Relationship With Political And Economic Interests

Question 1

Mussolini and Relationship with the King

Answer 1

Despite image of him as unchallenged ruler - until September 1943 Italy remained a constitutional monarchy. Mussolini could not completely ignore the political wishes of the king therefore it was a complex dictatorship in which M was the unparalleled ruler but shared power with the monarchy ; 1920 programme excluded any reference to removing the king as the 1919 Fasci di Combattimento set out radical antimonarchy policies.
Agreement with King was important for Mussolini’s consolidation of power as it helped gain the acceptance of the fascist dictatorship among the armed forces and the state adminstration who still retained loyalty towards the king

Question 2

How did he erode away King’s power?

Answer 2

1) December 1928 - Fascist grand council had been granted constitutional right to limit the king’s power to nominate future prime ministers of Italy and to advise the king on any future royal succession
2) Further minimised in March 1938 when fascist parliament passed a law creating Title of First Marshal of the Empire, highest rank in military huerarchy which was then given to both the King and Mussolini - previous to this it had just been the king who was supreme military commander
3) June 1940 - Mussolini deprived King of his role as supreme military commander and took complete control when Italy entered WW2

Question 3

Italian consitution King and Mussolini?

Answer 3

King made little effort to prevent/minimise the erosion of Italy’s constitutional democracy and played a subservient role to the dicattor as lonf as he was able to retain his position - seen with the implemntation of the racist and unpopular anti-semetic decrees introduced in 1938 - balancing act that suited them both

Question 4

3 members of conservative elite Mussolini had to work with

Answer 4

Army
Judiciary
Civil Service

Question 5

Judiciary

Answer 5

Legal system was largely unchanged and judges retained their independece from the psrty although many did join the PNF to ensure they retained their positions

Question 6

Military

Answer 6

Allowed the military to run independently and despite holding the position of minister of war he left the running of the armed forces to the under-secretaries who were mostly generals/admirals

Question 7

Civil service

Answer 7

Little change from conservative elites who were able to maintain their influential positions ; some were removed due to suspected sntifascism but most kept their jobs. Majority of too adminstrative posts held by career civil servants ; in Minstry of corporations all the senior staff had been civil servants since 1916
Highest state autheoity in each area were the prefects (civil service members) - most CRITICALLY THE TRADITIONAL ELITES WERE ABLE TO REGAIN POLITICAL INFLUENCE THROUGH THE PODESTÀS - POWERFUL MUNICIPAL POSITIONS MOSTLY HELD BY ELDERLY CONSERVATIVES IN THE SOUTH ; THUS ARISTOCRATS AND OLD RULING ELITES WERE ACCOMMODATED FOR IN THE NEW REGIME - STRENGTHENED MUSSOLIN’S POSITION THROUGH ACCEPTANCE BUT AT COST OF NOT TOTAL CONTROL

Question 8

Initial changes to central government

Answer 8

December 1925 Laws + Mussolini took on new role as head of government which meant he was only accountable to the king and not parliament ; only he could initiate legislation and decide what parliament could discuss. Ratification by parliament was little more than a rubber stamp

Question 9

Change in Grand Council?

Answer 9

May 1928 set out that parliament would be made up of 400 deputies chosen by the Grand Council from a list of 1000 nominaged by fascist confederations. In December 1928 the Grand Ciuncil’s role was formalised in fhe constitution as the most important legal body in the state - all matters of government and ministerial positions and party policy through Grand Council - but in reality they had little power with Mussolini appoointing PNF leaders and set out laws. Crucially, Grand Council had nonconsultation on major policies such as Catholic Church Accommodation in 1929/entry into WW2 in 1940 ; central power effectively lay with Mussolini.
MUSSOLINI STILL LEFT AN ELEMENT OF CONTINUITY BY KEEPING MEMBERS OF SENATE UNCHANGED AND BY 1932, 148 SENATORS WERE NOT PNF MEMBERS - OVER TIME HE CREATED MORE FASCIST PRESENCE

Question 10

Ras vs Prefect?

Answer 10

Prefect remained highest state authority - mussolini had no intention if allowing Ras bosses to hold such powerful positions ; prefects organised local censorhsip + police snd implementing any suppression to antifascist activity - also reported on local fascist brsnches. Mussolini appointed prefects ensuring loyakty to his political goals ; prefect appointed podeeta and these were given to conservative elites thus local governemnt out of fascist psrty infleunce and given to civil servants/elite

Question 11

How was podesta and orefects a smart move.

Answer 11

NOT LESSENING OF POWER BUT PREFECTS AND PODSSTAS ULTIMATELY OWED THEIR POSITION TO MUSSOLINI ENSURING THAT THESE LOCAL AUTHORITIES WOULD CARRY OUT HIS POLITICAL POLICIES AND STRENGTHEN PERSONAL DICTATORSHIP

Question 12

How did Mussolini minimis power of PNF?

Answer 12

1925 - appointed Roberto Farinacci who purged the party of those who did not agree with the poltiical direction pursued by Mussolini - however Farinacci was an exteemist and encouraged further violence, resulting in murder of 8 liberals in October 1925 in Florence. This became a much bigger deal after matteori crisis (unpopularity) and so he purged Florence Fascio and dismissed Farinaccu 6 months layer, appointing the more reliabke Augusto Turati

Question 13

What did Turati do?

Answer 13

Made sure PNF was a just a vessek to fulfill Mussolini’s own policies ; 50000-60000 members theown out of party (for being hard line/old) by 1929 and 110000 leaving voluntarily. Giurati then came in and purged an extra 120000 replscing them with 800000 new fascists ; most being clerks and civil servants and only joined because of the perks PNF membership provided. In 1933 PNF membershup became compulsory for these workers thus party dominated by middle class and had no interest in going after Mussolini’s position - CENTRAL POWER WITH HIM NOT PNF

Question 14

Nationalist merger with PNF

Answer 14

Luigi Federzoni was an ANI member minister of interior 17th June 1924 ; placated the comservative elites during Matteoti and as ANI had accepted merger they followed Mussolini

Question 15

What ANI members played a role with PNF

Answer 15

Roberto Cantalupo - asserting that fascism’s most important goal would be the creation if a new generation if Italians loyal to fascist ideas
Costanzo Ciano - minister of comunications from 1924

Question 16

As direction of Mussolini’s policies becamee more radical?

Answer 16

Nationalist ideas rook on greater prominence ; nationalist idea of mot viewing Italy as a military power was taken up by Mussolini
Dainelli was jey in trying to get ride of foreign sounding words as part of reform of customs in late 1930s ; Mussolini’s aggressive foreign policy was much down to nationalist thinking

Question 17

Mussolini economic interest groups

Answer 17

First policy focused on placatinf the large groups like Fiat/Pirelli ; the economic interest of small shop owners was also protected with a licensing system introduced that protected against larger supermarkets however it was italiaj busineses who benefitted the most

Question 18

Fascist trade union policy

Answer 18

Constantky adapted to take sides of both fascist syndicalists and industrialists ; in october 1925 the industrialists had recognised syndicalists as onky legitimate body of worjers so they inteoduced Palazzo Vidoni Oact and ensured disillusion of all other trade unions

Question 19

April 1926

Answer 19

Rocco Law - Alfredo Rocco Minister of Justice - allowed syndicalists some rights of representation and for compulsory arbitartion of disputes concerning workers’ pay and conditions at special labour tribunals. Strikes/go-slows and lockours were banned and shndicates would have no say in government policy. Absence of strike welcomed by industrialsts

Question 20

International economic slump 1929 onwards?

Answer 20

Governemnt pursued polciies that propped up bog business and encourgaed further wage cuts for wormers thus favouring interests if big industry such as Montecatini (chemicals) and ILVA (steel). Righer industrial and agriculturak interest groups were main benefactoes of fascist econimic oolicies ; woerks condirions/interests were subsidiary to concerns of the elite.

Question 21

From 1927 onwards

Answer 21

Workers across Itaky saw their wages reduced below rhe cost of living from 1927 onwards - LITTLE BENEFIT FOR PEASANTS AND SMALL LANDOWNERS