The role of the elites in Mussolini's rise to power Flashcards
What were the three key decisions that define Emmanuel III’s reign?
- When he backed Italian entry into WWI, despite public opinion being against it
- When he appointed Mussolini PM
- When he dismissed Mussolini in 1943
Aside from his three key decisions, what came to define Emmanuel III’s reign?
The actions he did not take to curb Mussolini
What was the general consensus about Emmanuel III as a ruler?
That his political stature was too small
Describe the background of the Duke of Aosta?
- Cousin of Emmanuel III and an ally to Mussolini during his rise to power
- Commanded Italian armies during WWI and had incredibly nationalist and militaries views
- Sympathetic to the fascists following WWI and provided a link between fascisms and the elites
- He hoped Emmanuel III would abdicate in favour of someone stronger; himself
- Promoted to the rank of Marshal of Italy in 1936
Describe the attitude of the rest of the royal family towards fascism
- Emmanuel’s mother, Queen Margherita, had pro fascist sympathies and was in favour of a strong man to save Italy from revolution
- Margherita showed her support for the fascists just before the march by inviting the Quadrumvirs to her palace
- The King’s cousin, the second Duke of Aosta, was even more pro-fascist
- He was a handsome wartime hero, admired by ex-soldiers, with an influence over the army
- Emmanuel though Aosta was after his job
- Aosta was eager to promote the idea that there was a better king ready in waiting
What did Emmanuel doubt the army was strong enough to do?
Deal with the fascists
What made Emmanuel unsure about whether the army would take action against the fascists?
- The fascist movement was full of ex-soldiers
- Several generals and senior officers were fascist sympathisers
- One Italian general, Emilio De Bono, was actually a leading figure in the fascist movement
Why was the King unwilling to give full backing to Facta?
He regarded him as a temporary stopgap
Why was Giolitti now not a practical option for PM?
He was 80 and had lots of political enemies
How did the King react when Mussolini declined to become a part of Salandra’s government?
He caved and appointed Mussolini PM rather than risk a civil war
Why did the King appointing Mussolini PM make it near impossibe for the liberal oligarchy to fight their way back to power?
Because it now depended upon the King intervening, and he was very unlikely to confront Mussolini
What did Mussolini do to reassure the old elites?
Abandoned the anti-Catholic and anti-Monarchist rhetoric that characterised the early fascist movement
How did Mussolini try to present the fascist party to the old elites?
A disciplined, organised party firmly under his control. This continued after he was appointed PM as he tried to consolidate his power
List the main groups Mussolini had to win over
- Conservative and nationalist parties#
- The armed forces
- Large landowners
- Industrialists
- The Catholic church
- The monarchy
How did the political establishment initially try and naively deal with Mussolini
They want to manipulate him, using fascist strength for their own political purposes. Mussolini knew this and outmanoeuvred them
What did Giolitti and Salandra both support?
Mussolini’s temporary powers to rule by decree
Why did nationalist politicians like Mussolini?
They liked his anti-communism and foreign policy positions
Describe Giolitti’s contribution to Mussolini’s rise to power
- Dominant in the politics of liberal Italy
- Blamed for compromising with Mussolini alongside Salandra and therefore failing to prevent the rise of fascism
- Made a pact with the fascists in 1921 that allowed them to participate in parliamentary elections
- He was an influential figure in parliament during Mussolini’s consolidation of power
Describe Salandra’s contribution to Mussolini’s rise to power
- Conservative PM from 1914-16
- Important part of the political elite in post war Italy
- Became more conservative and nationalist following WWI
- Supported bring bringing Mussolini into government in 1922
- Later changed his mind and tried to oppose fascism
How did the armed forces contribute to Mussolini’s rise to power?
- Most were willing to cooperate with the fascists
- Many officers were pro-fascists, but some saw them as a dangerous rabble
- These negative attitudes dwindled after Mussolini showed he could control his movement after seizing power
- Senior officers liked Mussolini’s promises to modernise and expand the armed forces
How did large landowners feel about fascism?
- Mixed feelings
- Feared the regime would encourage illegal land grabbing and the breaking up of large estates
- They also made deals with the fascists to suppress trouble in the agricultural areas
- Mussolini quickly reassured landowners they would be left alone
- Policies like ruralisation and the battle for grain would provide further reassurance
Why did the fascist movement initially alarm industrialists?
- They revolutionary syndicalist wing of the movement was very strong
- The fascist trade unions had ambitious plans to take control of key industries and force employers to accept radical canges in industrial relations
- The fascist regime began talking about reorganising industry into ‘corporations’
How did Mussolini win over the industrialists?
- Appointed Alberto Di Stefani as finance minister
- Restricted the bargaining rights of trade unions
Over what kid of areas were the Catholic church hostile to the new fascist regime?
Education and youth groups
How did Mussolini win over the catholic church?
- Tailored some of his social policies to suit the Catholics, like banning contraception and introducing religious education to secondary schools
- Relations with the papacy improved, but there was still a divide between church and state
- Mussolini avoided open confrontation with the Catholics
When did Mussolini achieve a full reconciliation with the church?
1929
When did Mussolini achieve a full reconciliation with the church?
1929
