Mussolini gains power 1920-22 Flashcards
When did nitti resign and why?
- 9 June 1920
- deteriorating economic situation, the lingering situation in fiume and the ongoing strikes
Who was nitti replaced with?
giolitti
What was Giolitti’s solution to the 1920 strikes?
To try absorb it
- seek compromise for the workers, - pressuring banks to withdraw support for companies that would not negotiate with the striking
- refusing to use violence against them
Was Giolitti’s solution successful?
yes strikes ended 25 sep 1920
Response from nationalists and catholics?
considerable anger as this contrasted with the actions of the fascists who used violence to deal with the socialist threat
When did the more radical members of the psi split to form the pci?
jan 1921
On what basis did their party form?
- more radical in their aims for revolution
- more closely aligned with the communist party in Russia
How did mussolini able to use the splitting of the psi as propaganda?
- appearance of an official communist party that spoke of revolution and was financed by the Bolsheviks
When did the psi and pci attempt call for general strikes across italy?
- July 1922
Were the strikes supported by the workers?
no as they were weary of any further strike action
How did mussolini take advantage of the July 1922 strikes?
- claimed that the reason for the strike’s failure was due to the actions of the fascists and that it was only the pnf that had spared italy from revolution became more widely believed
Why were Giolitti’s old tactics of compromise and transformismo inadequate?
- the ideological splits were more defined and deep rooted
- the strong ideology of the newly formed parties such as ppi, pci, pnf they were less likely to be bought off
How did giolitti try to absorb the fascists in the 1921 elections and did it work?
- tried to absorb the fascists by offering the members running for parliament a place in his national bloc
- nope after being voted into parliament as a gov backed candidate mussolini announced that he would vote with the opposition
Why did giolitti resign?
impossible to form a stable gov
What was the dual policy?
- Despite violence providing the basis for fascist strength mussolini still held out hope that he get the position of pm through difficult balancing act
How did mussolini favour the more conservative members of the pnf - what steps did he take?
- July 1921: called an end to squadristi violence concerned that with the fear of the communist rev failing what was violence still being used
- august: pact of pacification with the socialist trade union and psi members
Why was it an issue that the fascism was a movement not an organised party?
- mussolini was leader of the movement but the multiple squads had strong loyalities to their ras
- squads were funded at a local level not a centralised body
What was the reaction of the ras to the mussolini’s actions to be more conservative?
- three most powerful ras bosses condemned the pact and meetings of squadristi were held where they called an end to the pact
Why did mussolini resign and why was this a political manoeuvre
- resigned as he said that the ras were not prepared to follow his policy direction
- without mussolini the fascists lacked unity and direction
- his absence strengthened his position
How was mussolini reappointed ?
- nov 1921: fascist delegates voted fro mussolini as leader and confirmed the organisation of the movement into an official party
What did the programme of the pnf confirm?
- squadristi was ultimately under the control of the party not the leadership
What concession did mussolini have to make?
- drop the pact of pacification but he was willing to as he knew the direction he wanted to go in was using violence
At the end of 1921 what were the squads organised into?
- cohorts –> consuls –> zone commanders
When did Bonomi’s gov collapse and who was he replaced with?
- feb 1922
- facta - weak and complacent leader
