Liberal Government 1912-1914 Flashcards
Impact of franchise extension of 1912
Government programme in 1911 changed the suffrage in Italy - previously vote was restricted to the literate elite (over 21) but now it was difficult to deny the vote to Italy’s conscript soldiers who were fighting in Libya therefore 1912 law passed all men who had military service and all men over 30 regardless of literacy ; 70% of Italy’s voters were illiterate aim was creating unity and increasing popularity of liberals while undermining PSI as with more electoral representation working class would be less inclined to support radical ideologies
Elections under new suffrage
1913 - liberal deputies won 318 (71 less than 1909) and socialists/Catholics made gains
Liberal link to Catholic Church - count gentiloni had secretly asked liberal candidates to agree to 7 pointst (religious education and divorce law) in return for Catholic vote ; 228/318 elected deputies owed their victory to Catholic support - thus more and more reliant on Catholic Church and concessions to Catholic Church angered both socialists and anticlerical liberals
Spring 1914 - withdrew support for Giolitti and he chose to resign (Catholics angry - could)ve formed a pro Catholic block
Growth of Nationalism and Socialism
Giolitti replaced by Salandra (link liberalism with nationalism) - June 1914 PSI proclaimed a national strike after 3 protestors were shot dead by police in Ancona ; anarchists/republicans joined in and most of northern Italy was in chaos as public buildings torched, tax registers attacked, railway stations seized (A WEEK) and Italy on verge of Revolution - “red week” ended after trade unions agreed to call off the strike thus Italian society even more divided (could not achieve national unity)
Declaration of Neutrality
August 1914 - war broke out in Europe ; Germany and Austria against Britain Russia and france
Triple alliance 1882 - did not have to join them as Austria had not consulted with Italy before declaring war on Serbia ; Italy announced it would be neutral which caused split between Giolitti and non-interventionists and nationalist press who pushed for intervention => majority of Italians had no wish to get involved in European conflict and backed Giolitti
Result of mass suffrage
More people found that the dynamic movements of nationalist/patriotism and religion were the way to advance Italy forwards - not liberalism ; Giolitti’s plan of transformismo floundered
