The importance of the King in Mussolini's rise to power

Question 1

How old was Emmanuel III upon ascending to the throne?

Answer 1

30

Question 2

Why were public events so stressful for Emmanuel?

Answer 2

He was shy, introverted and lacking in presence

Question 3

Where would Emmanuel retire to avoid the stress of politics?

Answer 3

His county estates, the island of Monte Cristo or his favourite coastal residence of San Rossore

Question 4

What influenced Emmanuel’s decision to shield himself behind liberal government?

Answer 4

His father’s political involvement had led to assassination

Question 5

What did the constitution give Emmanuel the right to do?

Answer 5

• Declare war
• Choose the PM, regardless of whether they had the confidence of a majority of the chamber of deputies

Question 6

Who were the ras quadrumirs?

Answer 6

The leaders

Question 7

Name the 4 ras quadrumirs

Answer 7

• Balbo
• Biancchi
• De Bono
• De Vecchi

Question 8

Where was Emmanuel in the autumn of 1922?

Answer 8

At San Rossore, hunting and cataloguing his world famous coin and medal collection

Question 9

How did Emmanuel think the fascist threat would be solved?

Answer 9

He thought Giolitti would return to power and fascism would either be absorbed or disintigrate

Question 10

What did conservatives like Albertini tell the King about fascism?

Answer 10

That it could be constitutionalised

Question 11

Why was the anti-Giolitti stance adopted by the liberals such a mistake?

Answer 11

Giolitti was the one politician MUssolini feared

Question 12

How did the King react to being made aware of the fascist plans for a mark two weeks in advance?

Answer 12

He remained out of Rome, believing the fascist threat would fizzle out

Question 13

What made Emmanuel return to Rome on the 27th October?

Answer 13

Facta’s insistence

Question 14

How did Facta’s cabinet try to help in dealing with the fascist threat?

Answer 14

They offered to dissolve their portfolios so the fascists could be incorporated into government

Question 15

What did General Bagdolio tell Emmanuel?

Answer 15

That the army could rout out the fascist threat with ease

Question 16

What did General Pugliese (commander of Rome) inform Emmanuel?

Answer 16

That Rome was impregnable

Question 17

What did General Cittadini tell the cabinet?

Answer 17

That martial law was vital; the cabinet unanimously agreed

Question 18

Why did Emmanuel revoke his decision to impose martial law?

Answer 18

• He considered Pugliese’s 30,000 troops to be weak in a confrontation against 100,000 blackshirts
• He thought the political vacuum could be exploited by a Bolshevik coup

Question 19

Why was the King wrong to waver on the decision to impose martial law?

Answer 19

• The fascists had no more than 10,000 poorly equipped men
• Pugliese had 30,000 loyal troops fully armed with machine guns, armoured cars and artillery
• 400 policemen had allied with local trade unions to cut off rail links to Rome and the road network was sealed with barricades
• Blueshirt nationalists had said they would fight with the army
• De Vecchi informed Mussolini he would not march without the support of the King
• Mussolini was already preparing for voluntary exile to Switzerland

Question 20

What did futurist Giovanni Papini criticise the King for having a proclivity for doing?

Answer 20

Surrounding himself with courtiers who gave him ridiculously bad advice

Question 21

What did the Emmanuel believe about his duty as King?

Answer 21

He believed his duty was to preserve the dynasty of the Savoy-Piedmont family

Question 22

Who were the only people the King communicated with in the lead up to his decision to revoke martial law?

Answer 22

• General Diaz and Salandra; both of whom believed it would be wise to try and incorporate Mussolini into government
• Salandra argued that he could lead a right of centre government and give Mussolini a post in it
• Diaz was worried that a Giolitti-led government would place greater political control on the High Command and that this would lead to genuine democratic accountability
• Diaz had also been promised greater army autonomy by the fascists, which may have influenced his decision to tell the King that he doubted the army’s ability to deal with the blackshirts

Question 23

Ultimately, what two major effects did the king’s actions have?

Answer 23

They gave confidence to the fascists while causing confusion and demoralisation to the forces of democracy