Mussolini and the Elites Flashcards
Why did Mussolini have to consider the political wishes of the King?
- Still a constitutional monarchy
- Needed to gain acceptance of army and state administration
- Made regime appear legitimate
What major changes was made to the King’s position in Dec 1928, Mar 1938 and Jun 1940 and what was the one thing that didn’t change?
Dec 1928:
- Fascist Grand Council limited King’s power to nominate future PMs
- They can advise King on any future royal succession eg. no Prince Umberto as he had anti-fascist sympathies
Mar 1938:
- Law passed creating title of First Marshal of the Empire (highest rank), given to both King and Mussolini
Jun 1940:
- Mussolini deprived King of his supreme military commander role and took complete control of military
Stayed same:
- Still Head of State so could remove Mussolini
Despite being head of state, why was the King unwilling to challenge Mussolini and give examples of his subservient role
- He was happy as long as he could retain his position
- Brought him more titles eg. Emperor of Ethiopia in 1936, King of Albania in 1939
Examples: - No effort to prevent anti-Semitic decrees
- Signed most of Mussolini’s decrees
- Did not dismiss Mussolini after Matteotti crisis
What did the King actually resist?
- Some elements of fascism like army service rituals, uniform and ranks
- Did not allow army to make a fascist state
- Did not allow fascist symbol to be incorporated into Italian flag
Who were the most important conservative elites?
- Army
- Judiciary
- Civil service
What did Mussolini emphasise to gain the army’s support?
- Expansion of armed forces
- Aggressive foreign policy
- Promotion of senior generals
In order to control the army what did Mussolini increasingly do?
- Appointed fascists in senior positions
Why was the army discontented in 1925 and how was this problem solved?
- Plans to reduce its size
- Plans ended as they had potential to replace Mussolini with a coup
What happened to the legal system and what did many do to ensure they kept their position?
- Largely unchanged
- Anti-Fascist judges removed from posts and replaced w/ Fascists
- Imprisonment w/out trial became more frequent
- Joined PNF to make sure they kept their position
What happened to the military and whose control was it under?
- Allowed it to run independently
- Left to under-secretaries (mostly generals/admirals)
What happened to gov administration and why was their compliance important?
- Little change
- Some civil servants removed due to anti-fascist political ties
- Maj of top posts in fascist ministries were held by civil servants eg. prefects
When Mussolini came to power, what did he promise and what action did he actually take?
- Promised cuts to civil service
- Some cuts from 1922 to 1924 –> cutting ministries from 15 to 11, sacking 50,000 railwaymen
- Little after this point
What happened to civil service after 1925, by 1930 and by 1939?
After 1925:
- Civil servants kept their jobs
By 1930:
- Civil service expanding again to give Fascist supporters jobs
By 1939:
- 15 ministries yet again
How did the percentage of civil servants who were also members of PNF change between 1925 and 1935 and why?
- 1925 –> 15%
- 1935 –> 100% as membership was made compulsory
How were the conservative elite able to retain political influence?
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