Creation of a Fascist dictatorship was because of the mistakes of Mussolini's political oppositions Flashcards
1
Q
Parliamentary compromise and coercion:
Problems upon appointment as PM
A
- Unclear nature of M’s appt - achieved power through his dual strategy which provided more issues:
- Squads demanded further revolution and reward for helping him. However, working with the conservative elites and the King would be better to consolidate his role, as PMs historically didn’t last very long.
- Issue with deputies = only 35 fascist while the PSI dominated with 123. His cabinet was mixed (4 liberals, 2 PSI, 1 ANI and 2 military) - appointed himself foreign minister and the interior minister.
2
Q
Parliamentary compromise and coercion:
Parliamentary compromise
A
Early goal is to placate the old ruling classes.
- Appointed orthodox economist De’ Stefani as Finance minister - trusted by Conservative industrialists that there wouldn’t be radical economic changes.
- Gained the powerful Catholic Church’s trust by increasing clerical pay and reinstating crucifixes in schools.
- Absorbed the ANI into the PNF on Feb 1923 - removing a powerful rival to be the only party representing nationalism.
- Appointed PPI Cavazinni as minister of work and welfare. By July 1923, PPI leader Sturzo resigned over his concern that PPI was being absorbed by the PNF. Musso’s pro-Catholic policies encouraged the Vatican to support the PNF at PPI’s expense - w/o Sturzo’s leadership and the crucial endorsement, the once powerful PPI decline.
3
Q
Parliamentary compromise and coercion:
Parliamentary coercion
A
- Maiden speech as PM on Nov 16th, 1922 was a mixture of offers to work with parliament and threats of violence against any challenge (crucial due to squad strength and violence until 1922).
- Successfully gained his request of a year of emergency powers (306-116) to carry out necessary reform. Especially as he used intimidation against the anti-fascists who feared civil war and violence (300,000 men ready to take violent action against unwilling deputies).
- PREVENTED Mussolini’s removal and it gave him full power to govern and raise taxes w/o parli approval.
4
Q
Controlling the PNF
The Fascist Ground Council
A
- Created a rival organisation to the Cabinet on Dec 1922 - appointed key fascists like Balbo, Binachi and De Bono, where he discussed key policy.
- It helped him to 1) Overcome his weak position in the cabinet and undermined the liberal govt institutions by essentially bypassing it and 2) centralised his power as the leader with the sole ability to appoint its members.
5
Q
Controlling the PNF:
Militiza Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale (MVSN)
A
- Created in Jan 1923 - absorbed all the squadristi and formalised their role as a party-based paramilitary force to support the army/police in defending the ‘Fascist revolution’.
- 300, 000 members pledged allegience = strengthed his control and ending fascist violence.
- Supported by the king, the army and the liberal elite = better to have them under the government’s control, than independent under the leadership of the provincial ras.
- Changing nature of the PNF = membership rose to 783k (majority from middle classes) since the March on Rome diluted the ras and squadristi’s power. Therefore, the older and more revolutionary fascists saw a reduction in their influence.
6
Q
The Acerbo Law and the 1924 election
What was the issue with the electoral system preventing M’s goal
A
- Aim = hold a GE to provide the PNF with the parliamentary mandate it lacked.
- Issue = the current PR system made it difficult to achieve a majority.
- Solution = Acerbo Law - 2/3 of the seats would go to the party which won more than 25% of the vote.
- Reason = claimed to bring stability by guaranteeing a more coherent parliament to put in place policies Italy needed.
7
Q
Who supported or opposed the Acerbo Laws
A
- Opposed by the PCI and PSI but supported by the liberal elites, Giolotti, the King and the Vatican.
- Fascists applied pressure by staging mass demonstrations in Tuscany and Umbria.
8
Q
What happened upon passing the Acerbo law?
A
- Mussolini called an election for April 6, 1924.
- Election campaign marred by violence and intimidation = fascist blackshirts destroyed opposition clubs and murdered the PSI candidate Piccinini.
- Mussolini won with the fascist electoral list gaining 66.3% = greatest victory since unification, increasing their deputies from 35 to 275.
9
Q
How was the electoral victory helped?
A
- Violence played a role but also:
- Choice of prominent liberals like Orlando and Salandra, to have themselves included on the electoral list.
- Division of the PCI, PSI, PPI and liberals who refused to work with the fascists such as Giolotti = unable to come to an agreement which could have led a united opposition.
- Genuine belief that Mussolini could provide strong leadership to solve Italy’s various problems.
10
Q
The Matteotti crisis
What happened on May 30th 1924
A
- Despite M’s overwhelming victory, Italy was still a democracy - the PSCI, PCI and PPI held 80 seats between them.
- During the reopening of the new parli in May 30 1924, Matt denounced the violence and corruption during the electoral campaign, asserting the fascists only won due to violence and was determined to establish a dictatorship.
- Embarrassing for the fascists but Musso was more concerned by the rumours that Matt amassed a large file on fascist party corruption and wanted to publicise it.
11
Q
The Matteotti crisis
The Kidnapping of Matt
A
- Kidnapped on June 10th with witnesses saying the car belonged to Mussolini’s press secretary. Found dead on Aug 16th.
- Arrested the leader of the kidnapping - Durari, the head of a fascist terror squad that had direct links to key fascists.
- No direct link to Mussolini but the implication of the fascist party and its leader with the murder of a key political leader threatened to topple the PNF govt.
12
Q
Who put pressure on Mussolini caused by the Matteotti crisis?
A
- Established elite feared about backing a PM associated with murder and the PSI, PCI and other antifascist parties called for the dismissal of M and the overthrow of the fascist govt.
- Ras who saw Matteotti’s murder as the first step of a fascist revolution that’d violently establish a dictatorship.
- Conflicted on what to do and it appeared his govt was failing.
- June 13 = 100 antifascist deputies left parli to form their own on the Aventine Hill, calling the govt unconstitutional (the Aventine Secession).
13
Q
How did the Matteotti crisis benefit Mussolini?
A
- His govt appealed to the key figures of the political system who didn’t desire another leader change.
- Absence of 100 deputies made it easier for M to pass legislation while the AS suffered from significant ideological differences and failed to agree on a response when the King wouldn’t dismiss Mussolini - no threat.
- NOV = after army pressure, he ordered the PNF to case all forms of violence and removed undisicplined members.
- DEC 31 = met with a delegation of squad leaders demanding him to defend the fascist rev AND then Salandra declared his opposition to M - decided to take initative after pressure from both sides.
14
Q
The establishment of the dictatorship, 1925
Jan and Feb
A
- 3rd Jan = Mussolini spoke in parliament and announced the establishment of a fascist dictatorship.
- 12th Jan = formed a new cabinet w/o liberals and he took on the roles of PM, foreign affairs, war, navy and aviation.
- Feb 1925 = appointed Farninacci as PNF secretary - purging the party of those who refused to accept M’s political direction. increased membership from 600k to 938k, diluting the squadristi’s power and those who saw loyalty to M as a career advantage.
15
Q
October in the establishment of the dictatorship 1925
A
- Council approved a motion for all ras to disband any squads and join the milita - gained military support by increasing officers and generals’ pay and appointed the Conservative monarchist, Badoglio, to role of chief of general staff.
- Palazzo Vidoni Pact established official fascist unions as the only representatives of Italy’s workers, removing socialist and Catholic unions’ powers. The fascist unions were subserviant to the industialists, gaining their support for Mussolini.
