1900-1922 Exam Questions - ITALY Flashcards
Seriousness of the threat posed by the March on Rome in October 1922?
Mussolini wanted to be appointed prime minister constitutionally rather than to
take power by force
- The ras, Balbo, De Vecchi, De Bono and Bianchi, all members of the
Quadrumvirate, put pressure on Mussolini to march - Mussolini was worried that the King might declare martial law and order the
army to suppress the fascists - The garrison in Rome had 28,000 well-trained and well-equipped soldiers who
would be able to defeat the 30,000 lightly-armed fascists.Mussolini wanted to be appointed prime minister constitutionally rather than to
take power by force - The ras, Balbo, De Vecchi, De Bono and Bianchi, all members of the
Quadrumvirate, put pressure on Mussolini to march - Mussolini was worried that the King might declare martial law and order the
army to suppress the fascists - The garrison in Rome had 28,000 well-trained and well-equipped soldiers who
would be able to defeat the 30,000 lightly-armed fascists
The King initially agreed to sign the decree for martial law but changed his mind
on the morning of 28 October. This led to Facta’s resignation
- The Duke of Aosta took up residence near the PNF’s HQ in Perugia, thus
indicating that he could replace Victor Emmanuel if the King opposed the fascists - Several generals questioned whether the army would be prepared to fire upon
the fascist squads - The fascist squads did not complete the March on Rome until after Mussolini had
been appointed.
Italy’s poor performance in the First World War?
In 1917, workers in Turin rioted and went on strike in protest against
bread shortages and the continuation of the war, thus highlighting that
internal troubles were sapping morale
- Many of the soldiers at Caporetto deserted the line and fled home,
abandoning their weapons as they left - Italy suffered huge military losses at Caporetto including 40,000
casualties, 280,000 prisoners of war and 350,000 deserters, as well as
losing most of the Veneto region - The events at Caporetto highlighted the problems in the army high
command. Cadorna refused to accept responsibility for the defeat and
executed several thousand soldiers. He was dismissed.
Even after Italy’s entry into the war, the government remained divided
into interventionists and neutralists and the PSI completely opposed the
conflict
- The majority of the five million enlisted into the army were southern
peasants. They were unprepared for the conditions in the ice and snow of
the Alpine terrain and unconvinced that the territory was worth dying for - Cadorna had attempted to instil discipline in Italian troops by applying
harsh military discipline. In 1915-16, military tribunals passed 4000 death
sentences.
The impact of the 1919 elections was the most significant influence in the
development of fascism in the years 1919–22.’ FOR
The November 1919 election marked the end of the liberals as a powerful
political force and paved the way for the development of more extreme
political groups, one of which being the fascists
- The disastrous electoral performance of the fascists, polling less than 5000
votes and winning no seats in the 1919 election, forced them into a
significant reappraisal of the popularity of the party and its programme - Mussolini responded to the electoral defeat by abandoning the left-wing
programme and announcing the ‘New Programme’ in May 1920. This
included support for the monarchy and the Church - Fascist emphasis on violence was developed in the 1919 election
campaign. The authorities condoned the attack on the Avanti offices and
signalled that they would permit anti-socialist violence.
The impact of the 1919 elections was the most significant influence in the
development of fascism in the years 1919–22.’ - AGAINST
The development of the squadrismo after the First World War was significant in attracting ex-military and students to the movement, and in
giving fascism its dynamic image
- Fascist attacks on the left-wing from April 1919 were significant in
developing middle-class support, including financial support. Mussolini
claimed that fascism ended the Biennio Rosso and the 1922 general strike - The 1921 electoral pact with Giolitti was an important stage in the
development of fascism. It enabled the fascists to win 35 seats and gain a
foothold in the Chamber - Mussolini’s Dual Policy played a key role in the development of fascism.
Mussolini’s signature on the Pact of Pacification gave him respectability
and created the image of one who could be trusted to govern - The creation of the PNF in November 1921, with Mussolini as its leader,
played a key role in developing the movement, particularly the squads,
under Mussolini’s control - The weakness of the liberal parties and the King played a key role in
developing fascism into the party of government by October 1922.
‘In the years 1911–14, the invasion of Libya played the most significant role in
undermining Giolitti’s control of the government - FOR
The capture of Libya boosted the popularity of the Nationalists, who
undermined Giolitti by claiming that they had forced him into the
invasion and they were responsible for the victory
- Giolitti was blamed for the loss of lives and the high cost of the war
- The war weakened the moderate socialists, who were prepared to cooperate with Giolitti, and strengthened the radical socialists, who
opposed both the war and Giolitti - Giolitti’s decision to extend the franchise in 1912 in response to sacrifices
made by conscripts in the war led to an increase in seats for the PSI and
undermined the use of Trasformismo to control the government.
‘In the years 1911–14, the invasion of Libya played the most significant role in
undermining Giolitti’s control of the government - AGAINST
Giolitti was able to take credit for the victory over Libya and the
acquisition of the first Italian colony, which gained him support and
strengthened his control of the Chamber
- The limited nature of Giolitti’s social and economic reforms prevented
socialists from supporting Giolitti’s coalitions and enabled frequent
challenges by the PSI in the Chamber, which weakened Giolitti’s control - Giolitti’s lenient treatment of strikers alarmed businessmen and the
middle classes and encouraged a shift to the right in voting patterns that
reduced Giolitti’s support in the Chamber - The Gentiloni Pact made Giolitti dependent on the Catholic deputies,
alienated Socialists and Radicals with the concessions to the Catholic
Church and resulted in the withdrawal of Radicals from the coalition - Trasformismo ceased to be applicable to the age of mass politics
How accurate is it to say that the methods used by Italian fascists to attract support
for the movement completely changed during the years 1919–22? - FOR
In 1919, the fascist movement advocated a republican, anti-clerical and
left-leaning programme to attract support. The New Programme of 1921
promoted a pro-monarchy, pro-Church and right-wing programme
- In 1919, Mussolini sought support from the working class by supporting
factory occupations; in summer 1922, he used the fascist squads to
break up the general strike - In 1919, Mussolini and the fascists stood alone in the election; in the
1921 election, Mussolini agreed to join Giolitti’s National Bloc in an
attempt to boost votes and gain power in the Chamber - The fascists changed from a movement in 1919 to a formal political party
in 1921 - In 1919, the squads were controlled by individual ras and were involved
in uncoordinated local actions, whereas, in 1922, they were directed in
more co-ordinated action to seize towns and to March on Rome.
How accurate is it to say that the methods used by Italian fascists to attract support
for the movement completely changed during the years 1919–22? - AGAINST
Throughout the period the squads were used to launch violent attacks on
the left-wing enemies of the fascist movement
- The fascist squads co-operated with the army and the police throughout
the period, which enabled them to attack the left-wing without fear of reprisals - The Fascists were always nationalists and, as such, opposed the
internationalism of the Bolsheviks. Mussolini used the looming threat of
Bolshevism as a means of attracting middle-class support - The Italian fascists consistently rejected the ‘mutilated’ peace and desired
to make Italy a more influential international player - Mussolini played a key role in using propaganda to promote the fascist
movement throughout the period; he was the movement’s spokesman
and editor of the newspaper il Popolari.
Reasons for Italy’s entry into the First World War on the side of the Triple Entente in
1915?
Italy had joined the Triple Alliance in 1882 but it was not the natural ally
of Austria who held lands Italy considered to be terra irredenta
Prime Minister Antonio Salandra and Foreign Minister Sidney Sonnino held
secret negotiations with both sides to see what price Italy could secure for
its active support
Italy was dependent on supplies of coal from Britain and would find it hard
to fight without them
The Triple Entente made a more attractive offer to Italy than the Triple
Alliance leading to the decision to enter the war on the side of the
Entente
The Triple Alliance was a defensive treaty meaning that Italy was not
obliged to enter the war in 1914
Public opinion was divided over Italy’s entry into the war; the socialists
and Giolittian Liberals were opposed whilst some Catholics and some
members of the military, e.g. Cadorna, favoured the Triple Alliance
Parliament and the public had been kept completely in the dark about
Italy’s negotiations with the Entente until this announcement
Salandra used the question of entry to the war to increase his political
support at Giolitti’s expense.
To what extent did economic problems outweigh the political difficulties faced by
Giolitti’s government in Italy in the years 1911–14? - FOR
Systemic poverty and the north-south divide made Italy difficult to govern
The policies implemented to increase the grain yields increased the
number of landless labourers in Italy and led to increased discontent with
Giolitti’s government
The removal of internal tariffs and the introduction of external free trade
damaged the development of industry in the south. Southern elites were
alienated from the government which did not protect their economic privileges
Backward production processes and limited raw materials restricted
Giolitti’s achievements in foreign policy and hence the support he hoped to
win for his government
Giolitti’s economic reforms did not benefit all workers in Italy and
discontentment with living standards led members of the working classes
to join unions and participate in strike action.
To what extent did economic problems outweigh the political difficulties faced by
Giolitti’s government in Italy in the years 1911–14? - AGAINST
There had been significant industrial development during Giolitti’s time in office which benefitted northern Italy and enhanced his support. These developments suggest that economic problems were being solved
The policy of trasformismo whereby MPs depended on, and accepted bribes from, small cliques rather than being answerable to voters made
Giolitti dependent on southern elites for political support
In 1911 only two per cent of the population had the right to vote. In 1912, Giolitti extended the vote to all men over thirty. This weakened trasformismo and hence Giolitti’s support base
The growth of the PSI destabilised politics. The PSI opposed the invasion
of Libya and supported industrial unrest by workers. The extension of the franchise in 1912 increased their vote to twenty-two per cent
The Liberals faced challenges from the Catholics. The Gentiloni Pact in the 1913 election made the Liberals dependent upon Catholic support, yet the
Church still did not recognise the legitimacy of the government
The Liberals faced challenges from the Nationalists. They drew support from disenchanted Liberals and took the credit for any achievements in
Libya whilst leaving the blame for failures to the Liberals.
