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)
