The Fascist State 1925-40 Flashcards
who was M’s main obstacle to power at this point
- the King
in __, all other political parties were banned
- in Nov 1926, all other political parties were banned
_ Italians were sent to Confino, _ were arrested for anti-fascist activities
- 10,000 Italians were sent to Confino, hundreds were arrested for anti-fascist activities - was little serious opposition
when was the ONB formed
- April 1926
outline the girls’ organizations under the ONB young girls’ organization
- Daughters of the She Wolf: for girls aged 6-8yrs
- Little Italians: 8-13yrs
- Young Italian Women: 14-17yrs
- many activities were based on becoming good mothers + physical fitness
what was the OND
- OND provided workers with social + sporting opportunities - e.g. cycling groups, plays
- OND membership gave workers discounted rail tickets + subsidized holidays
- was subtle propaganda - was ideologically free but gained M support + prestige
there were increased _ for newspapers that said positive things about _
- there were increased subsidies for newspapers that said positive things about M
by _, the OND had over _ members
- by 1939, the OND had over 4m members
by _, there were over _ registered radio sets
- by 1938, there were over 1m registered radio sets
_ newspapers only accounted for _% of the entire newspaper sales in Italy
- fascist newspapers only accounted for 10% of the entire newspaper sales in Italy
to spread the idea of the Cult of il Duce, _ photos of M was circulated
- to spread the idea of the Cult of il Duce, 30 million photos of M was circulated
what was the Fascist slogan
- “Mussolini is always right”
when was the National Institute of Fascist Culture created + what was it
- created in 1926
- encouraged mass participation in Fascist culture
what were films like in Fascist Italy + an example
- films were made to glorify Fascism
- e.g. The Siege of Alcazar
after _, the PNF was used as …
- after 1926, the PNF was used as an instrument for M rather than a functioning party for the betterment of Italy
in _, only _% of judges were members of the PNF but was made compulsory in _
- in 1927, only 15% of judges were members of the PNF but was made compulsory in 1935
what was the Gov like under M
- was centralized by 1925
- M was head of foreign affairs, minister for interior + armed forces - he didn’t want to share power
- no elections - all ministers appointed by M
- local Govts replaced by Podesta (authoritarian figures loyal to M)
- PLT lost the ability to debate + discuss policy - only M could
- free elections ceased to exist
when + what was the Vidoni Pact
- made in 1925
- socialist TUs + strikes were outlawed
- Fascists were the only representative body for workers
outline the revaluation of the Lira/ Battle for Lira
- the ‘Battle for Lira’ was launched in Aug 1926
- it aimed to revalue the Lira after it’s value had fallen against the British pound
- by 1927, the Lira was artificially fixed at 19 to 1 American dollar
outline the Corporate State
- set up in 1926
- was an economic policy to avoid industrial disputes + boost output
- corporations would be established in every sector of industry, which would rule it
- strikes, go-slows + lock-outs were still banned
- wasn’t successful for the economy but was good propaganda
outline M’s autarky
- began in 1925
- M aimed to make Italy self sufficient
- was driven by decline in overseas trade, econ sanctions placed on Italy due to actions in Africa, prep for war
- developed synthetic substitutes - e.g. lanital instead of wool
why was radio an effective instrument of indoctrination
- people didn’t have to be literate to access the content
what was the EUR
- the EUR was the largest building project under M
- was in Rome, consisted of apartments, monuments etc
after establishing the dictatorship in __, _ as a means of control decreased
- after establishing the dictatorship in Jan 1925, violence as a means of control decreased
was the Gov under M efficient
- no
- in promoting those loyal to M, the quality of those in Gov were poor
unemployment tripled between -
- unemployment tripled between 1926-28
outline the Battle for the Grain
- from 1925
- aimed to make Italy self-sufficient in grain
- as Italy had to make large imports of grain to feed people which would be a weakness in the case of a war
what did Salandra do in Dec 1924
- Salandra had declared his opposition to M who became worried that S could influence the King
- S + his group of Libs were on the brink of leaving the coalition, which could influence others
what did M do on the 12 Jan 1925 to consolidate his power
- M formed a new cabinet
- M took on the role of PM, Minister of Foreign Affairs, War, Navy and Aviation
in _ _, M met with _ leaders who demanded…
- in Dec 1924, M met with squad leaders who demanded he defend the Fascist revolution + clamp down on opposition or they would remove him as leader of the PNF
when + how did M announce his Fascist dictatorship
- Jan 3rd 1925
- M made a speech to PLT announcing the est of a fascist dictatorship - a personal rule under M (who had taken responsibility + blamed opposition for the breakdown of democracy)
what did M do on the 2 Oct 1925 to consolidate his power
- M announced the Vidoni Pact - est the Fascist unions as the sole of Italy’s workers
what did M do in Feb 1925 to consolidate his power
- appointed Farinacci as the PNF secretary to get rid of Radical PNF members
- diluted squad powers
what did M do in Oct 1925 to consolidate his power
- the Fascist Grand Council approved a motion for the Ras to disband any squads - the power of the Ras + Squads was no more
- M gained military support for dictatorship by increasing pay
what were 2 laws put in place in Aug 1925
- press law that meant all journalism had to be approved by the state
- new law giving state the power to sack any employee whose actions went against the PNF
in _ _, M granted the ability to ____
- in Jan 1926, M granted the ability to rule by decree
when + why was Mussolini’s fascist dictatorship fully established
- 31st Oct 1926 after another failed assassination attempt against M
- opposition leaders fled into exile
- local govts were abolished - replaced by Podesta
- prefects were made more powerful than the Ras
when were all opposition groups + trade unions banned
- December 1925
- this was extended to ALL political parties in 1926
what was Confino
- where potentially dangerous anti-fascists were exiled
- it was financially devastating for those sent away
- their families faced discrimination,
- it was difficult to reintegrate back into society after
outline OVRA
- formed in 1927 by Bocchini to spy on Italians
- there were about 5,000 informers
- OVRA infiltrated universities, businesses, Italian’s mail + phone calls
the regime carried out only _ death sentences pre WW2
- the regime carried out only 9 death sentences pre WW2 - showed little serious opposition
name some changes made in education
- a painting of M was put in every classroom
- history textbooks were replaced with ones glorifying italy
- all teachers had to be part of the PNF by 1933
what was the ONB + the boys program
- it was an organization that aimed to physically + morally benefit youth
- the boys’ program was for 8-18yrs and was largely centered around physical fitness + producing young Fascist soldiers
outline tasks boys and girls did in their youth programs under the ONB
- girls did gymnastics to ensure they’d be healthy + fit mothers
- children were taught about ‘great hearos of Italy’ such as M
- they were taught about the poor treatment of WW1 soldiers + how fascism saved Italy from communism
name failures of the ONB
- youth participation was motivated by fun social occasions, not fascist belief
- was a divide between north + south and boy + girls participation - most southerners + girls weren’t likely to be in education post 11yrs
what was the fascist view of universities form a propaganda standpoint
- indoctrination of university students were less of a priority as the govt believed their indoctrination would have worked already
- however, students were still expected to join University fascist Youth
the number of uni students rose from _ in _ to _ in _
- the number of uni students rose from 54,000 in 1921 to 165,000 in 1942
only _ of _ uni students refused to join the PNF/ swear allegiance
- only 11 of 1,250 uni students refused to join the PNF/ swear allegiance
when was the OND set up
- set up in 1925
M’s fascist paper _ had a circulation of around _
- M’s fascist paper ‘Popolo d’Italia’ had a circulation of around 100,000
outline press censorship under M
- laws restricting freedom of press were passed in 1926
- Govt had the power to confiscate editions + shut down press that was deemed anti-fascist
journalists weren’t allowed to publish work on ___ etc so not to stain Italy’s image of no social issues
- journalists weren’t allowed to publish work on crime, suicide etc so not to stain Italy’s image of no social issues
what did fascist propaganda aim to do
- aimed to unify Italians with a shared patriotic feeling that celebrated Italy’s history
outline the Cult of il duce
- an image that was spread through posters, in cinemas, news, radio etc which portrayed M as a leader of immense ability who was leading Italy to greatness
- M was made to be a dynamic leader, sportsman, swimmer, attractive + a family man
outline a success + failure of the cult of il duce
- S: created the idea that M stood above the PNF party - he was a leader of Italy
- F: it focused on 1 leader, rather than an ideology that could continue after M died - difficult for Fascism to survive
outline the Exhibition of the Fascist Revolution
- held in 1932 to celebrate 10 years of Fascist rule
- artists created artwork representing this achievement
name an example of Fascist theatre
- Giuseppe Forzano produced 3 plays providing the story of 3 great patriotic leaders who were linked to M
how did M deal with the King
- M slowly reduced the Ks power; K Victor Emmanuel III allowed his erosion of power as long as he was kept as King
- allowed K to remain head of state with the power to remove M
- M was willing to keep the K as long as it suited him
- K wasn’t a great supporter of fascism but wasn’t willing to oppose it - e.g. didn’t get rid of anti-Semitic decrees in 1938
name an example of M reducing the Kings power + its significance
- in June 1940, M took complete control of the military - which used to be in the King’s control
- this was significant as it encouraged the armed forces + state administration to accept the fascist dictatorship
what happened to the Fascist Grand Council in 1928
- the FGC was formalized in Dec 1928 as the most important legal body in the state
- all major matters now had to be discussed + approved by the FGC
- in reality it had little influence - M still retained the power to appoint top PNF leaders + set laws
how did M treat conservative elites
- M wanted to work with CEs (the army + civil service) to cement + retain his power
- M allowed the military to run independently (+ they swore loyalty)
- promoted senior generals to the high post of ‘field marshal’
- most civil servants kept their jobs
- M used civil servant’s sympathy by rewarding loyalty + introducing Conservative policies
- M’s approach resulted in greater acceptance of M’s dictatorship, strengthening his position
membership of the PNF increased in the 1930s, due to the realization that …
- membership of the PNF increased in the 1930s, due to the realization that promotion of conservative elites depended on being a card-carrying supporter of the regime
how did M treat the judiciary
- M purged ‘undesirable elements’, anti-fascist judges were replaced with fascist ones - judiciary was no longer impartial
- imprisonment w/o trial become more common
- M handling of the judiciary ensured his control of future opposition
how did M treat local governments
- local govts were put under the control of the conservative elites
- locals self-govt + elected majors were abolished and replaced by officials appointed from Rome
- Prefects remained as governors of states, they organized police + censored press + were appointed by M
- local councils were run by the Podesta who carried out Ms political polices
what are the 4 main ways M cemented his power
- minimized the power of his own party
- purged party with those who disagreed with M
- removed men of power from the party/ potential rivals
- compromised with different groups in party
by _, M had purged _ members of the PNF and _ left voluntarily
- by 1929, M had purged 50-60,000 members of the PNF and 110,000 left voluntarily
what was Ms knowledge of the economy like
- M was not an economist + had little interest/ understanding in economics
how did M treat the PNF
- M minimized the power of his own political party; the PNF served the Duce
- 1925: Farinacci purged the party who disagreed with M
- 1929: purged 60,000 members
- men of drive + ambition were removed from power - e.g. Italo Balbo
outline the 4 different groups within the PNF party
the PNF was a collection of groups with different views and priorities:
- squads: demanded continuation of violent raids
- ex-socialists: wanted reorganization of industry
- nationalists: wanted change to the WW1 peace settlement
- conservatives: wanted restorations of law and order
- M united them
what are the 3 ways to measure the success of M’s economic policies
1) how far they helped him achieve his wider aims
2) his policies’ impact on the Italian economy + Italian people/ standard of living
3) how far M’s policies helped Italy cope with the economic pressures created by external events
what was the goal of M’s early economic policies
- to win over the powerful industrial Italian elite
outline some of M’s early economic policies
- appointed De’Stefani as Minister of Finance
- privatising industries - e.g. telephone sector
- reduced Govt spending
- Vidoni Pact 1925
exports, particularly that of cars, textiles + agricultural products doubled between __-__
- exports, particularly that of cars, textiles + agricultural products doubled between 1922-25
what are 4 criteria for measuring success of economic policies
- increased M’s control
- increased M’s prestige
- improved the economy
- improved lives of workers + Italian people
was the revaluation of the Lira/ Battle for Lira a success
- the revaluation was for propaganda purposes - to make the Italian econ seem strong, boost Italian prestige + pride
- it actually crippled Italian exports for foreign buyers as they were nearly twice as expensive
- this exemplified how M’s economic policies had shifted to representing his power rather than the actual economic needs of the Italian people
as a result of the revaluation of the Lira, Italian exports industries, like _, went into depression - unemployment trebled between __-__
- as a result of the revaluation of the Lira, Italian exports industries, like textiles, went into depression - unemployment trebled between 1926-28
what was the charter in the corporate state
- in 1927, the ‘Charter of Labour’ was drawn up
- it guaranteed workers’ rights in employment, social insurance and welfare
name 2 failures of the corporate state
- The Charter was never followed through
- it was propaganda - workers were represented by Fascist officials who supported business owner’s interests
what are 2 successes of the corporate state
- damaging industrial disputes were mainly avoided, this limited effects of the depression
- increased M’s prestige; M had ‘solved class conflict’
how did M respond to the Great Depression
- public work schemes: road building, house construction to keep employment levels stable
- Govt funding for road building: doubled between 1929-33
- welfare increased: to ease those unemployed
- wages were cut + companies merged
- institutions were set up: IMI, IRI
what were the institutions set up to help with the Great Depression
- IMI: protected Italian businesses against collapse with loans from banks
- IRI: prevented banks + private comapnies from collapsing with loans
outline the successes of autarky
- agricultural products like cereals + wool were stockpiled to boost reserves meaning supply + prices were stable
- autarky goods were cheaper than those from abroad
outline the failures of autarky
- Govt spending on autarky measures doubled from 30 billion to 60 billion lire in 1934-38
- industries like textiles suffered as they weren’t prioritised
what was the Battle for Births
- announced in May 1927
- aimed to increase the Italian population form 40 million to 60 million by the 1950s
- a larger population would make italy stronger economically
- M hoped to improve relations with the Catholic Church as the family is at the heart of Catholic values
- a variety of laws were put in place
what are some of the laws put in place for the Battle of Births
- married men with 6 or more children paid no tax
- contraception + abortion were banned
- medals for women with large numbers of children
- employment made more available to married men with children
- loans to married couples - not paid back if they have 6 children
was ruralisation successful
- no, only 5% of southern land was reclaimed for farm use
- but, the drained marshes reduced malaria by 50%
was the Battle for Births successful
- no
- marriage rates stagnated + birth rate declined until 1936
in the late 30s, the birth rate of _ births per 1000 was lower than the _ BR of _ per 1000
- in the late 30s, the birth rate of 102 births per 1000 was lower than the 1911 BR of 147 per 1000
outline ruralisation
- a policy announced in May 1927
- aimed to retain Italy’s peasant population to maintain tradition + increase birth rate
- peasants were encouraged to stay in rural areas + land was reclaimed for farmland
outline 2 successes of the Battle for Grain
- wheat production inc by 50% 1914-38
- foreign imports of grain reduced by 75%
what was implemented in the Battle for Grain
- educated farmers on new growing techniques + provided fertilisers
- press photographers were always there to picture M visiting farms + helping with harvests
outline 2 failures of the Battle for Grain
- by the late 1930s, families were paying 400 Lire extra in food costs in comparison to 1920s + living standards were declining
- by 1933, Italy was still dependent on imports
welfare spending increased; spending went from _% to _% between -
- welfare spending increased; spending went from 7% to 20% between 1930-40
how many corporations were made in the corporate state policy
- 22
due to the Battle for _, Wheat production increased by _%
- due to the Battle for Grain, Wheat production increased by 50%
