Consent & Control in fascist Italy - Repression & terror

Question 1

In November 1926 all other …………… banned

Answer 1

• political parties

Question 2

………………….. reintroduced for anyone who tried to assassinate the king or Mussolini or who threatened state security

Answer 2

• Death penalty

Question 3

Give statistics on special tribunals

Answer 3

• Special Tribunals prosecuted 13,547 cases and imposed 27,742 years of jail

Question 4

What were special tribunals

Answer 4

• Special Tribunals could send potentially dangerous antifascists into exile (usually in the south) for an unspecified amount of time - called Confino
• This could be done even without concrete evidence of antifascist association or activity

Question 5

What was Confino

Answer 5

• Confino was financially devastating for many who were sent away, their families faced considerable discrimination, and it was difficult for exiles to get a job once they returned.
• 10,000 Italians sent into Confino

Question 6

What had formed by late 1926 to stop opposition, and under who

Answer 6

Late 1926: Political Police division formed under Arturo Bocchini. It used a considerable network of spies to infiltrate and break up antifascist organisations

Question 7

What was formed to repress in June 1937 that was used by the Political Police Division

Answer 7

June 1937: worked with the SIM (military spying organisation), to organise the assassination of prominent antifascist exiles Carlo

Question 8

What was formed by a Bocchini in 1927

Answer 8

Italian secret police (OVRA) formed by Bocchini to spy on Italians across the country

Question 9

What were the activities that made ovra SUCCESSFUL

Answer 9

• Estimated there were 5,000 informers operating, allowing OVRA to be successful in stopping the organisation of antifascist groups
• OVRA spies infiltrated universities, businesses and fascist groups
• Italian mail examined and phone calls were listened to

Question 10

The threat of violence & the climate of fear was … to Mussolini keeping control

Answer 10

key

Question 11

Explain why death penalty barely used

Answer 11

• 1925-39: only carried out 9 death sentences
• not lack of repression, but success in ensuring there was little opposition to the fascist regime

Question 12

After establishing the dictatorship violence ……. as a means of control. Around ….. people were killed during the regime, considerably …… than other early 20th century dictatorships

Answer 12

decreased
400
less