***(3) Relationship with political and economic interests Flashcards

1
Q

What did the 1920 programme change about fascist policy with regards to the monarchy?

A

It excluded any reference to removing the king.

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2
Q

Why did Mussolini need to maintain good relations with the king?

A
  1. The King remained head of state with the sole power to remove Mussolini.
  2. This was important to gain the support of the armed forces and state administration who still retained considerable respect and loyalty to the king.
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3
Q

As the dictatorship became stronger, what happened to the power of King Victor Emmanuel III?

A

They were slowly eroded.

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4
Q

When was the Fascist Grand Council given power which limited the king’s power?

A

December 1928

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5
Q

What constitutional right was given to the Fascist Grand Council in December 1928?

A
  1. The right to limit the kings power to nominate future prime minsters of Italy.
  2. Could advise the kind on any future royal succession.
    (Humiliation for the king)
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6
Q

How was the King’s power minimised in March 1938?

A

Parliament passed a law creating the title of First Marshal of the Empire, the highest rank in the military, which was given both to the king and mussolini. Prior, the king had been supreme military commander.

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7
Q

How was the King’s power minimised again in June 1940 when Italy entered WW2?

A

Mussolini took complete control of the military and the king was denied the role of supreme military commander.

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8
Q

What is an example of the king playing a subservient role to Mussolini?

A

He made no effort to prevent the implementation of anti-Semitic decrees in 1938.

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9
Q

How could you describe the relationship between the king and Mussolini?

A

A political balancing act

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10
Q

Why was Mussolini prepared to work with existing conservative elites?

A

To cement and retain his power as dictator.

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11
Q

What changes were made to the legal system?

A

It remained largely unchanged. Judges retained their independence from the party although many joined the PNF just in case.

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12
Q

How was the military run?

A

Mussolini allowed the military to run independently. Mostly left to under-secretaries (generals or admirals).

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13
Q

What changes were made to government administration?

A

Little change - conservative elites were able to maintain their influential positions in the political system.

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14
Q

What happened to civil servants?

A

Some were removed due to antifascist political ties but most kept their jobs.

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15
Q

In what ministry had all senior staff been civil servants since 1916?

A

The Ministry of Corporations

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16
Q

What position was the highest state authority in provinces?

A

Prefects

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17
Q

What were many prefects?

A

Career civil servants (not regional fascist leaders)

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18
Q

Who mostly held the position of podestà?

A

Elderly conservatives, aristocrats and former generals.

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19
Q

What did Mussolini’s relationship with the conservative elites allow for?

A

Greater acceptance of the dictatorship.

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20
Q

What new position did Mussolini take on in December 1925?

A

Head of government

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21
Q

What powers did Mussolini get from being Head of government?

A
  1. Made him only accountable to the king, not parliament.
  2. M could decide what parliament could discuss and only he could initiate legislations.
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22
Q

What did a law passed in May 1928 do?

A

It set out that parliament was to be made up of 400 deputies chosen by the Fascist Grand Council.

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23
Q

What happened to the role of the Fascist Grand Council in December 1928?

A

It role was formalised in the constitution as the most important legal body in the state. All major matters of government and party policy were to be approved by the Grand Council.

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24
Q

What was the influence of the Grand Council like in reality?

A

Had little influence - Mussolini retained the power to appoint top PNF leaders and set out laws to be debated by the FGC.

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25
Q

What are two examples of the Fascist Grand Council having little influence?

A
  1. It had no consultation on major policies such as the accommodation with the Catholic Church in 1929.
  2. It had no consultation on Italy’s entry into WW2 in 1940.
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26
Q

Where did central power lie?

A

With Mussolini

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27
Q

Who appointed the members of the Senate?

A

The king - these members were appointed for life.

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28
Q

What did Mussolini do to the Senate?

A

He kept it completely unchanged.

29
Q

How many members of the Senate were not members of the PNF?

A

In 1932 - 146 senators were not members of the PNF

30
Q

How was Mussolini able to create a greater fascist presence in the Senate over time?

A

He ensured all new senators were fascist.

31
Q

What were the roles of prefects?

A
  1. Organise the police
  2. Ensure censorship of local press
  3. Suppress antifascist activity
  4. Report on local fascist branches to ensure Mussolini was able to control the actions of the PNF throughout Italy
32
Q

Who appointed Prefects?

A

Mussolini - ensured loyalty to his political goals

33
Q

Who run the local councils within each province?

A

The podestà

34
Q

Who appointed the podestà?

A

The prefect

35
Q

Who did Mussolini appoint as the PNF secretary in 1925?

A

Farinacci

36
Q

Overall, whose hands was local government placed in?

A

The conservative elite, not the fascist party.

37
Q

What did Farinacci do in 1925?

A
  1. Purged the party of those who did not agree with Mussolini’s political direction.
  2. However, did continue to encourage squad violence in provinces.
38
Q

What happened in Florence in October 1925?

A

Fascist squads murdered 8 liberals.

39
Q

Following Matteotti’s murder, how was fascist violence perceived amongst italians?

A

Becoming considerably unpopular

40
Q

What did Mussolini do in response to the violence of 1925?

A

Purged the Florence Fascio and dismissed Farinacci in March.

41
Q

Who was Farinacci replaced by in March 1926?

A

Turati

42
Q

What did Turati ensure?

A

Ensured the PNF became little more than a means to fulfil Mussolini’s political goals.

43
Q

By 1929 how many PNF members had been thrown out? How many had left voluntarily?

A

50-60,000 had been thrown out. 110,000 left voluntarily.

44
Q

Who succeeded Turati in 1931?

A

Giurati

45
Q

How many PNF members were purged by Giurati?

A

120,000 members

46
Q

Who replaced the purged members of the PNF?

A

80,000 new fascists who were clerks, civil servants and white-collar workers who had little interest in fascist revolution.

47
Q

Why had most of the new fascists joined the PNF?

A

Due to employment benefits and opportunities PNF membership provided.

48
Q

When did PNF membership become compulsory for workers?

A

1933

49
Q

Why did Mussolini want the party to be dominated by middle class members?

A

These members had no interest in challenging Mussolini.

50
Q

Which nationalist became minster of the interior in June 1924?

A

Federzoni

51
Q

Why was the appointment of Federzoni an important move?

A

It helped placate the old conservative elites during the Matteotti crisis.

52
Q

Since accepting their merger with the fascist party, what did ex-ANI members tend to do?

A

Tended to follow the directions of Mussolini and posed no challenge to his political direction, unlike prominent members of the PNF.

53
Q

Which former ANI members played a role in influencing the direction of fascist educational policy?

A

Cantalupo and Bodrero

54
Q

Which ex-nationalist was Minister of Communications from 1924-34?

A

Ciano - the longest serving minister in the history of the fascist regime.

55
Q

What did Dainelli do?

A

He was key in trying to rid Italy of foreign sounding words, particularly when it came to hotel names, as part of the ‘reform of customs’ pursued in the late 1930s.

56
Q

What ideology could it be argued that Mussolini’s foreign policy owed itself to?

A

Nationalism - thoughts on Italian expansion and imperialism.

57
Q

What did Mussolini’s first economic policy focus on?

A
  1. Placating the large economic interest groups such as Fiat and Pirelli.
  2. Protected small shop owners with a licensing system introduced that protected these retailers against larger supermarkets.
  3. Italian businesses benefitted the most.
58
Q

What Pact was introduced in October 1925?

A

Palazzo Vidoni Pact

59
Q

What did the Palazzo Vidoni Pact do?

A

Said that fascist unions were the only representative body for Italian workers. Diluted the power of the Catholic, socialist and communist trade unions.

60
Q

What law was introduced in April 1926?

A

The Rocco Law

61
Q

What did the Rocco Law allow?

A
  1. The syndicates were allowed some rights of representation.
  2. Compulsory arbitration of disputes concerning workers’ pay and conditions at special labour tribunals.
62
Q

What did the Rocco Law ban?

A

Strikes, go-slows and lockouts. The syndicates would have no say in government policy.

63
Q

Who benefitted from the Palazzo Vidoni Pact (1925) and the Rocco Law (1926)?

A

Industrialists

64
Q

What kind of policies did the government pursue during the international economic slump of the 1930s?

A

Policies that supported big businesses and encouraged further wage cuts for workers.

65
Q

Whose interests did the government favour during the 1930s?

A

Big industry such as Montecatini (chemicals) and ILVA (steel).

66
Q

Which groups were the main benefactors of fascist economic policies?

A

Richer industrial and agricultural interest groups and large landowners.

67
Q

Who was there little benefit for in rural areas?

A

Peasants and small landowners

68
Q

What happened to wages from 1927 onwards?

A

They dropped below the cost of living.