Resignation of Mussolini Flashcards
Who could vote before the Franchise Extension in 1912
All literate men over 21
Why did Giolitti feel obliged to extend the franchise?
It felt difficult to deny those fighting in Libya the Vote, so in 1912 a new law passed saying that all men who had completed military service and all men aged 30 and over could vote regardless of literacy
What % of the population were potentially illiterate after?
70%
What did Giolitti hope would come out of the Franchise extension?
He hoped that it would promote greater national unity and increase popularity with the working classes in rural areas, who tended to lean toward conservative ideas.
He also believed that increased suffrage would undermine the PSI, as with a greater electoral presence he thought the working class would stop going toward more radical ideas.
How many seats did the Liberals lose in the 1913 elections from the previous elections?
They lost 71 seats
What were the Gentiloni Pacts?
Count Gentiloni made deals with 228 liberal deputies, saying if they agreed to 7 key points (mainly about R.E. and divorce laws) then they would have the Catholic vote.
What were the consequences of this
It made the political polarisation of Italy much clearer and demonstrated that Giolitti’s attempts of transformismo were futile. His concessions with the Catholic Church angered socialists and anti-clerical liberals, who proceeded to withdraw their support from Giolitti, causing him to resign.
