The Rise Of Mussolini And The Creation Of A Fascist Dictatorship 1919-26 Flashcards
1
Q
Tensions due to end of WWI
A
- ex-soldiers felt betrayed
- campaign against Austria had been funded through foreign loans + printing more money
- debt + inflation
- rising tension in the south as returning conscripts wanted promised land reforms - forcefully occupied farmland
- in the north there was tension between exempted men vs returning soldiers
- lack of unity
2
Q
Paris Peace Conference at Versailles
A
- January 1919
- PM Vittorio Orlando argued that’s all land promised in the 1915 Treaty of London should be given + Fiume
- it had a small Italian population and so should be given on the principle of nationality
- US president Woodrow Wilson + British PM David Lloyd + French PM Georges Clemenceau - rejected claim on Fiume + Dodecanese Islands + part of the Balkans
- Italy’s war contributions didn’t justify its territorial claims
- Orlando + Sonnino argued he needed the land to justify the war effort to the Italians
- Orlando walked out of the conference in April 1919
3
Q
Paris Peace Conference 1919 May onwards
A
- Britain + France took Germany’s African colonies in Italy’s absence
- Orlando tried to return in May 1919 - his proposals were ignored
- June 1919 Vittorio Orlando resigned as PM
- Italy acquired Trente + Trieste + Istria + northern Dalmatia as part of the Treaty of London 1915
- failure to gain Fiume or African colonies undermined the liberal gov
4
Q
Mutilated Victory Myth
A
- used by Italian nationalists and Italian irredendists to describe their dissatisfaction concerning territorial rewards in return for war efforts
- national shame
- disgraced the 600k soldiers who lost their lives in the war
- made the liberal gov seem weak
5
Q
Francesco Nitti
A
- replaced Orlando as PM
- Italy’s weak economy + need for coal + money of the Allies meant that Nitti played down Italy’s claims
- wanted to maintain strong relation with the Allies
- allowed Yugoslavia to take Dalmatia
- allowed Fiume to be a neutral city under the protection of the League of Nations
- reduced military spending + issued amnesty to Italian soldiers that had deserted
- condemned as the Cagoia - coward
- fascists would focus on the mutilated victory idea
6
Q
Occupation of Fiume
A
- nationalist right-wing group challenged the gov in Rome - young men + demobilised soldiers
- most prominent leader was Gabriele d’Annunzio - had led protests in 1914 calling for Italy’s entry to WW1
- 12 September 1919 Gabriele + 2k men made of ex-soldiers + Futurists + students seized the port of Fiume without fight
- the Italian gov failed to act for 15 months - d’Annunzio + small army removed on Christmas 1920
- Gabriele had shown the frailties of the gov + power of assertive nationalism
7
Q
What did Mussolini learn from Gabriele d’Annunzio
A
- assertive nationalism
- use of squadrons
- balcony speeches
- use of reporters for PR
- posters as propaganda
- processions
- parties
8
Q
Futurists
A
- cultural + artistic movement - formed in 1909 by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti
- celebrated violence + patriotism + destruction
- believed war would bring about a new more militaristic society
- despised liberal system + idea of mutilated victory
- some of the founding members of the Fascists - disappointed that Mussolini wasn’t more radical
9
Q
Gabriele d’Annunzio
A
- was the most famous poet in Italy during WW1
- led protests calling for Italy’s entry into WW1
- believed war would be a unifying force that would lead to a more militaristic society
- dropped 400k leaflets propaganda over Vienna in a plane
- fascist slogan Me ne frego - I don’t give a damn
- emotional speeches
10
Q
Post war economic crisis
A
- millions of demobilised soldiers flooded the job market
- by November 1919 unemployment reached 2 million
- many companies like Fiat + Ansaldo + Ilva struggled to stay afloat post-war
- Ansaldo + Ilva - major munitions companies - collapsed in 1921 causing a banking crisis
- Banca Di Sconta - major bank - had been tied to Ansaldo - forced to close
- economic recession in late 1920
11
Q
Post-War Social Discontent
A
- after WW1 ended, the previously jailed anarchist + socialist radicals were released
- major strikes + factory occupations + violent riots
- membership of the socialist unions had grown from 250k in 1918 to 2 million by 1920
- in 1919 rising food prices had caused riots in northern + central Italy - protestors looted granaries +shops
12
Q
Specific strikes 1920
A
- January railway strikes
- April + September telegraph worker strikes
- July army troops’ strike
- September (largest strike) - factory worker strike with over 400k workers taking over factories + flying red communist flag + black anarchist flags for nearly 4 weeks - gov eventually ended the strike
13
Q
Biennio Rosso
A
- translates to Two Red Years
- period between 1919-20
- when left-wing socialist + communist organisations were at their peak
- created fear + chaos that encouraged people to support the fascists for stability
- fascists were violently confronting the left-wing movement
- liberal gov trying to find a compromise with the workers
14
Q
Post-War Countryside
A
- the gov had made big land reform promises during WW1
- only some land made available for peasants to buy - didn’t satisfy the number of farmer demanding land for farming
- many peasants seized land from the owners - simply marched into barren + uncultivated land and planted a flag and set to work
- land occupations alarmed wealthy landowners
15
Q
Rural socialist unions
A
- rural socialist unions were particularly strong in areas like Ferrara + Bologna - controlled employment of rural labourers
- excluded farm labourers that weren’t socialist union members
- carried out violent attacks on workers + farmers who refused to join union
- landowners felt threatened by rising rural socialist militancy + weak gov response
16
Q
Changed before 1919 election
A
- Italian parliamentary elections in 1919 took place against a backdrop of political upheaval
- introduction of new law allowing Italians who served at front + men over 21 to vote
- meant that the amount of people allowed to vote increased by 11 million
- Changed voting method to Proportional Representation
17
Q
Proportional Representation
A
- an electoral system
- voters cast their votes for political parties
- the percentage of the vote that each party receives translates into the percentage of seats that the party receives in the legislature
- makes it difficult for a single party to win a majority
- allows public to have a greater influence on which parties are elected to parliament
18
Q
Partito Popolare Italiano
A
- PPI set up in 1919 - led by priest Luigi Sturzo
- not officially affiliated with the Vatican + didn’t mention the Roman Question in the manifesto
- policy pushed for Catholic interests + supported land reform
- campaigned for more farming areas to be made available to the peasants
- strength of Catholic feeling + popular agitation for land reform made PPI strong
- hostility towards the liberal gov
19
Q
PSI post-war
A
- had become more radical
- refused to work with the liberals post-war
- supported strikes + factory occupations
20
Q
Result and Impact of the 1919 elections
A
- PSI won greatest share of the vote with 32% - led to 156 deputies - 3x amount in 1913
- PPI won 101 seats
- neither party had a majority + weren’t willing to work together in coalition
- old liberal gov remained in power with several coalitions until 1922
- nothing appeared to have actually changed
- Nitti’s gov fell in 1920 and the country turned to Giolitti again
21
Q
Fasci di Combattimento
A
- on March 23 1919 Mussolini put together the representative of approx 20 ex-servicemen’s leagues to form this organisation
- national organisation of ex-soldiers
- his experiences in the trenches made him more nationalistic
22
Q
Trincerocrazia
A
- extreme nature of war + camaraderie felt by those fighting together in war
- a melting away of class divisions in order to focus on Italy
- a sense of war consciousness
- the trinceristi - returning soldiers - had the strength + morals to lead a new Italy
23
Q
Fasci di Combattimento Party Programme
A
- anticlerical + wanted confiscation of church property + abolishment of monarchy + 8 hour working day
- wanted a republic + suffrage extend to women + younger Italians + senate abolishment
- nationalisation of armaments industry + progressive taxation
- confiscation of profits made by large companies in the war
24
Q
Make up of Fasci di Combattimento
A
- weren’t distinguished from other left-wing parties
- only approx 50 people attended the original meeting
- membership reached 3k by June 1919
- predominately made up of arditi - crack troop commandos formed in WW1 - had worn black shirts
- black shirts + skull flag became became the identity of the party
- members commonly known as Blackshirts
25
Q
Squadrismo
A
- fascists formed themselves into small military units + squads
- the members were referred to as squadristi - they answered the socialist threat with extreme violence
26
Q
1919 election fascist outcome
A
- they won less than 5k votes + ZERO seats
- socialists had paraded a coffin symbolism Mussolini’s political career through Milan
27
Q
Squadrismo attack in Milan
A
- April 15 1919 a fascist squad of 250 attacked a socialist demonstration in Milan + burned down offices of Avanti! - 3 socialists + 1 fascist killed
- the Milan attack hadn’t been organised by Mussolini but helped him realise the power of violence
- none of the squadristi were arrested
- the gov made no attempt to close down the groups + didn’t condemn it
- the gov tolerated the squadrismo as they feared the socialist revolution more
28
Q
Mussolini’s armed squads
A
- organised like military units under a ras - commanding officer
- members wore the uniform of a black shirt + carried a revolver + manganello - club
- attacked socialist councils + supporters
- weapons were supplied by local police + army barracks
- key PSI members targeted - beaten + forced to drink castor oil + cases of murder
- in the first 5 months of 1921 200 killed + 1k wounded by the fascist violence
- broke the power of socialism + created myth that the fascists had saved Italy from a socialist revolution
29
Q
Popularity of the squadrismo
A
- wealthy landowners happy to see socialist land leagues destroyed
- brought an end to the attempt for land reform
- the soldiers had saved Italy from the Austrian in WW1 + now saved Italy from the traitors + radicals
- popular with those who feared a socialist revolution
- popular with the elite ruling class - military
30
Q
Political Legitimacy
A
- respectable liberal politicians shared the belief that the squads were restoring law + order + rescuing the country from radicalism
- police stood by and allowed the fascists to attack socialists + sometimes joined in
- success of violence against socialism + shift to the right showed in the May 1921 elections
31
Q
Squad use during the elections
A
- fascists squads attacked socialist campaign meetings + intimidated voters
- police lent vehicles + army gave weapons to the fascists to help
- Italian judiciary showed leniency towards fascists accused of violence against socialists
32
Q
Result of 1921 election
A
- PSI achieved highest number of votes
- fascists achieved 7% of the vote + 35 parliamentary seats
- gave Mussolini new respectability + authority as a member of Parliament
- legitimised fascism as a political force
- as a deputy Mussolini benefited from immunity to prosecution
- a police charge against Mussolini for intent to overthrow the gov by violence was quietly dropped
33
Q
The New Programme
A
- May 1920 the second fascist national congress was adopted
- more conservative + right wing
- dropped any mention of abolishment of the monarchy + attacking the power of the Pope
- more pro-business + compulsory military service
- promised to sell of nationalised business to private investors
- goals of complete unification of the irredente lands
34
Q
Partito Nazionale Fascista
A
- PNF set up in October 1921 - formal political party
- Mussolini aimed to centralise control over the fascist movement
- as opposed to wide conglomeration of radical squads
- founded local branches
- attempted to recruit more respectable members - to advance appeal
35
Q
Extent of Fascist Support
A
- by the end of 1921 membership of the PNF grew to 200k
- appealed to urban middle class + professional white collar workers + small business owners- feared a socialist revolution + PSI increase in local taxes
- middle class + upper class landowners + wealthy farmers- saw fascists as a way to protect their lifestyle + no land reform
- financial support from rich landowners + industrialists - supported fascism’s attempt to break union power
- workers + peasants who opposed the strength of the socialists + violence used against labourers who worked during strikes
36
Q
Fascism Appeal to youth
A
- youth tired of corruption + lethargy of liberal gov
- fascism seen as a new + dynamic alternative
- strong patriotism + hatred of socialists + weak liberal gov + belief in Mussolini
