c1900-1914 Flashcards
what were the problems of the political system before 1900
- the ‘liberal state’ was run by conservative liberal politicians who introduced a monarchy.
- they liked to protect their own interests
- this led to a policy of trasformismo
- this led to disillusionment and public contempt with the political system
- differences between real and legal italy
what is liberalism
individuals who favour freedom
what is trasformismo
the way governments secured majorities among the different groups in parliament - typically involves bribary
what are some agricultural and regional variations that created problems in Italy’s society and economy
- share cropping was used in central Italy - farmers gave half their crops to landowners as rent for living on the land
- large-scale farmers in the Po Valley
- south was dominated by aristocratic owners who employed labourers
how was Italy doing in comparison to other economical powers
Italy was economically backward - those who promoted unification did not intend for the south to be included in this due to 89% illiteracy.
why was the pope an issue during unification
he made people choose between their religion and country - this is a clear indication of lack of uniformity
french had been rewarded with land to help northern italians invade the papal states whilst the pope was out the country
discribe italy and their relationship with the great powers
most countries thought having italy on thier side hindered them more than it benefitted them even though they tried hard to become one of the great powers.
list ways in which Italy tried to become one of the great powers of europe
join an agreement with britain to say they would ally if france ever attacked italy
attempt at creating an empire but being humiliated by their battle at adowa 96
joined triple alliance with germany and austria
explain whether italy could be defined as a strong nation state by 1914 with 3 factors for and against
economy:
/ + economy had grown stronger since unification through railways and roads for transportation. they turned to hydroelectic power instead of coal to save money. FIAT grew massively
/ - however, growth and industry was predomonantly in north, this widened the mezzigiorno line between the n and s
/ - made worse by foolish ventures to abyssinia and libya
society:
/ + under giolitti, there were multiple social reforms that tried to increase the standard of living and thereby improve the unity within the state
/ - there was little ideological agreement on educational and social aims.
/ - there were too many regional dialect differences for anything to function properly when politics was intoduced to the south.
/ - 40% of adults were illiterate
political:
/ +/- giolitti muffled the threat of different political parties by absorbing them into his own - successful in the short term but he could not please all so it led to polarisation - many minority parties were unsuccessfully intergrated into liberalism
/ - barely any italians identified with the state and its politics - made worse by the fact that oly 2% of people could vote - very little national spirit
What and when was the end of century crisis
In the 1890s Italy experienced:
- world economic recession
- bad harvests
-a tariff war with France
High taxation due to military spending on colonial ventures
When and why did the Italian working class movement take off
1890s
PSI
the psi took off due to the establishment of trade unions, cooperatives and peasant leagues
It was founded by Marxist inspiration
However highly prone to ideological splits
What were revolutionary syndicalists
Far left “part” of socialism, they believed that imminent revolution should be fostered by the constant use of weapons. They led to many general strikes. After theh realised the socialists could not satisfy their needs they split the party into reformists and maximalists - they helped birth fascism sice they sharwd antagonism towards liberalism and socialism
what problems did giolitti have to solve for giolittianism and his liberal party to be successful
gain the support of the masses yet keep the elite happy
reconcile catholicism and the newly developing forces of socialism and nationalism into the state
what periods was giolitti PM?
1892-3
1901-3 (minister of interior)
1903-5
1906-9
1911-14
1920-21
what reforms did giolitti make
he laid down a new policy of state impartiality during labour disputes, coupled with reform on working conditions and female and child labour
electoral reform which gave suffrage to the majority of male population in 1912. gave suffrage to 9 million from 2.5 million
what problems did giolitti run into whilst in power
- the economic boom of 1890-1907 slowed during 1907-8 and he was blamed for the economic decline
- as he increased the franchise he alienated liberals wo feared workers and catholics would have more influence
- industrial reforms had not gone far enough to alienated socialists whoo could now vote
- the 1911 seizure of lybia appeased conservatives and nationalists but alienated socialists whilst also strengthening the syndicalist part of socialism - conscription increased resentment
- had to use trasformismo - polarised the government
when did the socislists gain most of their support in parliament
1913 elections
reasons for the fall of giolitti
socialist advances at 1913 elections
strikes emphasised the limitations of giolittis reforms
dictatorship of the proletariat was blamed on g
the right resented giolitti since he had done too much (nationalistic endeavors) and the left resented him because he had not gone far enough.
red week
describe red week
in june 1914, the shooting of 3 protesters sparked riots, government buildings were siezed and 2 areas were declared republics.
the government used soldiers to put down unrest and restore order.
redweek frightened the bourgeoisie whilst showing the weakness of the liberal state and giolitti since the internal chaos was only interupted by external forces and ww1.
giolitti was replaced by selandra
which two parties posed the biggest threat to liberalism/ giolittianism
Socialism and catholicism since they undermined the work of trasformismo
what is socialism
a belief that all wealt should be distributed evenly to create a more equal society
describe an overview of soclaism from unification to ww1
- most threatening year for other parties was 1913
- unionisation came about through the working class calling for the spread of socialism
- lack of representation made this worse for working class so they were more aggrivated
- 1900- socialism secured 32 deputies in the chamber
- 1913 - socialism made up 26% of the total vote
- 1904 - a general strike was called
- socialism represents a reason for the collapse of the liberal state since the fear for socialism was worse than actual threat
- too many factions led to failure
what was giolittis aim whilst starting the invasion of lybia
to absorb the nationalists
why was the libyan invasion a problem
- increased support for the nationalists since they took credit for pressurising giolitti into it
- liberal popularity declined as they were blamed for a lack of patriotism and the 3,500 deaths
- alliance formed between catholics ppi and nationalists
what actions did the liberals take to try and solve the problems the italo turkish war
- giolitti tried to expand franchise - particularly the men who fought in libya but everyone voted for the socialists
how successful was the whole italo turkish war
moderatly - italy gained land for empire but led to the increased opularity of opposing parties. worsened lack of italian identity
why was the franchise extension a problem
more illiterate poeple allowed to vote = easily persuaded
70% were able to vote
how did liberals try to fix problem of ranchise extension
called general election but backfired since everyone voted for the socialists
encouraged the idea of trasformismo and coalition with the catholics
how successful was the franchise extension
unsuccessful
lost voters and seats for the liberals and national unity was not achieved
constant increase of support for socialists and nationalists
why was the growth of nationalism and socialism a problem
italy was becoming more ideologically polarised
governments by 1913 were either catholic or nationalist or both
caused red week
italian society was more divided than unified
how did selandra try to solve the problems of his government
tried to link the failing liberalism with coservatism to please the catholics and nationalists - utimatly unsuccessful since extreme violence and rioting continued to weaken Italy’s collapsing economy and infastructure
why did the liberal state collapse
the rise of the fascist party
- allowing the fascist to be the ones to take over when the liberals fell was their biggest contribution to their demise by being the party who offered the viable alternative government at the right time.
divisions within italy
- north south divide as well as political and class divide
political problems
- franchise extension and introduction of proportional representation weakened the liberal states position bc they did not get majority expected. led to use of trasfomismo
What had the liberals started the process of?
Evolving italy into a strong, healthy democracy
What had the liberals done to engender patriotism?
Created military service and given out free education
By how much did national income increase between 1895-1915?
31 billion lire
How much did foreign trade increase between 1863-1913?
It increased six fold
What did the liberals do to ease the cost of living?
Reduced taxes on food
What three things did the liberal government invest heavily in?
Road, rail and water
What two things did the liberals do that helped confirm them as a major power?
Conquered Tripoli and joined the triple alliance
Where did the liberals manage to build an empire?
East Africa
What had the liberals created by 1912?
Near universal manhood suffrage
Which groups had the liberals managed to appease by co-opting them into government?
Socialist and Catholic groups
List the socialist critiques of liberal Italy
- Liberal governments were merely a cover for capitalist exploitation of the working class
- Wages were low and hours were long compared to the rest of Europe
- The army was employed to crush strikes and opposition parties
- Wealth had been squandered on failed attempts at imperialism
- Poverty was widespread
- Economic hardships had played a major role in 5 million Italians undergoing transatlantic emigration between 1871-1915
What were the major nationalist critiques of the liberal government?
- They lacked the will to make Italy a major European power
- They had suffered a humiliating defeat to the Abyssinians at the battle of Adowa in 1896
- They saw emigration as a national disgrace
- The liberals had created more division by exacerbting class struggle
- The transfromismo movement had led to politicians acting out of self-interest and careerism, rather than doing what was best for the people
List the catholic critiques of the liberal government?
They clearly didn’t care for the poor, as they had failed to provide them with clean water
- The state had taken away their land, monasteries and ability to control education
Where did the Italian claims over Libya date back to?
The congress of Berlin in 1878, in which France and Britain agreed that Tripoli would be a colony of Italy. However, the Italian government did little to realize the opportunity and knowledge of Libyan territory and resources remianed scarce in the following years
What did the Italian press begin to do at the end of 1911?
Began a large scale lobbying campaign in favour of an invasion of Libya
How did the Italian press depict Libya in 1911?
- Rich in minerals
- Well-watered
- Defended by only 4,000 troops
- The population was described as hostile to the Ottomans and friendly to the Italians
- The invasion would be little more than a ‘military walk’ according to them
How did the Italian government respond for the popular push for a war in Libya?
They were hesitant, but in the summer preparations were made for an invasion. Giolitti began to probe other major powers about possible reactions to an invasion of LIbya
An ultimatum was sent to the Ottoman government. How did they respond?
Proposed transferring control of Libya to Italy without war, and simply keeping Ottoman suzerainty (ceremonial allegiance). Giolitti refused, and war was declared in September 1911
How long did it take for Turkey to surrender Tripoli?
A year of fighting
What did Italian forces occupy during the Libyan war?
The Dodecanese islands in the Aegean sea
What treaty did Italy sign with the Ottoman Empire in 1912?
The treaty of Ouchy, promising to return the Dodecanese islands to the Ottoman Empire. However the vagueness of the text allowed for administration of the islands, and Turkey eventually renounced their claim on the islands in 1923
What were the financial consequences of the invasion of Libya?
- It cost 80 mllion lire a month instead of the anticipated 30 million, with the war also carrying on for much longer than expected
