The role of the elites in Mussolini's rise to power

Question 1

What were the three key decisions that define Emmanuel III’s reign?

Answer 1

• When he backed Italian entry into WWI, despite public opinion being against it
• When he appointed Mussolini PM
• When he dismissed Mussolini in 1943

Question 2

Aside from his three key decisions, what came to define Emmanuel III’s reign?

Answer 2

The actions he did not take to curb Mussolini

Question 3

What was the general consensus about Emmanuel III as a ruler?

Answer 3

That his political stature was too small

Question 4

Describe the background of the Duke of Aosta?

Answer 4

• 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

Question 5

Describe the attitude of the rest of the royal family towards fascism

Answer 5

• 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

Question 6

What did Emmanuel doubt the army was strong enough to do?

Answer 6

Deal with the fascists

Question 7

What made Emmanuel unsure about whether the army would take action against the fascists?

Answer 7

• 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

Question 8

Why was the King unwilling to give full backing to Facta?

Answer 8

He regarded him as a temporary stopgap

Question 9

Why was Giolitti now not a practical option for PM?

Answer 9

He was 80 and had lots of political enemies

Question 10

How did the King react when Mussolini declined to become a part of Salandra’s government?

Answer 10

He caved and appointed Mussolini PM rather than risk a civil war

Question 11

Why did the King appointing Mussolini PM make it near impossibe for the liberal oligarchy to fight their way back to power?

Answer 11

Because it now depended upon the King intervening, and he was very unlikely to confront Mussolini

Question 12

What did Mussolini do to reassure the old elites?

Answer 12

Abandoned the anti-Catholic and anti-Monarchist rhetoric that characterised the early fascist movement

Question 13

How did Mussolini try to present the fascist party to the old elites?

Answer 13

A disciplined, organised party firmly under his control. This continued after he was appointed PM as he tried to consolidate his power

Question 14

List the main groups Mussolini had to win over

Answer 14

• Conservative and nationalist parties#
• The armed forces
• Large landowners
• Industrialists
• The Catholic church
• The monarchy

Question 15

How did the political establishment initially try and naively deal with Mussolini

Answer 15

They want to manipulate him, using fascist strength for their own political purposes. Mussolini knew this and outmanoeuvred them

Question 16

What did Giolitti and Salandra both support?

Answer 16

Mussolini’s temporary powers to rule by decree

Question 17

Why did nationalist politicians like Mussolini?

Answer 17

They liked his anti-communism and foreign policy positions

Question 18

Describe Giolitti’s contribution to Mussolini’s rise to power

Answer 18

• 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

Question 19

Describe Salandra’s contribution to Mussolini’s rise to power

Answer 19

• 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

Question 20

How did the armed forces contribute to Mussolini’s rise to power?

Answer 20

• 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

Question 21

How did large landowners feel about fascism?

Answer 21

• 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

Question 22

Why did the fascist movement initially alarm industrialists?

Answer 22

• 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’

Question 23

How did Mussolini win over the industrialists?

Answer 23

• Appointed Alberto Di Stefani as finance minister
• Restricted the bargaining rights of trade unions

Question 24

Over what kid of areas were the Catholic church hostile to the new fascist regime?

Answer 24

Education and youth groups

Question 25

How did Mussolini win over the catholic church?

Answer 25

• 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

Question 26

When did Mussolini achieve a full reconciliation with the church?

Answer 26

1929

Question 27

When did Mussolini achieve a full reconciliation with the church?

Answer 27

1929