Italy Key terms and definitions Flashcards
Constitutional monarchy
A political design consisting of a monarchy that although they are officially head of state, they have little to no actual power over parliament.
bicameral government
A government with two houses of parliament
Transformismo
Political manoeuvring and deal making
Subsistence agriculture
farming to feed yourself, not selling or trading anything made
Golden triangle
A triangle of industry formed between Milan, Genoa and Turin in the north of Italy
Mezzogiorno
The south of Italy (from naples down)
Irredenta
Area outside of Italy owned and controlled by other countries/empires that contained Italian speakers so were claimed by Italy.
Contadini
Labourers
The roman question
the tensions between the Church and the state of
Italy caused by the unification as a secular state.
risorgimento
the unification of Italy in 1870
anarchism
The belief in getting rid of all government and ruling the country in a voluntary, cooperative basis.
campanilismo
The idea of being loyal to the place you were born (specific state, rather than Italy as a whole).
Nationalism
Support and loyalty for your own nation, often with the detriment of your own interests or those of another nation.
Appease
When you pacify someone or a group of people by agreeing to their demands.
Franchise
The people in the country who have the right to vote.
Patriotism
When you are devoted to and enthusiastically support your country and all that it stands for.
Ottoman empire
A state that, between the 14th and early 20th centuries, had control of large areas in Southeastern Europe, Western Asia and Northern Africa.
Banco de Roma
A large bank based in rome. It was considered a bank of national interest and was established on 9th March 1880.
Catholic/liberal/Gentiloni pact
The deal made between the president of the catholic electoral union (Count Gentiloni) and many members of the liberalist party to encourage Italians to vote for the liberalists in return for a promise to vote in the catholics’ favour on seven key points
anti-clericalism
Opposition to the clergy (the people in church with power), basically opposition to the Church
Syndicalism
A movement of direct action by the working class against the capitalist order, to gain control of the economy.
Italian socialist party (PSI)
The first Italian political organisation set up as a modern day political party, they were a party who addressed the concerns of the ordinary working people. They were set up in 1895.
Italian Nationalist Association (ANI)
They were founded in 1910 and were a party made up of business people, landowners and former catholics. They were pro-business, pro-landowner and hated socialists
Triple alliance
The alliance formed between Italy, Germany and Austria-Hungary pre-WWI
Triple Entente
The alliance formed between Britain, France and Russia, then later Italy
Treaty of London
The document stating Italy’s intervention in WWI on the side of the triple Entente in return for the irredente lands in Austria
Battle of Caporetto
A battle fought at Caporetto in October 1917 when the Austrians surprised the Italians by pushing into Italy, resulting in a humiliating military defeat for Italy. 300,000 Italian soldiers were taken prisoner and 200,000 are unaccounted for.
Battle of Vittorio Veneto
A Battle also fought fairly near to Caporetto in October 1918 where the Italians won against the Austrians. 500,000 Austrian soldiers were taken prisoner and this loss was what made the Austrians surrender.
Pyrrhic victory
A victory or success that comes at great losses or failures
Mutilated Victory
What the Italian nationalists called the victory in WWI because they felt like Italy had been cheated out of land and reputation, disregarding the deaths and other sacrifices made by the italian people.
Roman salute
Also known as the facist salute, it is the gesture made where one raises their arm straight out in front of them with the palm facing towards the ground and fingers together.
Petty bourgeoisie
The lower middle class, made up of small business or shop owners.
Sacchi law
A law which eliminated husbands’ superiority in family law and gave women the right to control their own property, have equal guardianship of their children, stand for public office and enter professions.
Bienno Rosse
Two years (1919 and 1920) when there were many strikes and social unrest.
Popolari Party (PPI)
A party set up by a priest, representing catholic ideals. Was in favour of land redistribution to the peasants
Fasci di Combattimento
The original fascist movement set up in march 1919 with three main declarations; to remember those wounded or killed during WWI, to be against imperialism and to get rid of neutralists in government.
Squadrismo
The name of the movement of the squadristi, the groups of men who were led by the ras of their areas and although they were not led by Mussolini, they acted in the name of fascism.
Squadristi
Another name for the black shirts, they were the groups of ex-soldiers who enacted fascist violence mostly against the socialists. They wore blackshirts.
ras
paramilitary Fascist squad leaders who controlled many rural areas of central Italy and exercised considerable local power throughout the Fascist period. They were in charge of their own squad of blackshirts.
Avanti!
The socialist newspaper, Mussolini used to be an editor for them until he was kicked out in 1914 for publishing a piece about how Italy should get involved in WWI. In 1919, one of the original intentions of the movement was to discourage socialist press, and the Avanti! Building was set on fire on 15th April 1919.
PNF
The official party set up as the fascist party, with Mussolini as the leader. (Partito Nazionale Fascista)
Carabinieri
Italian military who deal with domestic policing issues, however they are different to the police. They are one of Italy’s main law enforcement agencies
New programme
The new set of ideals and policies set out by Mussolini for the fascist party in 1921, turning away from socialism and embracing the nationalist, monarchist and authoritarian beliefs.
Black shirst
Mainly made up of ex-soldiers, they were a group of men who enacted fascist violence mainly against the socialists. They were led by individual ras in their areas, not by Mussolini. By 1921, there were around 250,000 of them.
March on Rome
A march to the city in an attempt to get more power for the fascists. They said that 40,000 men would march into Rome, but due to issues with the trains, only 25,000 managed to get there. Somehow, the government thought that there were going to be 100,000 heavily armed and organised men, when in reality there were only 25,000 lightly armed and very disorganised men still awaiting orders. Mussolini was actually offered the place of prime minister before the march took place. The king did not enact martial law to stop them, and many believed that even if he had, most of the military would have supported the fascists instead.
OVRA
Organization for Vigilance and Repression of Anti-Fascism, the secret police founded by Mussolini
il Duce
Means leader, it was the name Mussolini was called
Leege Fascistissime
The Legge Fascistissime of 1925 banned all political parties and non-fascist trade unions, strengthened media regulation and set up a new secret police
The fascist grand council
created in december 1922 with the intent of undermining the cabinet by having a group of 22 fascists who had the same power as those in the cabinet.
Acerbo law
Change to the electoral system. Any party gaining 25% or more of votes was granted two thirds of the seats in the chamber of deputies.
MVSN
Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale, better known as the Blackshirts, the Italian Fascist paramilitary groups
Cheka
feared Bolshevik security agency, formed to identify and eradicate counter-revolutionary activity, sometimes referred to as the Bolshevik ‘secret police’, though most Russians were well aware of its existence and activities.
Aventine Secession
a group of round 100 parliamentary deputies who left Mussolini’s parliament in protest of the Matteotti murder, they set up their own
