Monarchy and conservative elites

Question 1

king

Answer 1

Italy was a constitutional monarchy until September 1943
Propaganda said ‘Mussolini is always right’, but he could not ignore the political wishes of the king
Mussolini was ‘all powerful’ but also shared power
1919 fascist programme set out to transform Italy to a republic, but Mussolini understood that radical anti monarchy policies were a block to his goal of becoming PM

Question 2

1920

Answer 2

1920 programme excluded reference to removing king; Mussolini came to a political compromise with monarchy

Question 3

working with king

Answer 3

Agreement with king helped gain acceptance of fascist dictatorship among armed forces and state administration
Mussolini prepared to work with king to maintain power

Question 4

December 1928

Answer 4

Fascist Grand Council granted constitutional rights to limit king’s power to nominate future prime ministers
humiliation for king

Question 5

March 1938

Answer 5

Power minimised in March 1938 when fascist parliament passed law creating title of First Marshal of the Empire; highest military rank, given to king and Mussolini
previously, king had been supreme military commander

Question 6

June 1940

Answer 6

June 1940: enter WW2

Mussolini deprived king of role as supreme military commander and took complete control of military

Question 7

king’s actions

Answer 7

King remained head of state with sole power to remove Mussolini, but he made little effort to prevent or minimise erosion of democracy; unwilling to challenge Mussolini; subservient; no effort to prevent 1928 anti-Semitic decrees

Question 8

changes

Answer 8

Mussolini worked with elites to cement and retain power as dictator
army, judiciary and civil service
legal system mostly unchanged; some judges joined PNF to retain positions
Mussolini allowed military to run independently; he was minister of war but left running of war to under-secretaries

Question 9

change in govt

Answer 9

little change in government administration; conservative elites retained influence
some antifascist civil servants removed; most kept jobs
Ministry of Corporation’s’ senior staff were civil servants since 1916

Question 10

changes in local govt

Answer 10

Highest state authority was still prefects
Traditional conservative elites retained influence through new positions podestá
held by elderly conservatives in south
aristocrats and former generals prominent; old ruling class found accommodation with fascism
for Mussolini. this meant greater acceptance of his dictatorship and strengthened his position, at expense of full fascist control of government