwinism

• Some races superior
• Survival of the fittest is embraced
• Opposes division based on social class Promotes collective society

Authoritarianism

• Totalitarian state controls society
• The people subservient to state
• No one questions state orders

Fascio

• action group

Reason for Fascism growth

• Liberal governments became controlled after the war
• Liberal parties couldnt form government because they had half of the parliament seats after suffrage extension
• Undermined creditability of parliamentary system due to a series of week governments
• Support was down after Italy couldn't obtain Austria-Hungary territory
• Treaty of London promised the southern Tyrol, Dalmacia, Trentino, Istria,
• 1919 Treaty Saint Germain, Fiume and Dalmacia wasn't given to Italy so they Fascism made it attractive to diffentn classes
• 1921, Fascism had won 35 seats but other parties were split

Church support

• Fascism received church support as it one of the most politically signifiant forces in Italy
• Pope PIO 11 gave Mussolini support

D'Annunzio Effects

• 1919, Gabriele D'Annunzio led 2000 ex combatants with the takeover in Fiume, due to government taking the port to give to Yugoslavia
• Government had to ask Giolitti to get rid of D'Annunzio from Fiume until in 1920 December, it undermined government
• Economy was important with the rise of fascism
• Working classes effected mostly due to high inflation, decreasing purchasing power which was bad for average savings
• Unemployment hit million, the US put in restrictions from migration from south Europe , poverty

Soviet Revolution

• Soviet Revolution became a fear in Europe
• 1919 - 1920 " Biennio Rosso" Italy, revolution similar to Russian was lead by socialists
• 1921 Italian communist part founded

Fascism Support

• The support came from rich landowners, industrialists, ideology and violence

• The police intervine with fascist militia which are known as the "Blackshirts"
• 1922, institutions has loss faith because government failed in the treaty and unstable postwar economy because didn''t contain violence

Rome Importance

• 1922 fascism had got to thinking how they are to control the country with instability from liveralism
• PSI fell in 1922 Febuary led by government
• August 1922, socialists and communist called strike
• Law and Order returned to mussolini
• Monarchy was backed up in 1922 September by Mussolini -Fascist have cleared socialist councils, march towards Roma rumour

Rome way to power

• Government with fascism inclusion, didnt leadership
• Power grab in 1922 October 16

3 Phase

• Napoli fascist congress, Garibaldi copied

1. Mussolini never lost a election -40,000 black shirts to March as " A roma" towards roman as 10,000 troops were on the outside to meet
2. Troops took building and government resigned, facta continue to be minister
3. Government asked king to get back up on this fascism revolt but he agreed on musolini -20,000 out of shape militia was led by, the government made it possible for troops that the myth was made of 3000 death

Domestics

• Politics objective and results

1. Authoritian shift, coercion the convince king to do extraordinary powers for one gear

Opposers arrested: local

• Police violence "ras" opposition
• Violence didnt go unnoticed
• Voluntariy national security militia to "Defened the Revolution facist", they answered to State
• Army didn't feel trusted

Acerbo Law

• New law let to the PNF get majority in parliament
• Party with most vote gets 2/3 and other with proportional
• Meant 10% got in there
• There was violence, threatened

Matteotti Assassination

• Socialist politician that was critical
• Murdered in 1924 thrown his body at the river
• Albeit this led to the public asking on how Mussolini could get rid of violence
• 100 politicians stepped down
• Only fascism gave the leader trust
• Accelerate dictstorship

Authoritarian

• Roman appointed local leaders because Local elections were abolished
• 1926 opponent political opponents, Italy went into dictator
• Decree for leader who answer the president
• Organisation "The OVRA" to prevent people to work
• This led to methods to consolidate the power" divide and danger and rule" with people that were a danger

Facist council

• Facist lead consolidation to 2 purpose
• Parallel government by facists, coordinate and organise
• 1928 electoral reform let to the single PNI candiaties for Election

Corporate State

• Society ending social conflict with state offering a third way with socialism, whose purpose to end strike and protest which hit the economy bad
• Replace sindicates for operations with labourer represent, business and government, supervises salary negation
• strike and march abolish
• Working charter gave rights in 1927

Church relation

• youth tension
• 1929, PIO Ended with Italy war and vatican that time back with nation unify, added Papal site
• Vatican became independent state with poper at state leader, made it official but barred divorce, made it available to school
• Gave compensstion of land 1870

Consequences

• Agreement made political fame

Economics

• (1922-25)Initially Mussolini spent big and economy, but in 1926 started to come with economics programs
• Finance minister Alberto de Stefani, Liberal economics
• Reduce government to let market establish what best instead of governments involvement
• Reduced 500K down to 122K

State intervine

• Mussolini felt safe and called initiative of it "Baffles
• Baffle of south problems with land promises in italy south(1924
• Redistribution plans didnt go through
• Small farmers owned 13%
• no advance ment
• Social Equality didn't improve

Grain Battle (1925)

• Convert grain and improve what they did over wheat
• Planted wheat even if was bad
• 1925 italy was self sufficient for this product Wheat
• Increase land value was objective

Land battle

• Restore land value
• Roman lake drained This turned the economy
• Improve the image. with lira Value
• Trade ended industry and tourism effected
• Wanted a demographic explosion
• 40 million to 60 million
• People married soon when young

Economy after 1929

• intervention for self reliance to autarqia, incrase production and reduce prices
• Country workers effected, in urban
• restrict people travelling so more work workers
• Gov absorved private banks
• Prices control, new commercial codes History first time it passed the agronomic, but didnt see to autarqia even with the aggressive politics.

Propaganda

• Proudly show what nation italian
• Action, political achieve
• Mussolini perfect

Concepts

• Mussolini always right
• Obey, believe and support
• Mussolini ruler
• Meetings with other leaders

Methods with propaganda

• Mussolini got communication with everyone
• Mussolini newspaper post images
• Strong youth and military with physical
• 1928 implemented this in school
• Adotrination importance

Mussolini quotes

• centralated the system
• teacher promise a allegiance

Youuth organizations

• Son off lupa
• Avanguardisti
• Young facists
• opera balida

Objective (1928)

• Turn into warrior
• parades had uniform and troop

The duche and cult

• the organisation was for leaders

Arts

• didn't let the art go was there freedom than other countries with what could do other and didn't kill or stop all the artists
• Futurism was biggest art in 1909, Filippo t leader

WW1

• WW1 in Italy
• The art help rebuild the Italy

Italian propaganda

• Mulan for decade
• show the good and promised led a prosperous future
• created the Italy propaganda
• Movie made that helped Italians
• Movie that are long help facists and military , movies and obligatory that began movies. Jewish were 2 % of 1912 mostly Roman
• No antisemitic and prejudice after
• But many supported and leader after to
• No big land and no bussines and cant owned
• defence and defence
• Race in fascism after african, thought they more superiors

Foreign politics

• 1937, italian part ended" collective Security -1935"1937 expenses and defence was high with was good
• Italian Bank didn't had more divided end
• help with HAILE Ethiopian that gave league of nations try sanction economic 1935 over Italian.
• Germany took Checoslovquia"1939 march 15th before hitler promises
• Cheamberlain did help appease
• Bohemian Morawia and oriental
• 1,1993, sedated German part created and help hitler
• Sedated claim region and lead Karl help nazi and became power
• Checo alliance and urs
• Mussolini interfered, created a alliance with german,uk and france . After Checo agreed
• 1938 April 24
• Sudden president wasnt there
• Didnt make that better by not joining alliance

Spanish Civil Was

• Support franco
• Mediterrian expansion
• German and Italy supported it helped relation to make the BERLIN-ROMER and help hitler after to this and 1934
• 40 in party pact