Fascism Topic 1 - The Liberal State 1911-1914 Flashcards
What does ‘Risorgimento’ mean?
Resurgence’ or ‘rebirth’. Refers to the period of Italian unification which officially ended in 1870.
What does ‘Campanilismo’ mean?
A sense of pride for your home region, not your country as a whole. Many Italians felt this.
Why was unification seen as a faliure at the beginning of Liberal Italy?
• Only the elite ruling class were interested in uniting Italy.
What does the ‘Roman Question’ refer to?
It described the split between the Catholic church and Italian state, and questioned how to deal with it.
Why did the Catholic Church refuse to recognise unification / the new Italian state?
Because the pope was angry at the papal territory lost during unification.
What were Catholics prevented from doing?
Getting involved in politics by voting or standing for elections.
What was the effect of church opposition to the government?
• Brought the legitimacy of the new state into approval as the church was one of the most widely supported institutions and the majority of Italians were loyal to it
What were three health / social problems facing the South at unification?
• A high rate of diseases like cholera, malaria, and tuberculosis
What percentage of the south were illiterate?
More than half the entire population of the south was illiterate, five times the rate in the northern area of Piedmont.
What did this cause southerners to do and what was the effect of this?
• Migrate to foreign countries like the USA
What was the north-South divide and how did this provide a barrier to unification?
Economic growth was primarily based in the north and did not provide benefits to everyone, so the wider population’s living standards still remained low. Economic and social divisions, especially those between the north and the south, were key barriers to a unified nation.
What three industrial cities was the ‘industrial triangle’ based around? How many industrial workers were employed in these regions?
Milan, Genoa, and Turin. Almost half of Italy’s industrial workers were employed in the industrial triangle.
Why was Italy seen as weaker than other foreign powers and what did it do to try and combat this?
• It’s industrial development was behind that of other European nations like Britain or Germany.
What was Italy’s humiliating defeat in 1896?
The battle of Adwa, in modern day Ethiopia. The Italian army failed and Italy was humiliated. 5000 Italian soldiers died.
What percentage of Italians spoke Italian and how did this impact unification?
2 per cent; most spoke regional dialects. This fuelled a sense of regional identity and made it difficult to unite people as they could not understand each other.
When was Giolitti re-elected for the fourth time?
March 1911
What were his aims?
Appeasing every political group and uniting them through faith in the liberal government.
What was the most rapidly growing political group and why?
• The PSI
What groups of people made up a large portion of the PSI?
• Workers
In the 1913 elections, how many seats did the PSI win in government?
79
Why were many reforms granted to appease the socialists?
• The PSI was for the most part prepared to work with the government in order to advance the rights of the working class.
Who was the leader of the PSI?
Turati, an educated intellectual and reformist who was prepared to accept concessions given by the Liberals.
What was the difference between Reformists and Maximalists?
• Reformists - prepared to work with the Liberal government for the gradual advancement of worker’s rights.
What are three reforms Giolitti gave to the Socialists prior to 1911?
• Banned employment for children under 12 (1901)
What is one reform he introduced in 1913?
• State-subsidised sickness
Why was there little co-operation between the Catholics and the Liberals?
• It was widely believed they should be two separate institutions.
What concession was Giolitti not prepared to give the Church and why?
Concessions on the Roman Question, as he did not want to jeopardise his relationship with the PSI; he believed gaining the support of workers was the key to the success of the Liberal State.
What two concessions did Giolitti offer the Catholics?
• Allowed a divorce bill (1904)
In 1909, how did the Church co-operate with the Liberals?
• Temporarily removed the ban on Catholics voting and encouraged them to vote in 150 constituencies where the socialists had a chance of winning.
When Giolitti became Prime Minister again in 1911, where was cooperation between Catholics and Liberals most evident?
Locally, as many Catholics became part of governing coalitions.
When was the ANI made?
• 1910
Who did nationalism mainly appeal to?
• The educated middle classes, who were worried about the increasing popularity of socialism.
Why were the Nationalists a challenge for Giolitti?
• They were not prepared to work with him in exchange for policy concessions
Why were the nationalists a considerable factor in the invasion of Libya?
• Giolitti’s caution with foreign policy made nationalists see the liberal system as weak, especially due to the defeat at Adwa, Italy’s weakness within Europe and the faliure of Risorgimento.
What international reason was there for the invasion of Libya?
• Italy felt it necessary to assert its claims in the region.
What Catholic reason was there for the invasion?
• The Catholic Banco di Roma was located in Tripoli, the capital of Libya.
Why did some socialists support the invasion of Libya?
• Some prominent socialists, such as Bissolati, supported the invasion due to the belief that it would provide land for Italy’s poor peasantry.
When did the invasion of Libya begin?
• September 1911
How long did it take to capture Libya and with how many troops?
• 3 week to capture the majority of ports and coastal towns
Why was the invasion more difficult than Italy suspected?
• They believed the native Libyan population would view the Italians as their liberators from Ottoman rule, but this was not true, and Italy had to fight against both Ottoman and native Libyan soldiers.
When did the Ottomans surrender and why?
• October 1912
How many Italian Soldiers died as a result of the invasion?
• 3,500
How much did the invasion cost?
• 1,300 million lire
