Rise of Mussolini + Creation of a Fascist Dictatorship 1919-26 Flashcards
1
Q
what was the early life of Mussolini like
A
- his father was a prominent socialist
- was jailed for advocacy of a violent strike
- was the editor of the socialist newspaper ‘Avanti!’
- was a soldier in ww1 in 1915-17
2
Q
outline Trincerocrazia
A
- means the ‘rule of the trenches’
- M argued that the strength + camaraderie of the returned soldiers (‘trinceristi’) could fight the Liberal state + lead a new Italy that would recreate the patriotism felt in the trenches
3
Q
what happened in April 1919
A
- a fascist squad of 200-300 attacked a socialist demonstration + burned down the Milan offices of Avanti!
4
Q
in the Nov 1919 election, Fascists perform poorly, winning fewer than _ votes and no seats
A
- in the Nov 1919 election, Fascists perform poorly, winning fewer than 5,000 votes and no seats
5
Q
how did the socialists perform in the Nov 1919 election
A
- they won the greatest share of votes
- wont 32%, giving them 156 deputies
6
Q
outline the Biennio Rosso strikes
A
- 1919-20, a period of social conflict; mass demonstrations, strikes by Socialists
- known as the ‘two red years’
- Gov lost support of the MC, nationalists, land owners + Catholics as Giolitti (Lib PM) had ‘given in’ to the socialists demands as he encouraged businesses to pay workers more
- these groups turned to fascism
7
Q
what was Mussolini’s myth
A
- M claimed the failure of the left was due to the Fascists and that he ‘saved’ Italy
8
Q
who were the Fascist squads made up of
A
- demobilised army officers, m/c students
9
Q
Fascists killed _ Socialist sympathisers in the lead of to the 1921 election
A
- Fascists killed 100 Socialist sympathisers in the lead of to the 1921 election
10
Q
what were the results of the May 1921 election
A
- Fascists: won 35 seats
- Socialists: won 123 seats
- Liberals collapsed
11
Q
outline Mussolini’s dual policy
A
- M’s means of gaining power through parliamentary + violent means
- violence of squads: provided the basis of fascist strength/ means to overthrow parliament
- parliamentary means: M hoped to rise to position of PM via parliamentary means/ deals
12
Q
outline Mussolini’s March on Rome
A
- Oct 1922
- M used threat of a march as blackmail to get in a coalition
- 30,000 Squadrisiti/ Blackshirts took over government offices, police stations etc
- King Victor’s refused Facta’s request to declare a state of emergency + sign the Martial Law to use the army to stop the Fascists (he preferred M over Lib gov)
- this showed the Kings lack of confidence in PM Facta - Facta resigned, Salandra took over
13
Q
on ___, the King offered M the role of PM - was done through _ means
A
- on 29 Oct 1922, the King offered M the role of PM - was done partially through constitutional means
14
Q
what were the 4 variables in Ms creation of a Fascist dictatorship + e.gs of each
A
- mistakes from political opponents; e.g. PLT giving M year long emergency powers
- M’s control of PLT: e.g. appointing De’Stefani as Minister of Finance
- M’s control of PNF; e.g. jan 1923: made MVSN (absorbed Squadristi + formalised their role as paramilitary force)
- threat/ use of violence; e.g. in his maiden speech, threatened violence if not given emergency powers
15
Q
when + what was the Acerbo law
A
- passed in Nov 1923
- the fascists applied pressure by staging demonstrations in Tuscany + threatening violence if the bill didn’t pass
- 2/3 of PLT seats went to the party that won more than 25% of the vote
- this was significant as M could effectively marginalize + weaken opposition parties, making it easier to pass legislation and consolidate power
- PCI + PSI opposed it, Lib elites (e.g. Giolitti) supported it
16
Q
what percent of the vote did the PNF win in the Apr 1924 election
A
- 66.3%
17
Q
the Matteoti Crisis was in __, and resulted in the _
A
- the Matteoti Crisis was in may-jun 1924, and resulted in the Aventine Secession
18
Q
on the __, M made a speech to PLT in which he announced …
A
- on the 3rd of Jan 1925, M made a speech to PLT in which he announced the establishment of a Fascist dictatorship
19
Q
in _ __ , M was granted the ability to rule by decree permanantly
A
- in Jan 1925, M was granted the ability to rule by decree permanantly - he needed no consultation to make laws
20
Q
by the end of 1926, Italy…
A
- by the end of 1926, Italy was to all extents a one party police state and all opposition was eradicated
- M had created a personalised dictatorship from which he dominated both Italy + the PNF in his role as ‘Il Duce’
21
Q
in _, socialists were in control of _/69 provinces
A
- in 1920, socialists were in control of 26/69 provinces
22
Q
when was the National Fascist Party created
A
- Oct 1921
23
Q
outline the General Strike
A
- in July 1922
- socialist TUs called a general strike to get the Gov to act against Fascism
- M made used this opportunity to show the threat of the left + how only Fs could suppress it
- the strike quickly collapsed + M presented his Fascists as defenders of Italy
24
Q
outline the Fascist Grand Council
A
- established in Dec 1922 by M
- gave himself the right to make all appointments to the Council
25
in _ _, M combined the Fascist squads + paramilitary groups into the _
- in Jan 1923, M combined the Fascist squads + paramilitary groups into the MVSN
- M now had a private army
26
in __, M banned opposition parties and trade unions
- in Dec 1925, M banned opposition parties and trade unions
27
Fascist education policy focused more on … than …
- Fascist education policy focused more on obedience + indoctrination than raising educational standards
28
repressive press censorship laws were introduced in _
- repressive press censorship laws were introduced in 1925
29
outline the Fasci di Combattimento
- the Fasci was made up of ex-soldiers
- M formed it in march 1919
- all hated the liberal state + socialists
30
what was the policy of the Fasci
- by june 1919 they formed a program that was: anticlerical, abolition of monarchy, longer working days, progressive tax
- was a moderately left policy
31
outline the Fasci di Combattimento during the war
- they wore a black uniform to separate them from other soldiers
- their emblem was a black flag with a white skull biting a dagger
- they became the fascist party and fascist members were often known as 'black shirts'
32
outline the squadrismo/ squadrisiti
- formed to oppress socialism through extreme violence
33
only _ attended the first meeting of the Fasci in March 1919, but the party grew quickly to _ members by _
- only 50 attended the first meeting of the Fasci in March 1919, but the party grew quickly to 3000 members by June
34
what did the socialists do after the nov 1919 election
- they paraded a coffin symbolising Mussolini's finished political career through the streets of Milan
35
how did the liberals perform in the nov 1919 election
- they also did badly in this election - signaled the beginning of the end of the Lib Govt
36
outline the ras
- M encouraged the formation of armed squads across
Italy in 1920 - were made up of ex-soldiers
- the Ras were commanding officers who led organized squads
37
what + when was the Aventine secession
- June 1924
- over 100 anti-Fascist deputies left PLT claiming Govt was unconstitutional + established their own PLT on Aventine Hill
- was a weak move; it was easier for M to pass legislation through PLT with their absence, Aventine deputies couldn't agree on what to do
38
in __, more people turned to their local fascist squads who shared their hatred of _
- in Nov 1920, more people turned to their local fascist squads who shared their hatred of socialism
39
the weapons that fascists used to attack socialists were supplied by the _
- the weapons that fascists used to attack socialists were supplied by the local police
40
what did socialists do in Jan 1921
- the more radical members left to form the communists
- make opposition to fascism weaker
41
with Mussolini as the leading figure of fascism, it could be presented as a _ _, not a bunch of thugs
- with Mussolini as the leading figure of fascism, it could be presented as a national movement, not a bunch of thugs
42
what did Giolitti do in the lead up to the May 1921 election
- Giolitti allowed fascists on his electoral roll hoping it would gain the liberals more votes
- however, it just enabled M to gain respectability + a foothold in PLT
43
what did M sign in Aug 1921 + what did this show
- he signed the Pact of Pacification with socialist trade unions + the PSI
- shows that M is pragmatic (can work with everyone)
44
what happened at the PNF conference in Nov 1921
- Fascist delegates (MPs) overwhelmingly voted to support M as their leader and it became an official party
- M had cemented his position as leader through political manoeuvring
45
how was M favouring his dual policy in Sept-Oct 1922
- parliamentary means: promised that if the fascists were accepted within a Govt coalition, he would pursue a moderate conservative policy (supporting monarchy, reducing taxes)
- violent: M encouraged squads to attack towns controlled by Liberals (e.g. Trent). M was increasingly challenging the Govt itself
46
how many fascists attended the march on Rome
- 30,000
47
by _, the PNF had _ members
- by 1922, the PNF had 320,000 members
48
when was M made PM
- 30th Oct 1922
49
name 5 limitations to Ms power as PM in Oct 1922
- the law
- monarchy
- still doesn't have many seats (35)
- popularity of socialists (123 seats)
- PLT cabinet wasn't fascist
50
who did M appoint in Dec 1922
- M appointed Alberto De-Stefani as Conservative Minister of Finance
51
outline M's maiden speech
- in Nov 1922
- demanded a year of emergency powers through the threat of violence
- warned PLT that he had 300,000 young men ready to take violent action against deputies opposing him
- it was successful; passed 306: 116
52
when + what was the establishment of the MVSN
- in Jan 1923
- M created the MVSN which absorbed the Squadristi and formalized their role as a party based paramilitary force
- this gave the squadristi allegiance to M and allowed M to strengthen his control over the Blackshirts
53
when + was was the Fascist Grand Council
- established in Dec 1922
- the FGC was created to discuss key policies + elevate fascist leadership to the same position as the cabinet
54
in _ _, the _ was absorbed into the PNF
- in Feb 1923, the ANI (Nationalists) was absorbed into the PNF
55
what were the 4 factors that consolidated M's power in the Apr 1924 election
- violence
- weakness of opposition (parties like PSI, PCI, PPI were unable to unite against fascism)
- electoral support of prominent liberals (like Orlando + Salandra)
- a genuine belief that M could provide the strong leadership Italy needed
56
what were remaining limitations to Ms power after the 1924 election
- the King
- Italy is a democracy by law
- the PSI, PPI, PCI still had 88 seats between them
57
outline the background of the Matteoti Crisis
- may 1924: PCI leader Matteoti delivered a strong, 2 hour speech criticizing fascist violence + corruption during the election campaign, saying how the Fs only won due to the 'consequence of obscene violence'
- M was embarrassed by the speech, but was more concerned with the rumour that Matteoti had a file on Fascist corruption + was going to make it public
58
what were the 3 pressures facing M after the Matteoti crisis
1) old established elite: concerned about supporting a PM associated with murder
2) PSI, PCI, other antifascist parties called for M's dismissal + the fascists to be overthrown
3) Ras saw Matteoti's murder as the first step to Fascist revolution
59
what was M's view of WW1 (interventionist- noninterventionist)
- he agreed with socialists/ their neutrality on the war
- was jailed in 1911 for insurrection against the war in Libya
60
when did the Liberal govt collapse
- May 1921
61
outline an example of M's ability to control PLT
- he made clever deals with political opponents
- for example, with the PPI - gained their support through implementing more Christianity into his policies - e.g. reinstating crucifixes in schools
62
outline the Fascists April 1924 election campaign
- the Fascist campaign was tainted by violence + intimidation by Fascist black shirts who destroyed hundreds of opposition clubs + offices
- they even murdered the PSI candidate Antonio Piccinini despite the fact that M was trying to suppress violence
63
what was the National List
- the Fascists' electoral list of candidates
- by 1924, several prominent Liberals were on it - e.g. Orlando + Salandra
- showed M was moderate + willing to compromise
64
outline the events of the Matteoti Crisis
- June 1924: Matteoti was kidnapped
- Aug: Matteoti's body was found with stab wounds
- evidence + witness testimonies pointed towards M's/ PNF involvement in the murder
- the association of the PNF + its leader with the murder of a political leader threatened to topple the PNF govt
- large crowds gathered to protest, people tore up fascist membership cards, press was critical, communists called for a general strike
65
it was the fear of _ that gave M the backing of the Pope, Army, business elites and the King - evident in events such as...
- it was the fear of socialism that gave M the backing of the Pope, Army, business elites and the King - evident in events such as the Matteoti Crisis, when the King did nothing
66
how did M deal with the Matteoti Crisis
- to reassure the political elites, M gave the positions of Interior and Justice Minister to Nationalists, Luigi Federzoni + Alfredo Rocco
- he ordered the Ras to stop all forms of violence although the Ras didnt want to
67
how did the Matteoti crisis further contribute to the extension of Mussolini's power
- reduced the strength of anti-fascists in PLT, making it easier for M to pass legislation
- consolidated support of key groups (+ new groups - e.g. senate)
- gave M greater confidence
68
what was the Fascist ideology in terms of labour in 1919
- 8 hour work day for all
- a minimum wage
- the participation of workers unions
- to show the same confidence to labour unions as is given to industry executives
69
what was the Fascist ideology of military affairs like in 1919
- disagrees with compulsory military service
- peaceful but competitive foreign policy
70
what was the Fascist ideology of the church like in 1919
- overall was anti-clerical + wated the confiscation of all church property (to deplete their wealth)
- abolition of Bishop titles
71
what was the Fascist ideology of monarchy/ elites like in 1919
- removal of monarchy - republic
- removal of all noble titles
72
outline the vision of Fascism in the New Programme
- adopted in May 1920
- wanted a united Italy led by ex-servicemen
- nationalism was key
- the strong bonds formed by soldiers in WW1 (trinserocrazia) was key to leading a politically + economically + socially united country
73
what was the Fascist ideology of labour in May 1920 (New Programme)
- anti-socialist with fascist unions replacing the current unions
- no mention of minimum wage
74
what was the Fascist ideology of taxation in May 1920 (New Programme)
- privatisation of all industries
- a less progressive tax system - proportional taxation
75
what was the Fascist ideology of military affairs in May 1920 (New Programme)
- compulsory military service
- foreign policy to raise Italy to Great Power status
- focused on training future soldiers in schools
76
what was the Fascist ideology of monarchy/ elites in May 1920 (New Programme)
- no mention of removal of noble titles or monarchy
77
outline the result of Mussolini's March on Rome
- on 29th Oct 1922, 2 days after the start of M's March, the King appointed M as PM
- 31st Oct: Fascists did a symbolic march into Rome to celebrate their victory
78
outline the 4 causes of the March on Rome
1) post WW1 discontent: many Italians, like M, were frustrated with the economic struggles + political instability (e.g. socialist uprisings, weak gov) from WW1
2) growth of Fascism: they were growing in supprt - more confident to take power
3) weak Lib Gov: PM Facta struggled to control Italy + was viewed as incapable of stopping Socialism - Fascists had to do it
4) Fascist violence: the past success of violence showed M that it was a useful tool for gaining power
79
the newly elected (_) Pope _ _ feared _, and so was willing to support Mussolini
- the newly elected (1922) Pope Pius XI feared communism, and so was willing to support Mussolini
80
M _ out the Bank of _ in _ which helped the Church
- M bailed out the Bank of Rome in 1923 which helped the Church
