Booklet 2: Post War Challenges To The Liberal State 1918-1920

Question 1

What is the Mutilated Victory?

Answer 1

Italy won the war, but national shame had disgraced all the soldiers who died, and it highlighted the weakness of the government
The idea of betrayal

Question 2

Key points of the Mutilated Victory

Answer 2

Failed to gain much of the territory promised in TOL
Italians were angry that they didn’t receive any African colonies
Most controversial territorial demand weren’t in the TOL

Question 3

What forces occupied Fiume

Answer 3

Men from WW1 from different military branches
Futurists, students, patriots
D’Annunzio as their leader (John the Baptist)

Question 4

Occupation of Fiume

Answer 4

Nationalists wanted a new powerful government
D’Annunzio and his soldiers seized port of Fiume with no fight
Government didn’t act for 15 months

Question 5

What did Fiume mean for fascism?

Answer 5

Crucial and demonstrated success could be achieved by violent action
D’Annunzio was seen as the enabler for Mussolini’s new fascism movement

Question 6

Post war economic problems

Answer 6

Millions of soldiers demobilised
1919 unemployment reached 2million
Middle class Italians lost savings
One major bank forced to close

Question 7

Problems in rural areas

Answer 7

Peasant owners of land increased to 3.5 million
Poverty for day labourers increased
Farmers felt threatened by militant peasants

Question 8

Problems for industrialists

Answer 8

Feared a loss of political power
Resented the success of socialists
Feared a ‘red threat’

Question 9

Problems for middle class and petty bourgeoisie

Answer 9

Savings had significantly lost value
Industrial workers gained economically at their expense
Frustrations aimed at government

Question 10

How impactful was the Biennio Rosso?

Answer 10

Violent clashes between fascists and socialists, 2,000 people died
Socialist party membership reached 2 million in 1920
Landowners felt threatened

Question 11

What made the bienno rosso less impactful?

Answer 11

After 1920, sharp decline in strikes
Little national coordination of the movement
Socialists started to split

Question 12

Overall conclusion of Bienno Rosso

Answer 12

Made the government look weak during the strikes
Normalised use of violence
Middle class turned to fascism out of fear of socialism

Question 13

Nitti political reforms in 1919

Answer 13

All men who served in the military could vote, and all men over 21
Voters increased by 11million
Proportional representation introduced

Question 14

PPI key ideas and policies

Answer 14

Pushed for catholic interests and values
Campaigned for more farm land for peasants
Strong hostility towards liberals (made coalitions difficult)

Question 15

PSI key ideas and policies

Answer 15

Became more radical and refused to work with liberals
Supported strikes and factory occupations

Question 16

Fascism key ideas and policies

Answer 16

‘Leftist’ originally
Confiscation of church property
End of monarchy (republic)
Suffrage extended to women

Question 17

Giolitti liberals key ideas and policies

Answer 17

Conservative direction for Italy while still working with moderate socialists to end strikes

Question 18

Orlando liberals key ideas and policies

Answer 18

Small business owners, middle class as supporters
Main group of radicals, supported universal public schooling and suffrage

Question 19

1919 election

Answer 19

PSI won 32% of the vote
However neither of the 2 top parties had majority
Liberals remained in power
Election was a lost opportunity to show democracy could solve Italys problems