Key aspects of fascism's development from 1919-22 Flashcards
When did mussolini form the fasci and what did the fasci consist of?
- 23 march 1919
- representatives of 20 ex-servicemen’s leagues
Describe trincerocrazia
- the rule of the trenches where men are linked by their war consciousness
- divisions of the north, south upper and lower class ceased to exist and that mattered in war was that they were fighting for italy
Trinceristi
the returned soldiers who had the strength and moral right to lead a new italy that would replicate the patriotic feeling of togetherness they had experienced in the war
By June 1919 what was the fasci de combattimento programme?
- anticlerical
- confiscation of church property
- called for an end to the monarchy
- suffrage to be extended to women and younger Italians
- establishment of the 8 hour working day
- abolition of the senate
nationalisation of the armament industry, progressive taxation
How many members did it have by June?
3000
What became the identity of the entire fascist movement?
blackshirts
What were socialists and communists viewed as?
internal enemy who was a much greater threat to the Italians state as the Austrians had been
What was squadrismo?
small, military units or squads
15th April 1919: socialist demonstration - describe it
squads of around 200-300 dressed in black attacked a socialist demonstration and burned down the Milan offices of Avanti
3 socialists and 1 fascist killed
What was the outcome of the 1919 elections for the fascists?
done poorly winning less than 5000 votes and zero seats
What did mussolini realised after the violence in Milan?
- police, army and the gov were prepared to tolerate the squadristi violence because of their fears of the socialist revolution
- encouraged the formation of more armed squads - organised under the commanding officers -> ras
Who did the ras attack? What did they do?
- socialist councils and supporter
- key psi members
- forced to drink castor oil
- first 5 months of 1921 200 people were killed and 1000 wounded in fascist violence
Where was the fasci movement popular?
- countryside - wealthy landowners were happy to see the socialist land leagues destroyed
- soldiers had saved the italy once from Austria and now from radicals
How did the fascists make use of the squads in the 1921 elections?
- used the squads to attack socialist campaign meetings and intimidate voters
- police lent vehicles and the army gave weapons to the fascists to help this campaign
- italian judiciary showed leniency to any fascists brought before the courts
Results of the 1921 elections
- psi still achieved the highest vote
fascists won 7% of the votes and 35 seats
Why were the results of the election crucial for mussolini?
- gave mussolini a new respectability and authority as the member of parliament
- as a deputy mussolini benefitted from the immunity to prosecution
May 1920 what did the new programme consist of?
- more conservative and right wing
- dropped any mention of removing the monarchy or attacking power of the pope
- references to the nationalisation of the businesses were removed and a more pro-business attitude was adopted
- more militaristic in tone
When did the movement form the pnf?
oct 1921
What did mussolini try doing through the formation of the formal party?
centralise his control over the fascist movement as opposed to a wide range of radical squads
- pnf founded local branches and attempted to recruit more ‘respectable members’
At the end of 1921 how many members did the pnf have?
200,000 members
Who did the pnf appeal to?
- urban middle class, white collar workers –> feared an increase in local taxes that the psi were trying to implement
- middle and upper class of landowners
- wealthier farmers who saw the fascists as a means of protecting their lifestyle from the socialist agitation for greater land reform
From who did the financial support come from?
- richer landowners and Italian industrialists who supported the fascism’s attempts to break union and socialist power
Who else did the fascist party appeal to?
- worker and peasants farmers who opposed the strength of the socialist and the violence used against those labourer that wanted to continue working during strikes
- young Italians: who had grown tired of the corruption and lethargy of the old liberal order and saw fascism as a new dynamic alternative that might bring a revitalised society
What aspects was this broad band of support united by?
- strong patriotism
- a hatred for socialists
- belief in mussolini as the man who could sweep away the decaying, weak italy and lead the country to a new, stronger united future
