Mussolini and Italy's Political and Economic Elites Flashcards
List 2 reasons why it was important for Mussolini to have the support of the king.
- Mussolini needed it in order to work effectively with the judiciary, civil service and military, who all had strong links with the monarchy
- The king’s support gave the regime legitimacy
What were 2 ways that the king supported Mussolini?
- He did not use the army against him
- He did not dismiss him after the Matteotti crisis
What was a benefit the king received in return for supporting Mussolini? Give 2 examples.
- He received additional titles and territories
- He became the Emperor of Ethiopia in 1936, and King of Albania in 1939
In what 4 ways was the king’s power reduced by the fascists?
- He lost the right to choose the next prime minister in December 1928
- The Grand Council of Fascism also had the power to advise the king on the royal succession
- When the title of First Marshal of the Empire was created in 1938, it was given to both the king and Mussolini- before, the king alone had held the title of supreme military commander
- In WW2, Mussolini took complete control over the army
In what way did Mussolini compromise with the king? Give an example.
- He observed protocol
- He still visited him twice a week to keep him up to date with state matters
List 2 issues the king resisted Mussolini’s decisions over.
- Mussolini wanted the army to make the fascist salute
- He also wanted the fascist symbol to be added to the flag
How did Mussolini generally deal with the judiciary, civil service and the army?
- He mostly left them alone
How did Mussolini deal with the judiciary?
- Judges remained largely independent of the PNF
- Anti-fascist judges were replaced with fascist ones
In what other 2 ways did Mussolini increase his control over the judiciary?
- Imprisonment without trial became more frequent
- Mussolini intervened in certain cases to influence verdicts and sentences
How did Mussolini deal with the civil service? Give 3 details.
- The civil service continued to be ran by conservative elites
- Some civil servants were removed due to their anti-fascist ties
- Civil servants had to join the PNF in 1935 (in 1927, only 15% were members of the PNF)
- However, this meant that they just joined the PNF rather than becoming sincere fascists
Why did the army and Mussolini work well together? Give 3 examples.
- They had shared interests;
- expansion of the armed forces
- aggressive foreign policy
- Mussolini also promoted senior generals to win their support
How did Mussolini increase his control over the army?
- Senior positions in the army were increasingly given to fascists
List 2 powers the Chamber of Deputies lost in 1926.
- To debate/ discuss policy
- To amend proposed legislation
What were 2 other changes Mussolini made to parliament/ policy?
- From 1928, parliament was made up of 400 deputies chosen by the Grand Council of Fascism
- In 1928, the Grand Council of Fascism was made the most important legal body in Italy in the constitution
How did Mussolini compromise with the political elites? Give 2 ways.
- He left the Senate unchanged (in 1932 148 senators weren’t fascists, but he started to ensure all new senators were fascists)
- The positions of prefect and podestà tended to be held by conservative elites
What was Mussolini’s relationship with the nationalists like? Give 3 details.
- Since the ANI had merged with the PNF, they tended to follow Mussolini’s direction, and did not threaten him
- They had more of an influence on Mussolini’s policies than the PNF at times (especially than the more radical aspects)
- Mussolini gave nationalists important roles
Give an example of a nationalist given an important role. When and why was he given this role?
- Luigi Federzoni was appointed minster of the interior in June 1924, which reassured the conservative elites during the Matteotti crisis
Give 4 examples of Mussolini maintaining his control over the PNF.
- Mussolini was the one who decided what laws the Grand Council of Fascism would debate
- He also did not consult them on major policies, such as the Lateran Pacts, or joining WW2
- Men who could pose a threat, such as Italo Balbo, were given posts where they couldn’t threaten Mussolini (he was appointed governor of Libya)
- The work of party secretaries
List the party secretaries of the PNF.
- 1925: Farinacci
- 1926: Augusto Turati
- 1931: Giuriati
What did Farinacci do, and why was he dismissed?
- Mussolini appointed Farinacci, who purged the party of people who didn’t agree with him
- Mussolini dismissed Farinacci (due to his links with violence, which was unpopular with the population then)
Why was Turati appointed, and what did he do?
- He was more bureaucratic
- He expelled around 50,000 members by 1929, which caused another 110,000 to leave the PNF as they did not like Mussolini’s political direction
What did Giuriati do, and why wasn’t this an issue?
- He purged another 120,000
- These people were replaced by around 800,000 civil servants that had to join the PNF- this was advantageous as they had no interest in challenging Mussolini
How would fascists be successful in the PNF, and what issue did this create?
- Mussolini promoted fascists who were loyal and obedient, rather than able
- This meant many joined the PNF for the sake of career progression
List 5 ways Mussolini tried to win over the industrial and financial elites.
- He appointed Alberto de Stefani as finance minister; he supported pro-business policies
- Telephone companies were privatised
- The taxing of war profits was reduced/ abandoned
- Large firms and cartels were allowed to expand
- The Palazzo Vidoni Pact
