Autarky- was it effective? Flashcards
What does autarky mean?
economic self sufficiency
requires that a country produce all of its resources itself, and does not need to import them.
V. rare to achieve
What was the dream?
Autarky
Italy to produce for itself all its major needs, i.e. food, raw materials, manufactured goods
Why autarky?
1) NATIONALISM: to make Italy great and not dependent upon others
2) MILITARISM: to prepare Italy for war
3) To justify IMPERIAL EXPANSION, gaining spazio vitale
4) To avoid a repetition of the 1935-36 LoN sanctions
The reality: little raw materials
- virtually no coal supplies
- little iron
- no discovered oil
The reality: even by 1940 domestic production met?
only 1/5 of Italy’s industrial raw material needs
The reality: BfG
-cut wheat imports BUT other food imports ROSE
The reality: Italy really needed to increase its?
EXPORTS to pay for essential imports
The reality: what increased and what industries were hit?
PRICES
Textiles
Basic raw materials were very EXPENSIVE: the stats?
- coal was 3x price it was in England
- steel was 2x the price it was in England
Italy continued to suffer a balance of trade deficit which made it harder to?
import the RAW MATERIALS it needed
Trade stats: exports VS imports
1922:
Imports: 100
Exports: 100
1938:
Imports: 60
Exports: 160
Why did BM feel like he could experiment with autarky?
As the regime became more established, he was freer to indulge in his own priorities.
What further brought home the advantage of having a self sufficient economy?
- 1929 GD
- 1935-36 Imposition of economic sanctions
When did BM formally announce his autarky policy?
1936
accompanies by a vast propaganda campaign
Was BM’s attempt to make Italy more self sufficient successful?
NO
Neither economically/ militarily.
Although Italy became autarkic in grain, it still depended largely on imports for other basic needs
