Did the govt deal with Italy's growing instability between 1912-14

Question 1

Invasion of Libya 1911

Answer 1

• Italian troops invaded on Sept 29th, claiming Italy was entitled to rule over former Roman territories, especially since Libya was the sole Med region unclaimed by another European power.
• Greeted with patriotic enthusiasm - the Ottoman’s surrendered on Oct 8th 1911, overcoming the shame of Adowa 1898, briefly increasing support and prestige.
• HOWEVER = then increased support for the nationalists, and destroyed his cooperation with the PSI (saw the war as imperialist).
• Italians were not welcomed by Libyan population - 50,000 troops were needed to pacify the population

Question 2

Impact of the franchise extension in 1912

Answer 2

• Extended the vote to all men who completed military service, illiterate men aged 30 and literate men of 21.
• Hoped that increased suffrage would promote greater national unity, liberal popularity and undermine the PSI, as greater electoral representation means the working class are less inclined to support radical ideologies.
• Cost his popularity, turning support to s/n = causing the flawed govts which provided stability since 1870 began to collapse.

Question 3

Resignation of Gio

Answer 3

• 1913 Elections = failure of Giolitti’s strategy as PLI won 318 seats but lost 71 from the 1909 elections while the PSI, ANI and Catholics made gains.
• ISSUE - Pres of the Catholic Electoral Union secretly asked lib to agree to 7 concessions to gain Catholic support. Boasted that 228/318 owed their victory to Catholics but Gio claimed he knew nothing about the pact.
• IMPACT = Italy became ideologically polarised, as PLI became more reliant on the Church, ending his attempts of transformiso. Angered socialists and anticlerical liberals within parli - withdrew their support for Gio in Spring 1914.
• Gio resigned - further infuriated the Catholics who felt Gio could’ve formed a pro-Catholic block as the anti-Church faction was gone.

Question 4

Growth of nationalism and socialism

Answer 4

• Transformiso floundered under mass suffrage, but it meant mass parties.
• Both nationalists and Catholics found religion and patriotism were the most dynamic forces in gaining support.
• Gio was replaced by Salandra = believed he could revive liberalism by linking it more closely with nationalism.

Question 5

Growing nationalism and socialism

Red Week and its impact

Answer 5

• In turmoil by June 1914 = PSI proclaimed a national strike after 3 protestors were shot dead by police. Anarchists, republicans and other radicals joined which induced chaos in most of northern and central Italy.
• Public buildings were torched and hundreds of workers died by authorities, only ending when the trade unions agreed to call off the strike.
• Demonstrated to Salandra the difficulty of achieving national unity as, instead, society appeared more divided on class and ideology since unification.

Question 6

Declaration of neutrality

Answer 6

• Faced greater challenge when WWI broke out in Europe, August 14th.
• Initally joined the Triple Alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary in 1882, BUT, it didn’t have to join Austria as it hadn’t consulted with the Italian Govt before declaring war on Serbia.
• Announced its neutrality = caused a split within Italian politics.

Question 7

Why was there a split in Italian Politics after Italy announced its neutrality?

Answer 7

• Many deputies believed that Italy wasn’t economically ready to engage in a major war, especially so soon after Libya, and wanted to negotiate with both to remain out of the conflict.
• Despite the anger of the nationalist press pushing for intervention, it appeared the majority had no wish to be involved with European conflicts - backed Giolitti and other non-interventionist politicans.