The Liberal State (1911-18)

Question 1

What important rights did the Statuto (1848) garuntee?

Answer 1

• Equality before the law
• The right of free assembly
• A free press

Question 2

Who was the Prime Minister between 1903-14?

Answer 2

Giovanni Giolitti

Question 3

What was Giolitti’s vision for Italy?

Answer 3

Stronger, united and modernised.

Question 4

What were Giolitti’s reforms?

Answer 4

Related to welfare, literacy and economic prosperity. For example, he enacted measures to allow unions and workers to organise, protest and strike. He hoped his welfare measures would bring more prosperity to the alienated wokers and peasants, reducing their interest in striking.

Question 5

What political groups did Giolitti target to ‘get on side’ for coalition?

Answer 5

• The socialists - they had been very successful in elections, winning 20% of the vote in 1909
• The Catholics - he was the first Liberal to appeal successfully to the Catholic vote. He saw the Catholics as a balance to the Socialists.

Question 6

What political party posed the greatest threat to Giolitti?

Answer 6

The Nationalists. They hated Giolitti’s foriegn policy and took advantage of a popular mood that bemoaned Italy’s status in Europe, its lack of colonies, economic backwardness and defeat at Adowa.

Question 7

What were some of the King’s powers?

Answer 7

• Appoint and dismiss government ministers and senetors, including the prime minister
• Control foreign policy

Question 8

What were the two chambers in the Italian parliament?

Answer 8

The senate and the Chamber of Deputies

Question 9

What was the Senate and who were in it?

Answer 9

The senate was the upper house. Senators were appointed by the King for life.

Question 10

What was the Chamber of Deputies and who were in it?

Answer 10

The Chamber of Deputies was the lower house. It was elected every five years and had more political power than the Senate. Government ministers were chosen from here.

Question 11

What percentage of adult men could vote in before 1912?

Answer 11

25%

Question 12

What was Transformisimo?

Answer 12

The system of coalition-building between political parties.

Question 13

In the years 1900-11, how many different governments did Italy have?

Answer 13

Nine. Only one lasted for more than two years.

Question 14

What were the six key political parties?

Answer 14

• Liberals
• Radicals and Republicans
• Socialists
• Catholics
• Nationalists

Question 15

What problems made the North/South divide even more pronounced?

Answer 15

Economic growth was concentrated in the North, and well- intentioned agricultural policies negatively affected the people of the South.

Question 16

What was the result of people feeling that the government’s economic policies had not improved their lives?

Answer 16

An increase in support for more radical political parties.

Question 17

Under Giolitti, there was considerable economic growth. What did the state invest in and encourage?

Answer 17

Investment in industries and encourage the use of new technology.

Question 18

Between 1896 and 1913, by what percent did industrial profits grow?

Answer 18

10.6%

Question 19

By what percent did exports increase, per year?

Answer 19

4.5%

Question 20

What were Francesco Saverio Nitti’s policies encouraging?

Answer 20

Laws to encourage growth, the construction of aqueducts and tax incentives and loans in the South.

Question 21

Why did the ending of internal tariffs and start of free trade damaging to the Southern economy?

Answer 21

The Southern elites wanted to protects their traditional privileges rather than introduce change and modernity.

Question 22

Name three key social problems in the early twentieth century.

Answer 22

• Poverty - landless labourers were particularly vulnerable to poverty as they had no job security.
• Disease - typhus, rickets and cholera were widespread in Italy. TB and malaria killed many in the South, even until the 1930s.
• Illiteracy - more than 69% of Italians were illiterate. Illiteracy rates were higher in the South where 80% were illiterate.

Question 23

What policies did Giolitti introduce to address social problems?

Answer 23

• sickness, accident and pension schemes
• raising the minimum working age to 12
• setting a maximum number of working hours
• placing responsibility for primary schooling on central government, which was more interested on increasing literacy rates than regional authorities
• reducing food taxes to make food more affordable
• passing laws to establish public holidays amd provide free treatment for malaria

Question 24

Between 1912-13 how many people left Italy?

Answer 24

Around 1.5 million

Question 25

What were the key reasons for Italy's invasion of Libya in 1911?

Answer 25

- Italy wanted to assert colonial claims in North Africa in response to France's efforts to expand in the region. - Powerful Italian business interests pushed for the invasion after establishing investments in Libya - Popular opinion was strongly in favour of the invasion - Giolitti hoped that a successful Libyan war would weaken Nationalistic support.

Question 26

What was the financial cost of the Libyan war?

Answer 26

1,300 Lire

Question 27

How many Italian troops died in the Libyan war?

Answer 27

3,500

Question 28

What was the negative impact of the war on Giolitti?

Answer 28

The Nationalists claimed responsibility for pushing Giolitti into taking action, gaining popularity as a reult. They also blamed Giolitti for the loss of life and the cost of the war, arguing that had it been managed properly Italy would have had even more success.

Question 29

What did Italian soliders fighting in the Libyan war get as a reward?

Answer 29

The extension of the electoral franchise in 1912 to all literate males over the age of 21 and all males regardless of education over the age of 30.

Question 30

What happened in the 1913 elections?

Answer 30

The Liberals won fewer seats, however Giolitti still had a comfortable majority control of the Chamber of Deputies and he was able to form a coalition with the support of the Catholic Union.

Question 31

Why did Giolitti lose the support of the Radicals and Socialists in 1914?

Answer 31

Because his coalition had the support of the Catholic Union, he was forced to make concessions such as making civil marriages precede a religious service.

Question 32

When did Giolitti resign as Prime Minister?

Answer 32

21 March 1914

Question 33

Why did Giolitti resign?

Answer 33

By 1914, he was facing opposition from all sides. The Radicals withdrew support because of the concessions to the Catholics, leading to the collapse of the coalition and ultimately the end of his 'system' and Transformisimo.

Question 34

Who was the new Prime Minister after Giolitti resigned?

Answer 34

Antonio Salandra

Question 35

When WW1 broke out in August 1914, which side did Italy declare herself on?

Answer 35

She didn't. Italy decalred herself neutral, continuing Giolitti's poilices and had been agreed in understandings with the Entente Powers.

Question 36

Why was there strong support for Italy remaining neutral in WW1?

Answer 36

- An alliance with Germany and Austria-Hungary was unattractive because of the Italian aim of regaining territory from Austria-Hungary. - Neutrality was seen as a better option economically and militarily. - The Catholics and the political parties of the left opposed intervention. Many wanted to prioritise domestic issues rather than war.

Question 37

Between 1914 and 1915, popular support moved towards supporting intervention. Why?

Answer 37

- The Nationalist movement began campaigning for intervention in favour of the Entente Powers instead of the Central Powers as it was hoped that Italy could expand its territory that way. - The Nationslists used the press to popularise their views. Allied propaganda also supported them. The former Socialist journalist Benito Mussolini and the poet and Nationalist Gabriele D'Annunzio were vocal in their support. - The Police and Military supported intervention by encouraging pro-intervention demonstrations and breaking up those arranged to protest against it.

Question 38

What was the Treaty of London, 1915?

Answer 38

Salandra was in favour of a treaty with the Entente Powers because of the potential to make large territorial gains. Salandra negotiated with both sides, but Britain and France promised a range of territorial gains for Italy. The Treaty of London was negotiated in secret by Salandra and the King - parliament was forced to accept it.

Question 39

What caused the fall of Salandra's government?

Answer 39

Austria's first major offensive in Northern Italy took place in 1916. It was contained by the Italians but the scale of the threat caused discontent in both the army and government.

Question 40

What happened at Caporetto 1917?

Answer 40

In October 1917, Austrian and German forces mounted a sudden attack at Caporetto. They shelled Italian forces and used gas. Italy's reponse was chaotic and two hundred thousand soliders lost contact with their regiments, and thousands of troops fled down the hills in a frenzy of confusion.

Question 41

What were the serious consequences facing the economy after the war?

Answer 41

- an economic government budget deficit - a huge rise in the national debt - debts of more than 15 billion lire to Britain and 8.5 billion to the USA - inflation, large rises and significant economic instability

Question 42

What made economic recovery after the war so hard?

Answer 42

The economy was still short of natural resources, exports were low and the consumer market was weak.

Question 43

How many Itlians died fighting in WW1?

Answer 43

Approx 700,000

Question 44

What happened at the Paris Peace Conference 1919-20?

Answer 44

The Treaty of London had promised Italy substantial territorial gains. At the peace conference, Italy gained some territory but Orlando had expected to gain the port of Fiume, the whole Dalmatia and a number of colonial territories. He walked out the conference in disgust leading to Italy making no territorial gains.

Question 45

What was the result of the Paris Peace Conference in Italy?

Answer 45

Nationalists saw the it as a betrayal of the country's efforts during the war, and regarded the settlement as a 'mutilated victory'. It was a significant factor in causing post-war instability.