Mussolini's appointment as prime minister

Question 1

Facta

Answer 1

resigned without king’s support

March 1922

Question 2

disagreements between liberal politicians

Answer 2

they all hoped to take over

this tension helped Mussolini

Question 3

salandra

Answer 3

Without Mussolini’s support, Salandra refused king’s offer.

Question 4

picking Mussolini

Answer 4

• Salandra, Orlando and Giolitti all believed they should be PM but hated each other, so advised king
  to pick Mussolini.

Question 5

Mussolini’s showmanship

Answer 5

• During this, Mussolini made a show of visiting the theatre; act of showmanship; he was calm in time
  of uncertainty.

Question 6

29 october

Answer 6

29 October: Mussolini received message from king with offer to be PM in a coalition government.
- Mussolini believed fascism required stronger, more dynamic ‘myth’ than the truth; needed image of
‘March on Rome’; arrived in Rome from Milan on 30 October and was sworn as PM.

Question 7

31 october

Answer 7

• 50,000 fascists led by the Quadrumvirs (Bianchi, De Bono, de Vecchi and Balbo) made way to
  Rome. 31 October: victory parade saluting king.

Question 8

myth of march on rome

Answer 8

• The myth that a ‘March on Rome’ and power was taken through armed insurrection was an idea that
  Mussolini perpetuated through speeches and anniversary celebrations through his reign.
• State-sponsored history books would later write about civil war and deaths of 3,000 fascist martyrs
  who died during march. Truth: he was PM at head of a coalition government where the minority of
  cabinets were fascists.