Impact of the franchise extension of 1912

Question 1

How were Giolitti’s problems accentuated?

Answer 1

Giolitti’s problems were accentuated by the changes of suffrage which he made part of the govt programme in 1911

Question 2

Who were previously able to vote?

Answer 2

Previously the vote was restricted to literal men over 21, but it was now difficult to deny the vote to Italy’s conscript soldiers who were fighting in Libya, many of who didn’t meet the required literacy level to enable them to vote

Question 3

What law was passed in 1912?

Answer 3

In 1912, a new law was passed which extended the vote to all men who had completed military service and all men 30 and over regardless of literacy

Question 4

What did Giolitti hope would happen?

Answer 4

Despite the concern that 70% of Italy’s voters were potentially illiterate, Giolitti hoped an increase in suffrage would promote greater national unity, increase the popularity in liberal and strengthen the vote in rural areas, which tended to be more conservative than the industrial cities where the PSI were popular

Question 5

What did GIolitti believe?

Answer 5

Giolitti believed that the increase in suffrage would undermine the PSI, as with greater electoral representation the working call would be less inclined to support the more radical ideologies