Mussolini's Rise to Power (1920-1922) Flashcards
List 5 weaknesses of the government in the period 1920-1922.
- Giolitti
- The PSI
- Strikes
- Coalitions
- Giolitti’s successors
List 3 problems that Giolitti caused.
- Giolitti decided to use his old tactics of compromise to end the Biennio Rosso, which caused him to prioritise what the workers wanted, which angered the middle classes, industrialists, landowners, nationalists and Catholics (although this was a successful approach)
- Trasformismo no longer worked as ideological splits ran deeper than they previously had, and parties were no longer as likely to be ‘bought off’
- Giolitti included the fascists in his bloc’s electoral list, which increased their legitimacy and gave them a foothold in government
In what 2 ways did the PSI’s weaknesses help the fascists?
- In 1921, the more radical members of the PSI split from the rest of the party to form the PCI (Partito Comunista Italiano)
- This weakened the left-wing
- It also gave Mussolini propaganda opportunities, as the PCI was even funded by the Bolsheviks
Which strike benefitted the fascists the most? Give 3 ways how.
- The PSI called for a general strike in July 1922
- However, it wasn’t successful as workers were weary of another strike
- Fascist squads used this as an opportunity to attack strikers
- They also took over running trains to break the transport workers’ strike
- The fascists therefore took credit for ending the strike
How did coalitions further weaken the government?
- The PPI and PSI agreed to make an anti-fascist coalition, but Giolitti refused to overlook their differences, and did not support it, so the coalition collapsed
How did Giolitti’s successors help put the fascists in a better situation?
Bonomi:
- He allowed for the squads to be stopped rather than instructing them to be stopped as he was aware of their popularity
- Many areas therefore let them be
Facta:
- Either couldn’t stop fascist violence, or wouldn’t
What had Mussolini decided to do in October 1922? What were 2 things he did as a result?
- He decided seizing power by force (after consolidating his control over the ras) was probably a better option
- He therefore encouraged squadristi violence, hoping this would threaten the government into giving him power
- However, he had to be careful as he knew the Blackshirts were not a match for the army
What did the squads do in 1922? Give 3 details.
- Starting from spring, the Blackshirts attacked areas where socialists controlled the local council
- By September, they had taken control of areas around Rome, which made them the ‘de facto’ government in many areas, and were ready to move on the capital
- In September and October, Mussolini had them attack councils held by conservative liberals
How many members did the PNF have by 1922?
- 320,000
How did the liberals respond to the threat posed by Mussolini?
- Giolitti, Orlando, Salandra, Facta and Nitti all wanted to form a coalition with Mussolini, but on the condition that they were prime minister
Why did Mussolini want to be appointed prime minster democratically?
- The ras were in support of a violent takeover, but Mussolini did not want to do this as it would weaken his position
List the events of the March on Rome.
- 24th October: Mussolini tells fascists that he will either be appointed prime minister or will seize power by force
- 27th October: fascists begin to march on Rome, taking control of telephone exchanges, police stations and government offices. Facta asks for the king’s permission to stop the fascists
- 28th October: at 2AM the king agrees on martial law and Mussolini’s arrest is ordered. At 9AM the king changes his mind. Facta resigns and the king turns to Salandra, but Salandra is unable to form a government
- 29th October: as no other liberal is able to form a government, the king decides to invite Mussolini to become prime minister
- 30th October: Mussolini arrives in Rome and meets the king to be sworn in as prime minister
- 31st October: victory parade held by squadristi in Rome
List 2 actions Victor Emmanuel III took to support Mussolini’s appointment as prime minister and explain each.
- In the end, he refused for martial law to be used during the March on Rome
- He couldn’t be sure that the army would stop the fascists as they tended to support them, or were sympathetic to their cause - He supported Mussolini’s appointment as prime minister
- The king knew the traditional liberal government could not provide stability and was collapsing
- The king’s cousin, the Duke of Aosta saw him as a weak leader and wanted to replace him as king
- Aosta was popular with the military and was a fascist supporter
- Mussolini took advantage of this and played on the king’s insecurities
How many fascists took part in the march, and who were they organised by?
- 50,000
- The Quadrumvirs
Who were the Quadrumvirs?
- The 4 main leaders of fascism under Mussolini
- They were: Michele Bianchi, Emilio De Bono, Cesare Maria De Vecchi and Italo Balbo
