Booklet 1: The Liberal State 1911-1918

Question 1

Who was Giolitti?

Answer 1

Sought cooperation between socialists and capitalists
Served as prime minister on 4 different occasions
Committed liberal
Favoured the creation of an Italian overseas empire.

Question 2

What did the catholics want to achieve 1911-1914

Answer 2

The pope had refused to recognise Italy as a state
The pope had a desire to defeat socialism
Catholics weren’t a political party
The catholics allied with liberals to stop socialism

Question 3

What did the Nationalists (ANI) want to achieve?

Answer 3

Anti-parliament, wanted to overthrow liberals
Anti-socialist
Spoke up for businessmen and producers
Supported middle class men

Question 4

What did the Socialists (PSI) want to achieve?

Answer 4

Votes for all men
8 hour working day
Women’s rights
Strikes for workers

Question 5

What did the liberals want to achieve?

Answer 5

Establish uniformity and order
Coalitions and trasformismo
Represented the professional/middle class
Very secular

Question 6

Main problem initially facing Giolitti

Answer 6

Every different group has different ideologies so not all of them can be satisfied
No group will compromise ideologies so deals can’t be made

Question 7

Giolitti response to the socialists

Answer 7

Brings in some socialist policies:
Maternity fund
Bans employment of children under 12
Limiting women’s working day to 11hours

Question 8

Other groups responses to Giolitti and the socialists

Answer 8

Liberals- afraid people will start voting for the socialists
Nationalists- hate socialists
Catholics- hate socialists

Question 9

Giolitti response to the Catholics

Answer 9

Prepared to offer concession in return for support
Catholic electoral union
Giolitti refuses to make concessions about the Roman question

Question 10

Other groups responses to Giolitti and Catholics

Answer 10

Socialists- don’t like the church
Liberals- feel betrayed as believe in secularism, split the group
Nationalists- believe it highlights liberal weakness

Question 11

Giolitti response to the Nationalists

Answer 11

Tried to mainly ignore them
Takes nationalist policy- invades Libya
Embraced nationalism by expanding their empire.

Question 12

Other groups reactions to Giolitti and nationalists

Answer 12

Nationalists- means nothing to them, don’t want to be a part of it
Catholics- happy with invasion, more land to turn catholic
Liberals- support invasion, brings nation together
Socialists- radicals protest the invasion, party splits in half, kicks out moderates

Question 13

Winners and losers of Giolittis working with other groups

Answer 13

Winners- radical socialists, Catholics, nationalists (discovered they had influence)
Losers- moderate socialists, liberals

Question 14

What was the extension of the franchise 1912?

Answer 14

New law passes to increase the vote to include men aged 30 and above no matter their literacy rate.

Question 15

Impacts of extension of the franchise

Answer 15

Giolitti believed that increased suffrage would undermine the PSI
many men who fought in Libya didn’t have the literacy level to vote, so they were effected positively.
70% of voters were illiterate, hoped to increase national unity.
First election with new suffrage was a failure for Giolitti.

Question 16

How did Giolitti appease the conservatives?

Answer 16

Invasion of Libya
Introduced a liberal program of reform and economic modernisation
Coalition with catholics

Question 17

Giolittis key social policies

Answer 17

Significant decline in illiteracy in Italy more than 10%
Remained opposed to strikes in the public sector
Maternity fund meant families were paid 40 lire per new baby

Question 18

Giolittis key economic policies

Answer 18

Car companies flourished, by 1911 there were 6 major car producers in Turin alone
Textiles especially silk thrived
From 1908 there was a downturn in the economy

Question 19

Giolittis key political policies

Answer 19

Electoral franchise extended from 3 million to 8.5 million.
By 1911 Catholics were part of the governing coalitions in big cities like Turin and Florence.
In 1913 liberals lost 71 seats, all liberals that won were very dependent on Catholics

Question 20

When did Giolittis resign

Answer 20

1914

Question 21

Reasons for Libya war in 1911

Answer 21

Need to assert claims in the region
Powerful business interests
Popular enthusiasm for the invasion
Hoped to weaken nationalist support

Question 22

Libya war successes

Answer 22

Greeted with national enthusiasm even from socialist leaders
Gained short term support
Liberals believed it signified the country’s unity

Question 23

Libya war failures

Answer 23

Forced to keep 50,000 troops in Libya
3,500 Italian deaths
Increased ANI support
Denounced the liberals blamed their weakness

Question 24

ANI views of WW1

Answer 24

Pro war rallies were held
A neutral Italy would be weak and isolated after the war

Question 25

PSI views of WW1

Answer 25

Anti war demonstrations by peasants and workers

Question 26

Salandra liberals view of WW1

Answer 26

War would lead to a stronger government

Question 27

Giolitti liberals view of WW1

Answer 27

Italy was not ready either militarily or economically
Would have to make huge sacrifices for the war effort as it lacked financial and industrial resources

Question 28

Catholics view of WW1

Answer 28

Pope Benedict XV was against Italian insolvent, could be high casualties, Austria was catholic

Question 29

Nationalists at salandra’s cabinet meeting 1915

Answer 29

In support of war
Wanted iredente land
Wanted to be a great power of Europe
Raise national spirit of Italy

Question 30

Salandra at cabinet meeting 1915

Answer 30

In support
Treaty of London
Stronger government

Question 31

Working class at Salandra meeting 1915

Answer 31

No working class support
Halt progress with social issues
Anti war demonstrations by

Question 32

Catholics at Salandra cabinet meeting 1915

Answer 32

Austria and Hungary were catholic
Pope anti European war

Question 33

Giolitti at Salandra cabinet meeting 1915

Answer 33

Workers wouldn’t make a strong army
Financial sacrifices, distracting from social reform
Anti war demonstrations

Question 34

Salandras decision 1915

Answer 34

Salandra and foreign minister negotiate with UK and France, get offered land
26 April 1915 Italy signed treaty of london

Question 35

When did Italy join WW1

Answer 35

25 May 1915 with Entente

Question 36

When did Salandra resign?

Answer 36

18th June 1916

Question 37

Battle of Caporetto

Answer 37

October 1917
Austrians and Germans attacked the weak Italian forces.
At least 200,000 soldiers lost contact
300,000 taken prisoner
General Cordona blamed the soldiers
Replaced by General Diaz
Orlando becomes PM

Question 38

Battle of Vittorio Veneto

Answer 38

October 1918
German army in retreat
Italy attacked A+H forces
Took 500,000 prisoners, Austrian forces collapsed

Question 39

Overall deaths in WW1 for Italy

Answer 39

650,000

Question 40

Negative results of WW1

Answer 40

Cost 148billion lire
North south divide increased
Economy became inbalanced

Question 41

Positive effects of WW1

Answer 41

War based industry thrived
9,000 miles added to Italy
Italys border more secure