ITALY Booklet 2: Post-war challenges to the Liberal State, 1918-1920

Question 1

Why did Italian Nationalists describe the results of WWI as a ‘mutilated victory’?

Answer 1

Was propaganda to fuel the Italian people to be angry at the outcome of the war due to Italy not getting all of the promised territorial land

Question 2

What was the significance of the occupation of Fiume?

Answer 2

Crucial episode of the rise to facism

Demonstrated the fragility of the Italian government and what successes can be achieved through violent and decisive action

Question 3

Which groups began to turn to extremist politics and why?

Answer 3

Workers - Countryside was in turmoil, Liberal government unable to protect their interests

Industrialists - Feared a takeover of Italy by growing socialist movements, felt betrayed, feared a ‘red threat’

Middle Class and Petty Bourgeoisie - Hard hit by economic issues, resented the government, believed that fascist groups could protect their economic,social, and, political interests against socialist encroachment

Question 4

Mutilated victory

Answer 4

Nationalist and Fascist propaganda campaign in which they felt betrayed by the allies in the Treaty of Versailles for not getting the promised territorial land

Question 5

Roman salute

Answer 5

Fascist salute which is used in order to see and tell who is a fascist

Question 6

Futurists

Answer 6

A cultural, artistic movement who celebrated violence, patriotism and, destruction, believed that war would bring about a better society

Question 7

League of Nations (in context of Italy after WWI)

Answer 7

Intergovernmental organisation set up in order to promote international cooperation and communication

Question 8

Petty bourgeoisie

Answer 8

The section of the middle class with the lowest social status, generally composed of shopkeepers, lower clerical staff

Question 9

Sacchi Law (1919)

Answer 9

Eliminated husbands’ superiority in family law; giving women the right to control their own property, have equal guardianship of their children, stand for public office and enter professions

Question 10

What political reforms did Nitti introduce, and what impact did they have?

Answer 10

Universal male suffrage - Opened up the voting ground entirely for men and made it more representative and democratic

Proportional Representation - Allowed minority groups to have their say and not be engulfed by majority groups, increased representation in smaller areas

Question 11

How did the biennio rosso weaken the liberal government?

Answer 11

Lead to a number of strikes - as workers were being unsupported

Anarchists and socialist radicals had been released

Losing faith in the liberals - so more support is going to more extreme parties
Polarisation of politics

Question 12

What were the results of the 1919 election, and what problems did they create?

Answer 12

Nitti stays in power even though the socialist party and people’s party gain the most votes, in 1920 resigns and Giolliti gets reinstated

Question 13

Biennio Rosso

Answer 13

Two years between 1919 and 1920 of intense social conflict

Question 14

Popolari Party (PPI)

Answer 14

Italian peoples party which was a christian-democratic party inspired by the catholics social teachings

Question 15

What role did they play in the post-war problems that the government faced?

Giolitti

Question 16

What role did they play in the post-war problems that the government faced?

Francesco Nitti

Answer 16

Dissolved the majority of liberals who supported him which made him a target of fascist aggressions, was prime minister but the government was extremely insatiable and its relationship with the allies worsening

Question 17

Gabriele D’Annunzio - What role did they play in the post-war problems that the government faced?

Answer 17

Led the seizure of Fiume which showed the cracks of the italian government and boosted the facism reach in Italy due to it promoting disillusionment in the Liberal government

Question 18

Luigi Sturzo - What role did they play in the post-war problems that the government faced?

Answer 18

Formed the PPI - no government could be formed or maintained without them - anti fascist

Question 19

Mussolini - What role did they play in the post-war problems that the government faced?

Answer 19

Formed the blackshirts who beat up socialists and communists throwing them out of local governments, his fascist movement gained a lot of attention, originally a socialist who advocated for workers rights but moved more right leading as the fascist party gained more power