M3- Anti-Semitism Flashcards
why was the Fascist regime in a slow decline going into 1937?
economic issues
concern over relationship with the Nazis
unfulfilled promises
when was anti-Jewish policy introduced in Italy?
1937
did anti-Semitism exist in Italy before?
no
fascism and liberalism never targeted the Jews
how many Italian Jews were there?
45,000
less than 1% of the population
in what ways were Jews involved in Fascism?
many Jews joined the PNF as members
Jews were fully endorsed in Fascist culture
Mussolini had a Jewish mistress
the Minister of Finance - Jung - was a Jew
what did the anti-Jewish legislation in 1938 prevent Jews from doing?
could no longer marry ‘pure’ Italians
could no longer hold public office jobs
could not own more than 50 hectares of land
could not run a business with more than 100 employees
how many Jews decided to leave Italy?
6,000
what happened to Jews in education?
Jews were expelled from Italian schools
Jewish lecturers at university lost their jobs
did Hitler push Mussolini to adopt an anti-Semitic stance?
there was no evident pressure
Mussolini was influenced by Hitler and his policies of anti-Semitism in Germany
what were the reasons why Mussolini adopted anti-Semitic policies?
he believed a harsher policy on the Jews would create a more militaristic society which was united by the hatred to a common enemy (the Jews)
he also wanted Italians to be more racially focusses and aware of the superiority of the Italian people over the ‘lesser’ races such as the Jews
how was the ‘reform of customs’ linked to anti-Semitism?
both were ideological campaigns which tried to radicalise and aggravate the Italian people to prepare them for war
how well was anti-Semitic legislation carried out in Italy?
it was very inconsistent
the laws contained exemptions for Jews who were in the PNF or had fought in WW1
many fascist and government officials refrained made little effort to maintain these laws
was Mussolini’s anti-Semtic policy popular?
NO
most Italians hated it and saw no reason to participate in it
why did many Italians resent anti-Semitic legislation?
many did not understand why Italians HAD TO BE anti-Semitic as it was never a factor in Italian history
many shared the same view as the Church
many had friends who were Jews
many saw the adoption of anti-Semitic laws as a growing subordination of Italy to Nazi Germany
concl on anti-Semitic legislation
was not effectively carried out
the people in charge were themselves opposed to it
meant that there was no systematic approach to anti-Semitism like in Germany
was an incredibly unpopular policy which made many Italians question whether the PNF was going in the right direction
major groups such as the RCC and businesses lost faith in the fascist movement
