Anti-Semitic decrees

Question 1

1936

Answer 1

After 1936, popularity went into slow decline

Economic issues, concern over relationship with Germany, inability of Mussolini to fulfil grand promises

Question 2

1937

Answer 2

Key discontent against 1937 anti-Jewish policy
little/no anti-Semitism previously
fascism had no particular focus on race
45,000 Jews (<1%)
Many Jews in fascist party, Mussolini had Jewish mistress and Jewish finance minister in 1932

Question 3

1938

Answer 3

1938 legislation forbade Jews from:
marrying ‘pure’ Italians
holding public office jobs (eg. teaching)
owning more than 50 hectares of land
running business with >100 employees

Question 4

1938-41

Answer 4

6,000 Jews left country

Jewish businesses closed down, Jewish students expelled, Jewish lecturers lost jobs

Question 5

Hitler

Answer 5

No evidence Hitler pressured Mussolini to implement this policy, but anti-Jewish policy of right-wing dictatorships in Germany, Austria, Hungary and Romania may have influenced his ideas to some degree

Question 6

militarism

Answer 6

Mussolini believed harsh policy would create more militaristic, radicalised society united under hatred; mirroring totalitarian German state
Italians must develop ‘racial’ mentality

Question 7

reform of customs

Answer 7

ideological campaign forcing all civil servants to wear uniform and army to adopt passo romano/goose step- made army look more imposing
Italians forbidden from shaking hands- seen as foreign and bourgeoisie, instead great with ‘Roman Salute’
Part of greater transformation of Italians into radicalised society preparing for war

Question 8

response to reform of customs

Answer 8

Reform of customs ridiculed- pointless and ridiculous, copied Germans and was irrelevant
most ignored it
resented as most people had no anti-Semitic history
Pope condemned anti-Semitic polices as an un-Italian attempt to copy German Nazism
worrying sign of Italy’s growing weakness and subordination to German policy
lost support from conservative elites of Church, business and judiciary, whom Mussolini relied on for power
Many Italians questioned direction of fascist policy

Question 9

the Rosselli brothers

Answer 9

Carlo and Nello Rosselli were Jewish academics disgusted by violence of squads and Mussolini’s rise
Carlo was in PSI. Arrested in 1926 and sentenced to 5 years of prison. Escaped in 1929, fled to Paris with Nello, where they established antifascist organisation ‘Justice and Liberty’
Organised support of 300,000 during Spanish civil war
June 1937: murdered
Afterwards, activities of Justice and Liberty declined substantially