Italy in the Early 20th Century Flashcards
When was Italy fully unified as one country?
1870
What was the South of Italy like?
Little industry, exhausted infertile land and social unrest with mafia and clans running certain areas. Main cities include Naples
What was Central Italy like?
Administrative centre in Rome, once controlled by the Pope in the Papal States, lack of natural resources (most of Italy was like this)
What was Northern Italy like?
Industrialized with major centers like Turin, Milan and Genoa, fertile commercial farm land due to river Po
What was the name given to noble owned land in the south and what percentage of people owned what percentage of the land?
Latifundia, 0.01% of people owned 50% of the land
What percentage of people had a primary education in the north compared to the South?
80% had a primary education in the north, only 18% in the south (87% illiteracy in the south)
How many people emigrated to the USA in the years 1900-10?
3.6 million
What did D’Azeglio say in a parliamentary speech regarding Italy?
We have made Italy, now we must make Italians
What were some issues with language in Italy?
Each region had different dialects, for example ‘boy’ had a different word in the north and south
What percentage of the south had no roads in the 1890s?
90%
What was the population of Italy at the time and how did this compare to other countries?
35 million lowest of key European countries in the war, Great Britain had a population of 45 million and Germany 65 million
How much money was spent on war preparation in 1914 and how did this compare to other countries?
£10 million, £60 million in Germany and £50 million in Great Britain
How many soldiers did Italy have and how does this compare?
750,000 in Italy, which was higher than GB with 711,000 and the US with 151,000 both of which were just volunteers
What was Italy’s oversea empire population and how did this compare?
2 million, France had 58 million and GB had 390 million
What were economic issues facing Italy at the time?
Government debt, high taxes on the poor, frequent unrest especially in Sicily with major revolts 1893-94 value of foreign trade was $1.8 billion compared with $7.5 billion in GB