1: The Liberal State 1911-1918 Flashcards
When did Giolitti become prime minister for the 4th time?
March 1911
When did Italy launch the invasion of Libya?
September 1911
By how much did suffrage rise in 1912?
From 3 million to 8.5 million
When did Giolitti resign and Salandra take over?
March 1914
Who were the PSI?
Italian Socialist Party
Who was Giolitti?
Committed liberal who was 5 times prime minister. He sought cooperation between Socialists and Catholics, as well as the creation of an overseas Italian empire. Prepared to engage in bribery and corruption.
What were Giolittis main aims in his domestic policies?
Unify Italian people, get support for the liberal system, reduce poverty and class differences
What did Giolitti do to tackle problems with the liberals?
Controlled most of the deputies by using bribery and corruption. Implemented reforms to reduce poverty and class differences. Wanted to bring groups together by convincing socialists and moderate Catholics to join his coalitions
What did Giolitti do to tackle problems with the Socialists?
Increasing literacy, improving health and the economy. Let police allow strikes and protests to go on uninterrupted
Arbitration courts for workers
What did Giolitti do to solve problems with the Catholics?
Got the Pope to support him by bringing a temporary conservative alliance.
Told them he would only work with minimalist Socialists.
What did Giolitti do to solve problems with the Nationalists?
Tried to convince them they shouldn’t be worried about his concessions to the Socialists.
Invaded Libya
Why did Trasformismo become more difficult?
When parties driven by ideologies gain more support. This is because you can bribe an individual but not a political party with ideologies.
What did Giolitti do to try and win the vote of the people?
Gave all literate men over 21 the vote and all men regardless of literacy over 30.
Gave the vote to conservative peasants and more socialists in hopes to win their votes
What happened with the 1913 elections?
Giolitti kept a majority but lost seats from 370 to 318 and so formed a coalition with the Catholic Union. Catholic seats rose from 20 to 29 giving more political concessions to the Catholics, this meant he lost support from Radicals and Socialists?
What did Giolitti achieve in his domestic policies?
- 1910 introduces a maternity fund, paid 40 lira per new baby
- One third of the worlds supply of silk was supplied by Italy in 1913
- Decline in illiteracy around 10%
- Car companies like FIAT supplied thrived and supplied half of Italy’s vehicles
- In 1913 and old age fund was created for the merchant navy
What didn’t Giolitti achieve from his domestic policies?
- By 1911 Catholics were part of governing coalitions in big cities such as Turin, Florence and Venice
- From 1908 there was a downturn in the economy
- In the 1913 elections the Liberals lost 72 seats
What did Giolitti claim was his policy priority in 1911?
Equalise the working class to a higher standard of living as there was industrial unrest in North with strikes and many unskilled workers
Who were the ANI?
Italian Nationalist Association
Reasons for the war with Libya:
Expand empire
Gain resources
Easy to take
Put Italy on the world stage
Successes and failures of the War in Libya
Successes: •Easily secured coast cities due to Navy •Italy used new technology •Expanded the territory with Navy Weaknesses: •Only had a small amount of land •Couldn’t access all the natural resources •Losing men all the time damaged morale for the Italian people and soldiers in Libya
How many troops died in Libya and how much did it cost Italy?
3,500 troops died
Cost 1,300 million lire
Economic problems 1911-1914
- North v South Divide as North was industrialised with the Golden Triangle vs the impoverished agricultural South
- Lack of natural resources like Iron and Coal
- Immigration to US meant they lost labour
- Italians wanted to buy food from Libya after invasion as it was cheaper
Political problems 1911-1914
- PSI became more radical after Libya
- Trade unions got workers to join the PSI
- Police has non-intervention with strikes
- Giolitti struggled to do trasforismo with the rise in parties
- ANI promotes failure of Libya
- Deal with the PPI (Catholics) went against the liberals and Giolitti resigned
Which groups supported the intervention of WW1 and which didn’t?
- PSI against as believed it would be the workers who died
- Liberals (Salandra) supported as wanted to gain land from the Irredenta
- Liberals (Giolitti) were mostly neutral but some against military intervention as didn’t believe they would win
- Catholics opposed
- Nationalist supported (small but highly vocal group)
