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The Rise And Fall Of Fascism In Italy c1911 - 46 > Consolidation of Power 1922-26 > Flashcards

Consolidation of Power 1922-26 Flashcards

1
Q

Who was in Mussolini’s ‘National Government’ (cabinet)?

A
  • 4 liberals
  • 2 PPI
  • 1 ANI
  • 3 independents: general Diaz, admiral di Revel + philosopher Giovanni Gentile
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2
Q

Who was appointed Minister of Finance and why?

A
  • Alberto De’Stefani (economist)
  • To gain support of conservative industrialists
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3
Q

What happened to ANI in Oct 1922 and why was this significant?

A
  • 28 Oct –> Compromise reached between ANI + PNF
  • Feb 1923 –> ANI officially absorbed into PNF
  • Significant as PNF now officially represented nationalism + their ‘blueshirts’ joined MVSN
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4
Q

How did Mussolini manage to gain the support of industrialists in early 1923?

A
  • Did not attack tax evasion
  • Persuaded Confindustria (powerful conservative organisation representing big businesses) to support him
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5
Q

What policies did he introduce to appease Catholics?

A
  • Increased clerical pay
  • Reinstated crucifixes in school
  • Banned certain anti-clerical publications
  • Banned contraception
  • Introduced religious education in state schools/unis
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6
Q

How else did Mussolini attempt to absorb PPI and what was the result of this?

A
  • Baptised his own children
  • Buried atheist past
  • Attacked freemasonry (which Catholics hated)
  • Appointed PPI member Stefano Cavazzoni as Minister of Work and Welfare
  • He encouraged party to collaborate w/ PNF
  • By Jul 1923 –> leader Luigi Sturzo resigned (after instruction of pope)
  • Oct 1923 –> Sturzo left country (after instruction of pope)
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7
Q

When was Mussolini’s maiden speech, what did he ask for and why did the Italian Senate allow this?

A
  • 16 Nov 1922
  • A year of emergency powers to carry out reforms otherwise 300,000 young men were prepared to take action against unsupporting deputies
  • Fear of further violence
  • Felt that political calm was needed
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8
Q

What were voting numbers like for emergency powers?

A
  • 196 for
  • 16 against
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9
Q

What did Mussolini create in Dec 1922, what was its role, how many members were there and how often did it meet?

A
  • Rival organisation to cabinet, Fascist Grand Council, w/ De Bono, Balbo + Bianchi
  • Discussed key policies
  • 22 members
  • Once a month
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10
Q

Why was the creation of the Fascist Grand Council important?

A
  • New policy was created by Fascist party, not gov, as they had to approve it before it was sent to cabinet
  • Undermined liberal institutions
  • Centralised power of PNF
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11
Q

Following this, what was formed by Fascist Grand Council, when, why was this important and who supported this move?

A
  • Jan 1923 –> MVSN formed
  • Absorbed all squadristi + formalised their role
  • Control over 300,000 blackshirts (paid by state) could be strengthened + an eventual end to fascist violence
  • Supported by King, army + liberal elite
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12
Q

What else was formed, who was the leader and what was its purpose?

A
  • Cheka –> secret personal bodyguard of fascist thugs
  • Terrorise its opponents
  • Amerigo Dumini
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13
Q

How was the ras’ power weakened and what happened as a result?

A
  • Former army officers placed in charge of local units
  • Led to expulsion of more than 200 ras
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14
Q

Why did Mussolini want an eventual end to fascist violence?

A

Continuation of fascist violence was viewed very negatively now that there was no threat of a socialist rev

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15
Q

Which two organisations were formed in Mar 1923?

A
  • GUF
  • ONB
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16
Q

By end of 1923, how many members did the PNF have compared to March on Rome?

A
  • Doubled since to 783,000
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17
Q

By 1924, how many children were formally involved w/ fascist youth organisations?

A

Only 3000

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18
Q

How did Mussolini overcome the problem of proportional representation and how did he justify this?

A
  • Fascist Grand Council introduced Acerbo Law
  • 2/3 seats given to party that won more than 25% of vote
  • Claimed a more coherent gov could be put into place
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19
Q

Who supported and opposed the law? How did the fascists apply pressure?

A
  • Supported: Liberal elites, King, Vatican (put pressure on PPI to not vote due to favourable laws)
  • Opposed: PCI + PSI
  • Catholics also abstained from voting as they were divided on what to do
  • Staged demonstrations in Tuscany + Umbria and threatened violence
  • Mussolini wore black shirt in parliament on day of debate for the law
  • Also threatened to close Chamber of deputies and rule w/ emergency powers
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20
Q

How many voted for and against Acerbo Law?

A
  • 235 for
  • 139 against
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21
Q

Following the passing of Acerbo Law in Jul 1923, what did Mussolini do and what was it like?

A
  • Called election for 6 Apr 1924
  • Fascist blackshirts destroyed hundreds of opposition clubs + offices
  • Murdered PSI candidate Antonio Piccini
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22
Q

What was the turnout for the election, what percentage did fascists gain and what did this increase the number of deputies to (how many of each party in remaining seats) ?

A
  • 64% turnout
  • 66.3% of votes
  • 374 deputies from 35
  • Remaining deputies: Socialists - 46 (split between PSI + liberals), PPI - 39, Communists - 19
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23
Q

How did Mussolini use his position of power to influence the election results?

A
  • Knew many local govs were dominated by fascists
  • Fascist squads could be used to fix positions
  • Ensure police would not intervene as Minister of the Interior
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24
Q

What were other reasons for the resounding victory of the fascist party?

A
  • Several prominent liberals like Salandra chose to have themselves on the fascist electoral list to maintain their power, which increased support
  • Opposition forces were divided between PSI, PCI, PPI, liberal elites
  • Unable to come to an agreement, which could have led to a united opposition against fascists
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25
Q

Despite this majority, in what ways did the opposition do well?

A
  • Managed to attract 2.5 mil votes
  • Fascists failed to gain a majority in Milan or Turin
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26
Q

Giacomo Matteotti:

A
  • Non-interventionist
  • Consistently opposed fascism
  • 1924 –> Published book entitled ‘The Fascist Exposed’
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27
Q

What had Matteotti done when the new parliament had reopened (when did this happen)?

A
  • 30 May 1924 –> Made a speech saying that fascists had only won as a ‘consequence of obscene violence’ + denounced corruption in campaign
  • Called for annulment of election results + fresh election
28
Q

How did Mussolini feel about the speech?

A
  • Embarrassing
  • Main problem was that Matteotti was about to release a large file on fascist party corruption
29
Q

When was Matteotti kidnapped, how was he murdered and where was his body found?

A
  • Afternoon on 10 Jun when walking towards parliament
  • Stabbed to death
  • 16 Aug in a shallow grave 23km from Rome
30
Q

Why was the fascist gov implicated in Matteotti’s death?

A
  • Witness had seen number plate of car Matteotti was dragged into, belonging to Cesare Rossi (arrested), Mussolini’s press secretary
  • Leader of kidnapping was Amerigo Dumini (arrested on 12 Jun)
  • Filippo Filippelli was arrested (friend of Mussolini + editor of fascist newspaper)
31
Q

From which 3 sides did Mussolini experience pressure from and why?

A
  • Elite were concerned about backing a leader associated w/ murder
  • PSI, PCI and other anti-fascist parties called for Mussolini’s dismissal
  • Ras pressured for dictatorship as they felt Matteotti’s murder was the first step
32
Q

In the following few days, what did Mussolini do and what happened after this?

A
  • 11 to 13 Jun –> Unsure about what to do
  • 13 Jun –> Around 100 anti-fascist deputies (mainly PSI, PPI + PCI) + established own parliament on Aventine hill outside Rome called ‘Aventine Secession’
33
Q

How did this move backfire and actually help Mussolini?

A
  • He could see that he still had the backing of key figs eg. King, Pope, army, business + political elites
  • Their absence made it easier for Mussolini to pass legislation
34
Q

What else was the Aventine Secession hampered by?

A
  • Vast range of political ideologies
  • Could not agree on what to do
35
Q

What did Mussolini do to reassure the political elites?

A
  • Luigi Federzoni (well respected + conservative) made Minister of the Interior to show he wanted a fair investigation
  • Alfredo Rocco made Minister of Justice
36
Q

How did Mussolini further secure his position in the initial stages?

A
  • Jul 1924 –> Press censorship introduced
  • Aug 1924 –> Meetings by opposition grps banned
37
Q

What action did Mussolini take in Nov 1924 and what did this result in?

A
  • Ordered PNF to cease all violence + remove undisciplined members under pressure from army
  • Brought him under considerable pressure from squads
38
Q

What happened on 29 Dec and 31 Dec? How did these events affect Mussolini?

A
  • 29 Dec –> Salandra declared his opposition
  • 31 Dec –> Mussolini met w/ delegation of 33 leading fascists who would remove him if he did not act to defend fascist rev
  • Due to pressure from squad members and worry that Salandra would influence King, he decided to establish the dictatorship
39
Q

Why did these leading fascists apply pressure on Mussolini?

A
  • Infuriated by dismissal of chief of police, De Bono + resignation of Balbo due to Matteotti’s investigation
  • His replacement, general Gandolfo, had sacked all fascist regional militia commanders + replaced them w/ army officers
40
Q

What happened to the five who were arrested for Matteotti’s murder?

A
  • 2 acquitted
  • 3 convicted + sentenced to 6 yrs prison (only served 2 months in the end)
41
Q

When did Mussolini make a key speech in parliament, what did he say and what did this prompt?

A
  • 3 Jan 1925 –> Announced establishment of fascist dictatorship within 48 hrs under his personal rule + accepted responsibility for fascist actions
  • Prompted series of arrests
  • Formation of committee to reform constitution (destroyed by Rocco who drafted authoritarian laws)
42
Q

After this, when did Mussolini form his new cabinet, what was different and which positions did he take on himself?

A
  • 12 Jan
  • W/out most of liberals
  • Took on role of PM, Minister of Foreign Affairs, War, Navy + Aviation
43
Q

Who did he appoint as PNF secretary, when and what was his role?

A
  • Feb –> Farinacci appointed
  • Responsible for purging radicals who would not accept Mussolini’s direction
44
Q

Roberto Farinacci:

A
  • 1909 –> Socialist
  • Interventionist
  • Xenophobic, anti-semitic + violent
  • 1919 –> Involved in organising squadristi
  • 1938 –> Enforced anti-semitic laws
  • Sided w/ Germany in WW2
45
Q

Give stats for increase in membership numbers and why this was the case

A
  • 600,000 to 983,000
  • Many saw it as a career advantage rather than interest in fascist rev
46
Q

What other events in 1925 provided the excuse for even sterner measures (give an example)?

A
  • Assassination attempts on Mussolini
  • 1925 –> Socialist deputy Tito Zaniboni arrested for plotting assassination
  • His political party PSU banned
  • Introduction of new press law that all journalism should be supervised and approved by state
  • Another law giving gov power to sack any public employee whose actions were hostile towards PNF
47
Q

What significant changes were made in Oct 1925?

A
  • Oct 1925 –> Fascist Grand Council approved a motion that forced all ras to disband squads and enlist them in militia
  • 2nd Oct –> Palazzo Vidoni Pact, which established official fascist union as only representatives of Italy’s workers
48
Q

How did Mussolini gain military support + industrialists’ support for the dictatorship?

A
  • Increasing officers’ + generals’ pay
  • Appointing Pietro Badoglio (conservative monarchist) to role of chief of general staff
  • Palazzo Vidoni Pact, as fascist unions tended to be much more subservient towards industrialists
49
Q

Which legislation strengthened the power of central gov, when was it passed and what did it do?

A
  • Dec 1925 –> Leggi Fascitissme
  • Banned all opposition parties + TUs that did not align to fascist movement
  • Tightened press censorship (Press Law of Dec 1925) –> all journalists should be named on central official register (controlled by fascists) before being able to seek employment
  • OVRA (secret police) set up
  • Special Tribunal for the Defence of the State set up for prosecution of anti-fascists sending them into exile for unknown yrs (Confino) w/ no right to appeal
50
Q

Between 1922 and 1943, how many new files had been opened on ‘subversives’ (trying to destroy gov secretly by attacking it)? How many did it sentence in 17 yrs and what happened to them?

A
  • 114,000
  • 26 who were subsequently executed
51
Q

What is Confino?

A

Mussolini used police and courts to round up + banish opponents to remote areas of country

52
Q

How did the title of PM change and when did this happen?

A

24 Dec 1925 –> Changed to Head of Gov + Duce of Fascism

53
Q

What other ability of parliament was removed?

A

-Ability to remove PM through vote of no confidence

54
Q

What crucial change was made in Jan 1926 (give stats to show impact of this)?

A
  • Mussolini was granted ability to rule by decree
  • In this month alone, more than 2000 decrees issued
55
Q

How did Mussolini change local administration?

A

4 Feb 1926
- Abolish elected local gov
- Replace mayors w/ new position called podesta, appointed by local prefects ( usually an authoritarian fig)

56
Q

Who were prefects appointed by and what position did they hold? What statement showed this?

A
  • Appointed by Mussolini
  • Most powerful positions
  • Turati said prefects would take precedence in any conflict between them and the ras
57
Q

Who replaced Farinacci as PNF secretary and when?

A
  • Mar 1926 –> Farinacci replaced by Augusto Turati
58
Q

What was created by formal decree in Apr 1926, who did it involve and what was its goal?

A
  • 3 Apr 1926 –> ONB created
  • Goal of providing for the ‘physical and moral benefit of youth’
  • Education of boys between 8 and 18
59
Q

When was the third assassination attempt on Mussolini, who did it and how was Mussolini injured?

A
  • 11 Sep 1926
  • Gino Lucetti (anarchist)
  • Threw a grenade, but Mussolini was unharmed
60
Q

What freedom was ended, when and what had this been like in reality?

A
  • 25 Nov 1926 –> Freedom of association (meeting together particularly political grps) ended
  • In reality, they had been restricted ever since March on Rome
61
Q

What decree was issued in Nov 1926 and what did this do?

A
  • Public Security Decree
  • Prefects given power to place anyone perceived as political threat under police supervision
62
Q

What other changes were made following this?

A
  • Aventine deputies excluded from parliament
  • Communist parliamentarians that had stayed to fight Mussolini’s policies (not joined Aventine Secession) banned + leader, Antonia Gramsci, arrested
63
Q

At this point, what had happened to most opposition leaders (give stats)?

A
  • They had fled into exile to France/overseas
  • Italian citizenship withdrawn
  • Property confiscated under new fascist legislation
  • Estimated around 100,000 anti-fascists left Italy
64
Q

What law was formed in May 1928 and what did this do?

A
  • Fascist Grand Council given right to select candidates for Chamber of Deputies from list put forward by fascist unions and other bodies
  • Only after this do electors have a choice of approval/rejection of candidates
65
Q

How did the Grand Council change, what does this mean and when did this happen?

A
  • 9 Dec 1928 –> Grand Council became supreme body of region
  • Can amend constitution
  • Can intervene in succession to throne
  • Can make list of Mussolini’s successors
    (King loses right to select PM)

The Rise And Fall Of Fascism In Italy c1911 - 46 (15 decks)

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