o The creation of a fascist dictatorship, 1922–26 Flashcards
Key factors when assessing to what extent the creation of a fascist dictatorship b/w 1922-26 was due to the mistakes of Mussolini’s political opposition?
Parliamentary compromise and coercion
Controlling the PNF
The Acerbo Law and 1924 election
The Matteoti Crisis
Establishment of dictatorship in 1925
Repression and constitutional amendments 0f 1925-1926
Parliamentary compromise and coercion’s impact in creating a fascist dictatorship from 1922-26?
Mussolini using dual policy for power was an issue as now ras remanded greater reward for helping him and more revolutions. Also, faced the issue of PSI being largest party in parliament with 123 seats where as there being only 35 fascist deputies with 7% of the seats.
M focused on consolidating his role as PM by himself as minister of foreign and interior along with Orthodox economist Alberto De’Stefani as minister of finance to gain support of conservative industrialists- main goal to placate the old ruling classes.
Gained trust of Catholic Churches by allowing Crucifixes in schools.
Announced compromise of PNF
and ANI to both be absorbed into Fascist party on the 28th of October
PPI absorbed by appointing Stefano Cavazzoni as minister of work and welfare Vatican chose to support Fascists over PPI leading to its decline.
M’s November 1922 speech was perfect mix of offer to work with parliament and meeting any threats to him with violence, he asked deputies for 1 year of emergency powers due to economic and political turmoil and threatened them with violence if they didn’t (claimed he had 300,000 young men ready to take violent action against deputies who did no support him, it was a success as parliament approved his emergency powers in a vote of 306 to 116 - meaning that M could not be removed by parliament and had full power to govern, raise taxes without seeking parliamentary approval for at least a year.
Impact of controlling the PNF on the creation of a fascist dictatorship b/w 1922-26?
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December 1922 M creates a rival organisation called Fascist Grand Council (appointed key fascists such as Italo Balbo, Michele Bianchi and Emilio De Bono) discussed key policies and elevated fascist leadership till the position of the cabinet.
-Helped him overcome weak cabinet position undermining liberal government by bypassing them.
-Helped centralise his powers (over the party) - ability to appoint its members.
-With the Fascist Grand Council he could consolidate power over PNF and parliament.
-January 1923 Fascist Grand Council absorbs 300,000 squadristi into state calling it the MVSN (The Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazzionale) - party-based paramilitary force whose job was to support the army and police in defending the ‘fascist revolution’.
Allowed M control over ‘black shirts’ at the rate of ‘ras’.
So, now liberal elites, army and King all supported Mussolini.
How did the Acerbo Law and the 1924 elections influence the creation of a fascist dictatorship b/w 1922-26?
Mussolini wanted general elections to provide PNF with mandate they needed. But, issue was proportional representation, which was overcome by Acerbo Law that made it so party that won more than 25% of votes would be given 2/3 seats in parliament.
-PCI and PSI apposed but all others incl. King and Vatican supported it.
Fascists staged demonstrations in Tuscany and Umbria of threatening violence if the law did not pass.
-Law passed and elections called for April 6th 1924 joined by blackshirt’s violent intimidation techniques - destroying clubs and offices.
PNF won 64% with PSI, PCI and PPI staying divided and in conflict, refusing to work with the fascists such as Giolitti. PNF deputies went from 35 to 275.
However, PNF victory was mostly a result of the weakness of the opposition.
How did the Matteotti crisis lead to the creation of a fascist dictatorship b/w 1922-26?
Italy was still a democracy and Left Wing (PSI, PCI, PPI) still held 80 seats b/w them. End to democracy would be murder of Giacomo Matteotti.
30th May 1924 when new parliament re-opened Matteotti made speech denouncing violence and corruption during elections.
Rumors spread that Mateotti had a large file on all of Fascism’s corruptions and was about to publicise it.
Afternoon of June 10th Matteotti kidnapped, and 16th August his corpse found in shallow grave outside Rome.
Witness saw him being forced into vehicle with number plate linked to M on it. 12th June leader of kidnapping Amergio Dumini arrested.
Mussolioni faced opposition from 3 sides: 1- Old established elite didn’t want to back him - saw him as the murderer; 2- PSI and PCI argued he should be dismissed and Fascist government overthrown; 3- faced pressure from ras who wanted a
fascist revolution.
13th June 100 antifascists leave parliament claiming that the government was unconstitutional and create own parliament on Aventine Hill, helped as eliminated opposition and allowed legislation to be passed with less conflict. However, Mussolini’s strong right-wing, conservative, anticommunist government appealed to key figures of the Italian political system who had no interest in change of leader - knowing this Mussolini gained confidence.
To appeal to liberal elite M hands role’s of interior and justice minister to Federzoni and Rocco. Federzoni was well respected and appointed for this role reassured the old-elites.
Under pressure from army Mussolini ordered PNF to cease all violence in army in November, which brought pressure form squads. 31st December , Mussolini met with squad leaders who demanded revolutionary action from him or his removal as leader - 2 days after Salandra declared his opposition to Mussolini and M was worried S would influence the king therefore M decided to take the initiative.
How did the establishment of a dictatorship help create a fascist dictatorship b/w 1922-26?
3rd January 1925, Mussolini makes key speech announcing establishment of a fascist dictatorship, a personal rule under him.
12th January he formed a new cabinet w/out most of the liberals and he was PM and minister of aviation, war, navy and foreign affairs.
February he appoints Farinacci as PNF secretary who increased fascist membership from 600,000 to 928,000 and diluted influence of squadristi - the independence and power of the provincial ‘ras’ and the ‘squadristi’ was now finished. October, Fascist Grand Council passes motion to force all ras to disband and M just increased military support by offering increased pay to officers.
2nd October 1925, Mussolini announced the Palazzo Vidoni Pact establishing fascist unions as only representatives of Italian workers (not Socialist or Catholic) and so gained alot of support for the dictatorship (mainly industrialist).
How did repression and constitutional amendments from 1925-26 help create a fascist dictatorship from 1922-26?
4th August 1925 socialist deputy Zanbioni arrested for attempted assassination of Mussolini and his party the PSU was immediately banned. Law introduced to give government power to sack any employee posing a threat to PNF; and a new press law - which meant all journalism had to be supervised and approved by the state.
December 1925 title of PM changed to Head Government and Duce of Fascism and ability to remove PM via vote of no confidence was removed.
January 1926 Mussolini granted ability to rule by decree. Following 2nd assassination attempt on 31st October 1926 all parties but PNF banned and antifascists were prosecuted - their Italian citizenship withdrawn and their property confiscated. 10,000 antifascists fled Italy.
Final move was to abolish the elected local government and replace mayors with podesta, indirectly controlled by Mussolini. It was clear prefects took precedence over ras as seen by Turati being replaced with Farinacci in March. So by 1926 it was firmly a dictatorship and was personalised by Mussolini in 18 months - confronted the task of turning Italians’ into true ‘fascists’.
