Italy Pre 1911 Flashcards
(E) What was the main economic divide in Italy before 1911?
North was industrialising while south remained economically backward creating instability.
(E) Which cities accounted for 55% of industrial income by 1911?
-Milan
-Genoa
-Turin
(E) What rate did exports grow between 1901 and 1911?
4.5%
(E) How much did the workforce grow between 1901 and 1911?
2 million people.
(E) What effect did limited industry in the south have on migration?
Migration to north and increased radicalisation.
(P) Who controlled the political system in Italy before 1911?
A small elite from middle and upper class.
(P) What was the impact of expanding the franchise in 1883 and 1912?
Introduced voters who didn’t support liberals leading to political instability.
(P) Why was it difficult to form stable coalitions?
Due to growing support for socialist, Catholic and radical parties. (Party fragmentation)
(P) When did nationalist groups emerge?
1910
(P) what was transformismo and how did it affect politics?
A system where politicians formed factional governments with unstable coalitions, leading to political instability.
(P) How many different governments were formed between 1870 and 1915?
More than 20
(S) What was the illiteracy rate in Italy in 1870?
69%
(S) How did educational opportunities differ between regions?
Piedmont had 26 schools per 10,000 inhabitants, while Sicily had only 6.
(S) How did poverty in the South affect governance?
It created instability and made the region hard to govern.
(S) How did increasing the franchise affect political stability?
New voters could not be ignored, leading to political instability.
(S) Why did emigration increase before 1911?
Many sought better opportunities abroad due to economic hardships.
Italy as a great power
Italy desired to be a great power equal of Britain and France, Germany
Colonial ambitions
Disastrous early attempts - Tunisia 1881 and Abyssnia in 1896
Italy’s defeat to Abyssinian forces in Adowa was humaltiing - had to accept Abyssinian independence and pay 10 million lire in war reparations
Giolittis social reforms
Sickness, accident and pension schemes
Raising minimum working age to 12 years
Compulsory accident insurance in industrial work paid for by the employer
Limiting working day for woman to 11 hours 1902
1913 state subsidised sickness and old age fund for merchant and navy introduced
Federation of agricultural workers was formed in 1901 and represented 240,000 workers
Giollittis economic reforms
1906 - non-intervention in labour disputes and establishment of arbitration courts which would settle pay disputes between employers and workers - lowering need for strike action
wages rose by 25% by 1913
Issues with Giolittis reforms
Police left unreformed and tended to support elites against workers
Giolitti prioritise economic production goals over workers grievances - radicalisation
