Mussolini's Consolidation of Power Flashcards
What did Mussolini’s cabinet look like once he was in power?
- 4 Fascists
- 4 Liberals
- 2 PPI members
- 1 ANI member
- 2 members of the military
What would Mussolini appoint himself once in power, include his choice of economist?
- Foreign Minister
- Minister for the interior
- Appointed Alberto De’Stefani
When did the PNF absorb the ANI?
- February 1923
- PNF were the only ones showing Italian Nationalism
- Blushirts merged with MVSN
How did Mussolini absorb the PPI?
- Increase of clerical pay
- Reinstated crucifixes in schools
- Banned anti-clerical publications
- Banned contraception
- Dropped liberal proposals to tax Church property
- Pope Pius XI withdrew support for PPI
How would Stefano Cavazzoni convince the PPI to support the PNF?
- he encouraged the party to Support Mussolini
- July 1923, Luigi Sturzo would resign due to PPI being too absorbed into PNF (left in Oct)
- Appointed Stefano Cavazzoni as minister of work and welfare
- Pro-catholic policies would gain support of the Vatican
When and how did Mussolini gain emergency powers?
- November 1922
- speech on the 16th showed 300,000 fascists ready to take violent action
- spoke about political and economic turmoil
- fear of violence and civil war gave Mussolini emergency powers, on a vote of 306 to 116 for 1 year
- Thought Mussolini could be influenced and tamed
When did Mussolini create the Fascist Grand Council? Name some key fascists he appointed.
- December 1922
- Italo Balbo, Michele Bianchi and Emilio De Bono
How did the creation the Fascist Grand Council help Mussolini?
- Allowed Mussolini centralised control over the party through his own choice of appointments
- Undermined liberal institutions
When did Mussolini create the ‘Militia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale’ (MVSN) and why?
- January 1923
- Absorbed the squadristi, 300,000 men at his disposal
- Ran my ex-army officers, 200 of the ras expelled
- Members given uniform and high profile as more of a propaganda usage
Why would Mussolini see an end to the violence by the squads after creating the MVSN?
- Party had grown to 738,000, lots of middle classes
- King, army and liberal elites believed it was better to have the blackshirts under government control than provincial ras
- Fascism was in power, less chance of socialist revolution therefore no need for violence
What was the ‘Cheka’ and who led it?
- A personal bodyguard of fascist thugs to terrorise opponents
- Led by Ameriqo Dumini
How did Mussolini placate the RCC?
- Had his grown up kids baptised
- Church wedding
- Attacks on freemasonry
- Reforms to absorb PPI (mentioned already)
How did Mussolini placate industrialists?
- He did not attack tax evasion
- Persuaded ‘Confindustria’ to support him early in 1923
What were the terms of the Acerbo Law?
- Party who got 25% of the votes would then posses 2/3 of the seats
- Mussolini claimed it would bring stability
Who opposed the Acerbo Law and who supported it?
- PCI and PSI opposed it
- Liberal elites, the king and the Vatican supported it
- PPI abstained from voting
How many votes did the Acerbo Law secure to get passed, when and why?
- July 1923, 235 to 139
- Fascist demonstrations in Tuscany and Umbria
- Fascists in the debate intimidating
When were the new elections held and who was murdered during the campaign?
6th April 1924
- Antonio Piccinini murdered during the campaign
What were the results of the new elections?
- Fascists 66% of the votes
- Lots of violence and ballot-rigging contributed to this
- Socialists an communists still got 2.5 mil votes and fascists failed to get majority in Milan or Turin
What did the chamber now look like after new elections?
- From 35 to 374 fascists
- 39 PPI
- 46 Socialists
- 19 Communists
What was the flaw in Italys electoral system?
- People would vote for lists instead of candidates, therefore candidates would attempt to get onto the ‘National List’
- Only 150 of 350 on the list were not fascists
- Inclusion of liberals and Catholics gained PNF 66.3% votes
When would Giacomo Matteotti speak in parliament against the fascists, what would this lead to?
- 30th May 1924, he spoke against the fascist corruption
- 10th June he was kidnapped and killed, his body found on the 16th August
- Number plate of the car was his press secretary’s PA’s
- Amerigo Dumini would be arrested for the kidnapping on the 12th June
- 13th June 100 anti-fascists would leave parliament and set up own parliament on Aventine Hill outside Rome. ‘Aventine Secession’
Where would Mussolini feel pressure from after Matteoti’s murder?
- Old established elite was concerned about a PM linked to murder
- PSI, PCI and anti-fascist were calling for his dismissal
- The ras who saw this as the first step to a dictatorship
How would Mussolini recover from the Matteotti crisis?
- Appointed Luigi Federzoni and Alfredo Rocco as ministers of interior and justice
- Press censorship (July), banned political meetings (August)
- November 1924, ceased PNF violence and removed undisciplined members
- 31st December delegation of squad leaders told him to take action or he will be removed, 2 days after Salandra declared opposition to Mussolini due to press censorship
How would the King react?
- Did not want to feed the revolutionary left
- Conservaties and key liberals, Giolitti, would encourage support for Mussolini
How long did Dumini serve for the crime and what was his compensation?
- He served 11 months
- Received 2.37 million Lire up until 1943
- Mussolini would also send financial aid to Matteotti’s widow and children
When did Mussolini make his speech asserting a dictatorship?
3rd January 1925
- Took full responsibility for actions
12th January
- Mussolini assumed control of the cabinet and took on roles such as minister of foreign affairs, wars etc
How would Mussolini take control of the radicals in his party?
- February 1925, Farinacci as PNF secretary
- Tasked to purge radicals and dilute squadristi power
- Increased membership from 600,000 to 938,000
- October, ras disbanded squads by Fascist Grand Council
How would Mussolini gain army support and undermine socialist and catholics in 1925?
- Increased officer and generals pay and appointment of Pietro Badoglio as role of chief of general staff
- 2nd October, Palazzo Vidoni Pact, official fascist unions to represent workers
- These unions supported industrialists, gaining their support too
What would allow Mussolini to introduce repressive laws in 1925/26
- 4th August 1925, Tito Zaniboni arrested for alleged plot to assassinate Mussolini
- Allowed press law, approval by state ad allowing government to sack public workers
What was the President title changed to in December 1925?
- Head of Government and Duce of fascism
What was the ‘Leggi Fascistimme’ laws passed in December 1925
- Banned all political parties and organisations
- Press censorship
- OVRA secret police
- Special court for political crimes - ‘Special Tribunal for the Defence of the State’, 17 years, 26 executions
When was Mussolini granted the ability to rule by decree
January 1926
- Make laws without discussion, consultation to vote of Parliament
Who were the ‘podestas’
- Local government were replaced by them
- The prefects appointed by Mussolini
- Prefects would take presidence over the ras
Who became the new PNF secretary in March 1926?
Augusto Turati
When would the King lose right to select PM
1928
- List was now drawn up by the Grand Council of fascism
