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Mr Clapham - History > Impact of Fascist Economic Policies on Living Standards & Agriculture > Flashcards

Impact of Fascist Economic Policies on Living Standards & Agriculture Flashcards

1
Q

What were the reasons for the decline in open conflict between employers and workers during the Fascist period?

A

Trade unions were banned and strikes made illegal

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2
Q

How did industrial workers’ living standards change during the late 1920s and 1930s?

A
  • There was a serious decline in their standard of living, with wage cuts and rising prices.
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3
Q

What happened to real wages for workers from 1925 to 1938?

A
  • reak wages fell by over 10%
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4
Q

How did Mussolini’s autarky drive in the 1930s affect prices

A
  • Prices rose steeply as the cost of imported goods increased.
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5
Q

What was the unemployment rate by 1933?

A

2 million

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6
Q

How did the number of government employees change during the Fascist period?

A
  • The number of government employees doubled to a million.
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7
Q

In which new organizations were many of these new government employees found?

A
  • Many were in new Fascist organizations like the Ministry of Corporations and the Doplovaro
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8
Q

Was Mussolini committed to raising the living standards of ordinary Italians?

A

No, Mussolini was not committed to raising living standards for ordinary Italians.

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9
Q

What was Mussolini’s view on economic hardship?

A
  • He believed economic hardship would create tougher Italians dismissive of a ‘bourgeois’ lifestyle.
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10
Q

What were the real problems Mussolini did not engage with

A
  • Large class of poor, land-hungry peasants
  • Use of backward and inefficient farming methods
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11
Q

What did Mussolini do instead of engaging with real problems

A
  • He instead occupied himself with projects that would increase his personal power and prestige,
  • or (supposedly) help Italy become self-sufficient ready for war
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12
Q

What was the main goal of the Battle for the Grain?

A
  • To promote Fascist power and self-sufficiency in Italy
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13
Q

Why was grain importation seen as a weakness for Italy?

A
  • Italy needed to import large quantities of grain, which could make it vulnerable during wartime.
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14
Q

How did the campaign aim to solve the grain import problem?

A
  • By rapidly increasing grain production to showcase the productivity of the Fascist state.
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15
Q

What financial support was provided to farmers?

A

Grants to purchase tractors, fertilizer, and machinery for wheat production.

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16
Q

What educational support did farmers receive?

A
  • Free advice on the latest farming techniques.
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17
Q

What economic incentives were offered to farmers?

A
  • Guaranteed high prices for the grain they produced.
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18
Q

How did the average harvest change from the early 1920s to 10 years later?

A
  • It rose from 5.5 million tonnes per year to over 7 million tonnes.
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19
Q

What was the impact on grain imports between 1925 and 1935?

A

Grain imports dropped by 75%

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20
Q

How did Mussolini contribute to the campaign’s propaganda victory?

A
  • He was shown actively participating in the farming process, enhancing the campaign’s success.
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21
Q

Why was some land in southern and central Italy unsuitable for wheat production?

A

The soil conditions and climate were better suited for citrus fruits, wine, and olive oil.

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22
Q

What were the economic impacts of lower grain yields?

A

Increased food costs for families by the late 1930s and a decline in living standards. (400lire extra in food costs)

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23
Q

How did the campaign affect meat and egg production?

A

Both declined, along with reduced cattle farming, damaging these industries and exports.

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24
Q

Was Italy completely self-sufficient by 1933?

A

No, Italy was still dependent on imports.

25
Q

How did Battle of Grain contribute to Cult of Il Duce

A
  • Mussolini ensured that press photographers were on hand to record him visiting farms and helping with the harvests
26
Q

What happened to Southern Industries

A
  • However many in the south stopped growing olives and fruit and cattle farming was greatly reduced damaging these industries and exports
27
Q

Although Italy became self-sufficient in crops, it was not self-sufficient in …….. which led to…….

A

Although Italy became self-sufficient in crops, it was not self-sufficient in fertilisers which led to lower grain yields

28
Q

When was the Ruralisation policy announced

A

May 1927

29
Q

What were the goals of the ruralisation policy

A
  • the goals were to retain Italy’s rural/peasant population, maintain traditions, and increase the birth rate
  • by encouraging peasants to stay in rural areas and reclaiming land for farmland.
30
Q

How did Mussolini’s government try to implement the Ruralisation policy?

A
  • By expanding existing schemes to drain or irrigate farmland, such as the Pontine Marshes project,
  • and encouraging peasants to stay in rural areas.
31
Q

What were the successes of the land reclamation projects?

A
  • Drained marshes reduced malaria by 50%,
  • improved public health,
  • & provided thousands of jobs during the depression
  • Showpiece project –> boosts prestige
32
Q

What specific project showcased the success of land reclamation?

A
  • The drainage of the Pontine Marshes, which were converted into small farms owned by ex-servicemen.
33
Q

How did Italy’s GDP growth rate change during the Ruralisation period compared to the earlier period?

A
  • GDP grew by an average of:
  • 1.9% - 1922-38
  • 2.8% -1903-11
34
Q

What was the overall success of the Ruralisation policy in the South of Italy?

A
  • It was not very successful; only around 5% of the 475 million hectares of reclaimed land was improved and used by farmers.
35
Q

Despite some successes, what was a major limitation of the land reclamation efforts?

A
  • The reclaimed land was limited in scope and effectiveness, particularly in the South.
36
Q

………… workers faced even heavier wage cuts than ………… workers in the 1930s.

A

Agricultural workers faced even heavier wage cuts than industrial workers in the 1930s.

37
Q

What was the traditional way out of poverty for Italians, and how did US immigration policy change in 1920?

A
  • The traditional way out of poverty was emigration
  • However, from 1920, the USA stopped virtually all further immigration
38
Q

What was the result of the change in US immigration policy on Italian migration patterns?

A
  • More Italians began to move to towns and cities to find work and a better standard of living
39
Q

How many Italians left the land in the 1920s and 1930s?

A
  • up to half a million Italians left the land during this period
40
Q

What did Mussolini claim about his support for rural Italy and peasants?

A
  • Mussolini claimed to have a love for rural Italy and to create a vast population of prosperous peasants devoted to Fascism
41
Q

How did Mussolini’s policies impact different demographics?

A
  • Mussolini’s policies benefited big landowners more than poor and landless peasants.
42
Q

What happened to the law that aimed to support peasants’ land needs in 1922?

A
  • The law was quietly dropped from parliament because Mussolini wanted to maintain the support of great landowners.
43
Q

How did the gap between the rural south and industrializing north change?

A
  • The gap continued to grow wider
44
Q

Where did Italy rank in a table of European states regarding daily calorie intake?

A
  • Italy ranked 18th, with the lowest figures recorded in the south
45
Q

What does Italy’s low ranking in calorie intake indicate about Fascist policies?

A
  • It indicates that Fascism failed to tackle rural poverty
46
Q

When was the Battle for Births announced, and what was its aim?

A
  • It was announced in May 1927
  • aim of increasing the Italian population from 40 million to 60 million by the 1950s
47
Q

Why did Mussolini want to increase the population?

A
  • he believed a larger population would make Italy stronger economically and militarily,
  • & hoped to improve relations with the Catholic Church by emphasizing family values
48
Q

What tax incentive was offered to married men with large families?

A
  • Married men with six or more children paid no tax
  • and employment made available
49
Q

What was banned to encourage higher birth rates?

A

Contraception and abortions were banned

50
Q

How was employment made more accessible for certain individuals?

A
  • Employment was made more available to married men with children
51
Q

What financial support was provided to married couples with children?

A
  • Loans were offered to married couples, with the loans being cancelled if they had six children
52
Q

What was the overall outcome of the Battle for Births?

A
  • The policy was a failure;
  • marriage rates stagnated, and the birth rate declined from 1927 to 1936
53
Q

How did the birth rate in the late 1930s compare to that in 1911? The birth rate in the late 1930s was 102 births per 1000, lower than the 1911 rate of 147 per 1000.

A
  • late 1930s was 102 births per 1000
  • 1911 was lower with 147 per 1000
54
Q

how were loans used to encourage higher birth rates

A
  • Loans were offered to couples who married, with part of the loan cancelled after each child was born, up to six children when the loan was totally cancelled
55
Q

What financial support was provided to married couples with children?

A
  • Loans were offered to married couples, with the loans being cancelled if they had six children.
56
Q

What improvement was made in healthcare for women and children?

A
  • Health provision for women and children was improved
57
Q

What tax was imposed on single men, and why?

A
  • High levels of taxation were imposed on single men for “unjustified celibacy.”
58
Q

How were single men affected in terms of career progression?

A

Single men were blocked from promotion.

59
Q

What quota was introduced in 1933 concerning women’s employment?

A
  • A quota was introduced limiting the number of women working in the public sector, which was later extended to private firms.

Mr Clapham - History (22 decks)

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