Mussolinis relationship with Italys political and economic elite

Question 1

When was the facist grand council granted the right to nominate future PMs and advise the king on future royal succession ?

Answer 1

December 1928

Question 2

When did Mussolini take complete control of the military ?

Answer 2

1940

Question 3

In what year did Mussolini and the King share the highest rank in the military ?

Answer 3

1938 (king previously was supreme military commander)

Question 4

In the ministry of cooperations how many senior members had been civil servants since 1916 ? And in 1927 what percentage of civil service servants were actually facists ?

Answer 4

All of them (evidence of compromise with the conservative elite)

15%

Question 5

When did the structure of central gov change M taking new position as head of gov ?

Answer 5

1925

Question 6

When was the facist grand council formalised in the constitution ?

Answer 6

1928 - formalised as the most important legal body in the state and all matters had to be discussed and approved by the council
( but in reality not that important - M had the power and FGC were not consulted on key policies eg church (1929) or Italys entry to WW1 (1940)

Question 7

What was the highest state authority in each Italian province ?

Answer 7

The traditional role of prefect (these were mostly career civil servants appointed by M )

Question 8

Who were the local councils within each province run by ?

Answer 8

The podesta ( role of podesta was usually given to existing conservative elite rather than facists - also helped M maintain control over the Ras )

Question 9

Who were the podesta appointed by ?

Answer 9

prefect

Question 10

Who was appointed in 1925 to purge the party of those who did not agree with the direction pursued by Mussolini ?

Answer 10

Roberto Farinacci

Question 11

By 1929 how many members had been thrown out the facist party ?

Answer 11

50,000-60,000 (and another 110,00 left voluntarily)

Question 12

How many facists were purged in the 1930s under Achille Starce ?

Answer 12

120,000

Question 13

Who were the purged facists replaced by ?

Answer 13

800,000 new members who had little intest in facist revolution/ callanging M

Question 14

Name two men of power (in PNF) who were sent away / removed from from centre of power

Answer 14

Italo Balbo- sent to occupy post in Libya
Dino Grandi (same lad who helps overthrow Mussolini)- sent to London as Italian ambassador ( a post of honour but little power )

Question 15

What is an example of Mussolini tranfering control of the state to the facist party ?

Answer 15

1927 : he transferred control over the OND from the ministry of National economy to the party.

Question 16

What is an example of Mussolini transfering control of the facists to control of the state ?

Answer 16

1929 : he took the ONB out of the hands of the party organisation and handed control to the ministry of education.

Question 17

Give an example of ANI (who had merged with facists ) playing an influential role in gov.

Answer 17

Nationalists like Roberto Catalupo and Emilio Boderero would play a role in influencing education policy.

Costazo Ciano- influential as minister of communications - longest serving minister in history of facist regime.

Question 18

When was the facist grand council originally formed ?

Answer 18

Dec 1922

Question 19

What powers did parliment loose when Mussolini came to power ?

Answer 19

The ability to discuss policy, to debate and change proposed legislation and to criticise the governement. Only M could initiate legislation

1939 parliment bolished itself all together and was replaced by the equally meanigless chamber of fasces and cooperations

Question 20

What happened to elections ?

Answer 20

Free election ceased to exist and the electorate was reduced to exclude most of the working classes

All candidates had to be approved by the facists and the results were rigged to show over 98 % approval for the regime

Question 21

What area of central gov did Mussolini leave unchanged ?

Answer 21

The senate. In 1932 , 148 senators were not members of the PNF. This was another example of Mussolini accomodating the existing political elite in order to cement his dictatorship