European states (Italy): Discuss the reasons for Mussolini’s rise to power. Flashcards
Intro/thesis
-Although Mussolini only became Prime Minister in 1922, after the October March on Rome, his rise to power was a culmination of events that had started decades before.
-While many factors contributed to Mussolini’s rise to power, including the political and economic weaknesses of Liberal Italy, the events and aftermath of WWI, and the appeal of Fascist ideology, it was ultimately WWI and its repercussions that were responsible for Mussolini’s rise to power.
-While fascist ideology remains an important factor, fascism would not have been nearly as popular as it was if it hadn’t been for the events and polarizing effect of the war.
Paragraphs
-Problems during Liberal Italy
-WW1
-Fascist ideology & Mussolini’s actions
Problems during Liberal Italy- examples
-Giolitti’s policy of launching a colonial war in Libya in 1911 destroyed his alliance with the Socialists.
-There were limited raw materials, including a lack of coal and iron. GDP increased by 4% in Italy during the Liberal period, in comparison to Britain, where it increased by 40-50% during this time.
-Anti-clerical radicals, appalled at Giolitti’s support of Catholicism, withdrew their support from his coalition government, leading to Giolitti’s resignation.
Problems during Liberal Italy- explanation & historiography
-Thus, Giolitti had not only failed to gain support from the working class, but he had further alienated those on the left and the right.
-The isolation of the Socialists from the Liberals made them more of a threat (support for Fascism).
-The problems of Liberal Italy contributed to Italy’s entry into WW1, as many on the Left supported Italian intervention because they believed it would destroy Liberal Italy and facilitate revolution. The Nationalists, whom Giolitti had also alienated with his war in Libya, also supported the war.
-Martin Blinkhorn: The Nationalists believed that the cure for the ills of liberalism was an openly authoritarian government.
WW1- examples
-The war increased political divisions in Italy; the 5 million men that had served in the army were politicized by their experience, and many deeply resented the Liberal government for what they saw as the mismanagement of the war.
-Some veterans also resented the socialist PSI’s (Socialist Party) anti-war stance. The government had mobilized the population to fight a total war and this led to an increase in the number of industrial workers and in turn, an increase in trade union membership and syndicalism.
-In the Versailles settlement, Italy had been denied territories that it had been promised in the Treaty of London, such as the Port of Fiume and Dalmatia.
-The war had dire economic impacts; the government had borrowed heavily from Britain and the US during the war and was 85 billion lire in debt by 1919. It also resorted to printing money to cover the cost of intervention, leading to high inflation.
WW1- explanation & historiography
-Many were attracted to the paramilitary organizations and the violent camaraderie they provided. Mussolini’s Black Shirts were an obvious attraction for many, as was their promise to undo the humiliation of the Paris Peace Treaties.
-Mussolini was able to capitalize on the militarism and frustrations that emerged from the war.
-The outcome of the Versailles settlement, or ‘mutilated victory’ was greeted with widespread disgust in Italy. It was within this political, economic, and social post-war crisis that support for fascism began to grow.
-These economic troubles fuelled political divisions and radical ideologies.
-Patricia Knight: “the problems resulting from the war made it possible for these “pre-war” fascist ideas to be developed and to attract a much wider audience”
Fascist ideology & Mussolini’s actions- examples
-The key elements of Fascism, such as militarism, authoritarianism, and nationalism appealed to many Italians who felt betrayed by the Versailles settlement and sought out a united Italy after the political disunity of the Liberal period.
-Fear of communism was a key factor in the rise of Mussolini and fascism. In the countryside, Fascist squads were deployed to protect wealthy landowners who feared Communist-inspired peasant land seizures; Fascist squads were also active in violently attacking strikers and those taking part in factory occupations in the cities during the Biennio Rosso.
-Pope Pius XI’s support for Mussolini increased his and the Fascist party’s popularity.
-After the March on Rome, in October 1922, when 10,000 Fascists assembled outside Rome to seize key buildings, Mussolini was given the position of prime minister.
Fascist ideology & Mussolini’s actions- explanation
-As fascism’s doctrines were loosely defined, it could appeal to groups across the class divide, and its demands for law and order appealed to members of the fractured Italian society.
-The Catholic Church was a significant political force in Italy and a valuable potential ally for Mussolini in his attempt to gain power.
-The March on Rome was a manifestation of fascist ideology, as Mussolini believed that violence was natural and that militarism and war should be encouraged.
