Rise of Mussolini and creation of a Fascist Dictatorship: Flashcards
What was the impact of WW1 on the Italian people?
Caused resentment, desire for change
-Class divisions grew wider.
-Violence between political groups was more common.
-Growing anger amongst ex-soldiers who felt betrayed/humiliated by the Treaty of Versailles.
Examples of the impact of ww1:
Ex-soldiers occupied hundreds of hectares of land in the south. They pushed for land reform.
-Economy suffered from debt and inflation.
-In the North: divide between returning soldiers and those exempt from this. The exempt had become more wealthy and they were seen as cowards.
Who was PM in 1919?
Vittorio Orlando.
What happened at the Versailles Treaty?
Orlando argued for all the land they were promised in Treaty of London 1919. However, the great powers did not see that Italy had justified this through the war effort –> Orlando knew this would cause anarchy.
What did Orlando do at ToV?
Left early
-gave him popularity in Italy but weakened his position in negotiations.
What land did Italy gain in ToV?
Trent, Trieste, Istria and northern Dalmatia
What were the consequences of The ToV in Italy?
Undermined liberal government as they failed to even gain any of the African Colonies –> mutilated victory that 600000 had died with little land gained.
How did Nitti worsen the situation in Italy post ToV?
He chose to play down the anger Italy had because they needed coal and money from the allies due to the weakened economy.
-He allowed Yugoslavia to take Dalmatia and Fiume became a neutral city under the LoN.
-Reduce military spending and pardoned those who deserted Italy during WW1. Nationalists found this disgusting.
How did Mussolini use the ‘mutilated victory’ to his advantage?
Argued that Italy needed a stronger government that would not back down and argued that they needed to return to Italy’s former glory –> this resonated with the people.
What was the role of Gabriel D’Annunzio in post war Italy?
Led nationalist group of 2000 (mostly ex-soldiers and students).
-In 1919, he led them into Fiume and seized it with no fight.
-He presented this as redemption for the soldiers who had died.
-This message was very popular as Italians were humiliated over the loss of Fiume.
How did the Government respond to the occupation of Fiume?
They failed to respond for 15 months due to D’Annunzio’s popularity.
What were the long term effects of the occupation of Fiume?
-Demonstrated the weakness of the Liberal Government and that success could be achieved through violence
-Mussolini saw the power that assertive nationalism had over the Italian people. He also appreciated the imagery that he created with the black shirts, fascist chants and the emotional speeches. When he became PM, he made him a prince as he recognised his threat if he opposed him.
Describe D’Annunzio:
Strong nationalist who supported Italy’s entrance into WW1 and was disgusted by the ToV. He emphasised the glory of battle - he lost sight in an eye during his time as a pilot.
Who were the Futurists?
Cultural group founded in 1909 that celebrated violence and patriotism. Despised liberal system. They formed part of Fascism and were disappointed in its less violent direction after 1926.
What was the Italian economy like in 1919?
-Millions of soldiers retuned unemployed (reached 2 million by end of 1919).
-High inflation and collapse of value for the lira.
-Middle class saw savings get wiped out as well as their pensions.
-Companies that benefitted from the war now struggled e.g. Fiat.
-Banking crisis when a major bank was forced to close due to controversy.
What were the effects of Italy’s poor economy in 1919?
Massive strikes: called for workers rights and possible revolution (Biennio Rosso period). e.g. railway strikes in January 1920 and an Army strike in July.
- Socialist and anarchist radicals were released from jail at end of war which added to the chaos.
-Socialist party membership rose massively.
-Protests against rising food prices in the north.
What was the largest strike in the Biennio Rosso period? How much did socialist party membership increase by?
September 1920 with 400k workers taking over factories and flying communist flags.
- Socialist party membership: 250k in 1918 and 2 million in 1920.
When did the government deal with these strikes? What was the outcome of these strikes on the peoples attitudes towards politics in Italy?
Eventually in 1920 they calmed the fears.
- By the end of 1920 the recession was at its height and economy was feared to be close to collapse.
-Middle and upper classes feared that there would be a revolution .
-Peasants were dissatisfied with the lack of land reform that was promised after ww1. Many peasants seized the land themselves - rural revolution was also feared. Rural socialist unions particularly strong in areas such as Bologna. Often violent attacks against those who refused to join the unions.
- Landowners were enraged by weak gov response to the chaos.
- Many upper class and middle class people looked to right wing organisations to provide an alternative to the liberals and destroy the growth of left wing parties.
What political reforms were given in 1919?
-Amount of people allowed to vote increased by 11 million.
-All males over 21 could participate in elections or that served at the front.
-Method of voting was proportional representation.
What political threat emerged to the liberal government in 1919?
-Catholic party formed - PPI.
-Emphasis on catholic interests (land reform and farming areas for peasants) but did not include the Roman Question in the manifesto.
-Led by priest Luigi Sturzo.
-Hostile to the Liberal Regime made formation of coalitions by Giolitti difficult.
-Growth of PSI especially after Russian Revolution radicalised them meant they now refused to work with the Liberals.
-Supported strikes and factory occupations and the end of Giolitti and his idea of ‘absorption’.
1919 Elections:
-PSI won 32% -156 socialist deputies (3 times what they won in previous election)
-PPI won 101 seats.
-Neither party had a full majority and were unwilling to work together –> the liberals still held power until 1922.
The fact the Liberals still held power was dangerous - despite political reform the same political groups that had ruled Italy since 1860 still held power –> disillusionment with democracy. More and more groups began to question if a more radical government was the answer.
Nitti’s government fell in 1920 and Giolitti took power.
P2: Foundation of Fasci di Combattimento: programme and issues with the programme
-Formed March 1919.
-Made up of ex soldiers and Arditi who had worn black uniforms - black shirts - and were formed after Caporetto.
-Focus on war: as a soldier during WW1 he saw the unity that it brought amongst the fighters - the ‘new’ Italy should be divided by those who fought and those who stayed at home.
Programme:
-Anticlerical - confiscation of Church property
-suffrage for women and younger Italians
-end to the monarchy
-8 hour work day, nationalisation of arms industry, confiscation of profits of companies from war.
Issue:
-Did not distinguish the party from other left wing parties e.g. PSI.
Squadrismo:
-Experience of war created a culture of violence amongst the soldiers who saw socialists and communists as enemies the same as they saw the Austrians.
-They formed the Squadrismo in April 1919.
-In 1919 they attacked Avanti where 3 socialists and 1 fascist died. Mussolini had not organised this but saw it as a powerful tool.
Move to the Right:
In 1919, the Fascists had won 5000 votes and a coffin was paraded through Milan. However, the squads had shown him there was another path to winning.
-The government had made no attempt to stop or condemn the squad violence because of the fear of socialist revolution.
-The squads were organised into units under command of a Ras (commander).
-Mostly got weapons from police and armies and attacked key PSI members across Italy (drink castor oil, beaten, some murdered)
Mussolini used this as propaganda to create a myth that he had saved Italy from socialism and had also saved them from Austrians in WW1.
-This was popular in the countryside with landowners as it ended land reform.
