ITALY Booklet 1: The Liberal State, 1911-1918

Question 1

What were the key social problems in early Italy?

Answer 1

Industrial unrest in the North led to a series of strikes
Lack of nationalism with Italians being very separate in their own regions

Question 2

What were the key economic problems in early Italy?

Answer 2

Economic imbalance between the North and South (industrialisation of the North especially)
Poverty in the South of Italy - with high levels of illiteracy and lower standards of living due to disease

Question 3

What were the key political problems in early Italy?

Answer 3

The Pope and Catholic Church’s tension with the state and voting
The party systems were not well-established

Question 4

Risorgimento

Answer 4

The unification of Italy in 1911

Question 5

Anarchism

Answer 5

A political theory which refers to the abolishment of hierarchies and institutions in politics and society in general

Question 6

Mezzogiorno

Answer 6

The South of Italy

Question 7

Golden triangle

Answer 7

The centre of industry in the North and Italy as a whole in Milan, Turin and Genoa making an industrial triangle

Question 8

Roman Question

Answer 8

Refers to the dispute between the State and the church in which after the unification of Italy the state took over all papal states and Rome ended with the Lateran Pact creating the Vatican City as a separate state

Question 9

Trasformismo

Answer 9

A method of introducing a coalition government to reduce the size and influence of extremist political groups taking power

Question 10

Campanilismo

Answer 10

Relates to one sense of pride within their hometown/birthplace in Italy

Question 11

What were Giolitti’s aims?

Answer 11

To unify Italy
To neutralise the threat of fascists

Question 12

How did he try to appease the socialists, Catholics and nationalists?

Answer 12

Socialists - By reforming laws and regulations around workers’ rights and the right to peaceful protests and strikes

Catholics - Giolitti made an alliance with the Catholic deputies to help encourage political support from Catholics in the next election, which he gained the Catholic vote through promising the seven key points

Nationalists - The extension of franchise pleased the nationalists as it promoted national unity, Giolliti attempted to embrace Italy’s nationalism by expanding Italy’s empire in North Africa through the invasion of Libya which pleased the nationalists

Question 13

What impact did the extension of the franchise have?

Answer 13

Gave almost universal male suffrage
Increased representation for the working class
Increased political engagement across the country
Increased the popularity of the Liberals
Increased the electoral from 3 million to 8,650,000
This increased representation of the working class made them less inclined to turn to more radical ideologies

Question 14

Nationalism

Answer 14

One identifying and placing loyalty and pride on one’s own nation

Question 15

Appease

Answer 15

Where someone will satisfy others demands by acceding their demands in hopes of maintaining peace

Question 16

Franchise

Answer 16

A right or act granted to an individual or group by a government /sovereign

Question 17

How successful were Giolitti’s domestic policies?

Answer 17

Unsuccessful in absorbing the pressure groups
Successful in improving Italy’s economy and workers rights
The downturn showed that the economy was still unstable
Built up Italy’s industrial output

Question 18

Why did Italy go to war in Libya in 1911?

Answer 18

Need to assert its claims in the region
Powerful business interests in Italy - significant economic investments in Libya
Popular enthusiasm for invasion - due to France making Italy look weak - outpouring support of nationalism and patriotic support
Giolliti hoped to weaken nationalist support - Hoped that the invasion would appease the nationalists in Italy and draw them into his influence

Question 19

What were the successes and failures of the war in Libya?

Answer 19

Appeased the nationalists
Greeted with an outpouring of national enthusiasm even from socialist leaders

Although the Italians controlled the coast, many of their troops had been killed in battle and nearly 6,000 Ottoman soldiers remained to face an army of nearly 140,000 Italians. As a result, the Ottomans began using guerrilla tactics.

Question 20

Patriotism

Answer 20

Devotion and loyalty to one’s country

Question 21

Ottoman Empire

Answer 21

Known now as the turkish empire, controlled much of Southeast Europe, Western Asia, and Northern Africa, between the 14th and early 20th centuries

Question 22

Banco di Roma

Answer 22

Italian bank based in Rome, one was based in Libya which was a reason pushed by the Catholics to invade Libya due to having investments

Question 23

What were the different reasons for Giolitti’s resignation?

Answer 23

Lost the favour of the socialists
Alliances had fallen apart after the Catholic Vote was exposed
A wall of opposition had built up against him

Question 24

What do you think was the most significant reason for his resignation?

Answer 24

Losing alliances as that was his main way in which he gained votes in his last election, like the catholic vote and the socialists support

Question 25

Catholic/Gentiloni Pact

Answer 25

The agreement between Giolitti and the Catholics for the catholic support in order to obtain votes in the 1913 election in return for Giolliti to deliver the Catholics seven key points which included things like education

Question 26

Anti-clericalism

Answer 26

Opposition to religious authority especially in politics and society, the anti-clericals opposed the Gentiloni Pact, due to it increasing religious authority

Question 27

Syndicalism

Answer 27

A movement where the ownership of government and the economy move to the workers

Question 28

Which groups supported Italy’s intervention in WWI and what were their reasons?

Answer 28

Nationalists - Promoted Italy’s imperial ambitions, Gained Land = Irredentism, Wanted to confirm Italy’s status, Key figures joining the war = allies could help gain land, Helps to expand Italy’s empire

Salandra + The Liberals - A neutral of Italy would be weak and isolated after the war, The war would lead to a stronger government = all parties would have a have joint effort = unified, If Italy is at war Salandra can push more suppressive laws as the country is distracted, France and Britain would help increase Italy’s empire by giving land

Question 29

Which groups opposed Italy’s intervention in WWI and what were their reasons?

Answer 29

Socialists (PSI) - Would mostly impact the working class as the living conditions would worsen, Anti-war demonstrations by peasants and working class, Italy would have to make sacrifices which would disadvantage the working class, Doesn’t fit socialist ideologies, Money/ Attention would be on the war and not improving lives at home

Giolitti + The Liberals - Italy isn’t militarily strong enough nor financially ready, Lack resources, Staying neutral would be more beneficial for the economy as war costs a lot

Catholics - Pope was against it, Causes a large amount of casualties, Austria is a Catholic nation and they don’t want to fight against other catholic nations, Libya was enough for Catholics

Question 30

What were the key reasons why Italy intervened on the side of the Entente?

Answer 30

There would be territorial gains if they joined on the allies side at the cost of Austria-Hungary
Britain and France offered Italy Tyrol and Trieste from Austria

Question 31

Triple Alliance

Answer 31

A defensive military alliance between Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy

Question 32

Triple Entente

Answer 32

A defensive military alliance between Britain, France, and Russia

Question 33

Treaty of London

Answer 33

A secret treaty between France, Britain, and Russia to bring Italy into WWI on the allies side (1915)

Question 34

How did Italy initially perform during the war?

Answer 34

Weak at first due to the Strafexpedition (a major austrian offensive) which caused San Andreas government to fall as a result

Replaced by Paolo Boselli- his government was rivern by divisions

Battle of Caporetto - wiped out the progress, 300,000 soldiers taken prisoner, 200,000 soldiers lost contact with regiments, Italian defences were weak, entire units left without orders

Question 35

What marked the turning point in Italy’s success in the war? Why?

Answer 35

Commander Diaz being put into place and creating the Opera

Nazional Combaltenti - found to look after the welfare troops + their families = increased moral

Diaz - more successful commander, rations improved under him, troops given 10 days leave, free life insurance, introduction of trench newspapers, creation of Arditi

This all lead to the Battle of Vittorio Veneto which resulted in the collapse of Austrian forces, leading to Italy signing an armistice with Austria-Hungary

Question 36

What were the most significant effects of WWI in Italy?

Answer 36

Faced economic and political issues

Cost of the war totalled 148 billion lire

Nations industry struggled to revert from wartime to peacetime

Pre-war poverty reappeared and the North, South divide returned
Shortages of coal and raw materials

Protests, demonstrations and, strikes - which became increasingly violent

Question 37

Battle of Caporetto

Answer 37

A military disaster for Italy which wiped out all progress - fought against Germany it resulted in almost 70,000 casualties

Question 38

Battle of Vittorio Veneto

Answer 38

Final offensive fought on the italian front, marked the end of WWI, resulted in the end of Austria- Hungary empire, Italy won

Question 39

Pyrrhic victory

Answer 39

A victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat

Question 40

Giovanni Giolitti

Answer 40

Wanted to expand suffrage, unify the country and increase workers rights

Bowed to nationalistic pressures, tried to appease multiple pressure groups

Tried to absorb the socialists

Question 41

Antonio Salandra

Answer 41

Wanted to join the war on the side of the triple entente
Wanted to join the war in order to strengthen the government

Question 42

Filippo Turati

Answer 42

Founder of the italian workers party, opposed facism

Question 43

Count Gentiloni

Answer 43

Leader of the Catholic action movement formed a pact with Giolitti after the Pope lifted the ban on catholics voting

Question 44

King Victor Emmanuel III

Answer 44

Pushed for the Treaty of London and due to that didn’t allow Salandra to resign as he backed the war intervention

Question 45

Gabriele D’Annunzio

Answer 45

Made speeches on promoting italy to join the war on the triple entente side and lead one of the greatest feats in WWI

Question 46

General Luigi Cadorna

Answer 46

Commander who was blamed for Italy’s loss at the Battle of Caporetto which wiped out the whole of Italy’s progress, Cadorna was replaced by Diaz

Question 47

General Armando Diaz

Answer 47

A successful commander who helped to boost Italy’s morale as conditions rapidly improved