Establishing an Authoritarian State Flashcards
administration
what did mussolini create to gain more control over the fascist party?
December 15, 1922
fascist grand council
administration
what power did the fascist grand council have?
- supreme decision-making body within Fascist Party
- discuss proposals for government action
- Mussolini insisted sole power over appointments to his council
- Mussolini established total control over fascist policy-making
administration
how did mussolini change administration in provinces?
August, 1925
* 93 provinces
* mayors and councils replaced by appointed fascist officials (podesta)
administration
why did mussolini appoint podesta to run the provinces?
- many were conservatives
- mussolini excluded them from real power in the provinces
administration
how did mussolini increase personal power within central government?
December, 1925
* appointed himself ‘head of government’
* assumed formal power over ministers
January, 1926
* assumed power to issue decrees without parliamentary approval
* King must secure personal approval before appointing new ministers
administration
how many ministerial posts did mussolini have by 1929?
8
administration
who did mussolini initially appoint as finance minister and why?
Alberto de Stefani
* reduce government control on industry and trade
* cut taxes
- please industrialists, boosting support amongst conservative elites
military / use of force
how did the squadristi aid in Mussolini establishing power?
- first formed in 1919
- paramilitary organisation
- attacked political opponents and strikes to intimidate and control population
- provided security at fascist rallies
military / use of force
what was the msvn?
- January, 1923
- National Security Guards (MSVN)
- fascist squads form government-funded national militia
- swore oath to mussolini, not the king
- break strikes and force workers to return to their jobs, intimidate and attack political opponents
military / use of force
what was the impact of forming a militia?
- Mussolini had control over** 30 000** men which could be used against anti-fascists
- reduced power of the provincial ras
political
what was acerbo law?
- **new electoral law **
- established july, 1923
- gave party with most votes 2/3 of parliament seats
- percentage had to be no less than 25% of votes cast
political
how did acerbo law benefit mussolini?
- claimed to give italy strong stable government
- give fascists total, but legally acquired control over italian politics
- little chance to vote fascists out of office
political
how did mussolini ensure acerbo law was passed?
- threatened to abolish parliament
- placed armed guards on the doors to intimidate deputies
- liberal leaders advised supporters to approve the law **
political
how did fascists perform in the 1924 election, and thus benefited from acerbo law?
- fascists win 65% of votes
- group ‘Ceka’ unleashed wave of terror against anti-fascists
- voting certificates seized
- fascists voted on behalf of dead people
- -ballot boxes where fascists expected defeat stolen
political
how did mussolini gain political support from the vatican?
- renounced atheism
- made religious education compulsory
- banned contraception
- punished swearing in public