The war economy and cost of war

Question 1

What did the First World War have a significant effect on?

Answer 1

The First World War had a significant effect on the Italian economy

Question 2

What was Italy at the beginning of the war?

Answer 2

At the beginning of the war, Italy was behind Austria in nearly all key economic areas crucial for the war

Question 3

What was steel production less than? What was the Austrian steel production at?

Answer 3

Steel production was less than one million tonnes, while the Austrians were at 2.6 million tonnes

Question 4

For every 2 machine guns per Italian battalion, how many did the Austrians have?

Answer 4

For every 2 machine guns per Italian battalion, the Austrians had 12

Question 5

What was Italy short of?

Answer 5

Italy was short of artillery and bullets

Question 6

What did Italy make improvements over the course of the war on?

Answer 6

Over the course of the war, Italy made quite significant economic improvements

Question 7

What would it overcome?

Answer 7

It would overcome its deficits

Question 8

What did Italy’s industry cope with requirements of the First World War the overall?

Answer 8

Overall Italy’’s industry coped effectively with the requirements of the First World War

Question 9

What did Fiat establish itself as?

Answer 9

Fiat established itself as Europe’s leading truck and lorry manufacturer

Question 10

How many vehicles did Fiat produce in 1918?

Answer 10

Fiat produced 25K vehicles in 1918

Question 11

What did Italy create?

Answer 11

Italy had created an aeronautical industry

Question 12

How many planes were produced in 1918?

Answer 12

The eronautical industry produced 6.5K planes in 1918

Question 13

How many machine guns had Italy produced by the end of the war?

Answer 13

By the end of the war, Italy had produced around 20K machine guns

Question 14

How many pieces of artillery had Italy produced by the end of the war?

Answer 14

By the end of the war, Italy had produced 7K pieces of heavy artillery

Question 15

[End of war, war materials] What was this a greater number than?

Answer 15

This a greater number than the British were able to manufacture

Question 16

[End of war, war materials] Who was the success driven by?

Answer 16

This success was driven by the under-secretariat of arms and munitions, Alfredo Dallolio

Question 17

What did Alfredo Dallolio organise? What did he ensure?

Answer 17

Alfredo Dallolio organised the recruitment of women and peasants into the factories and ensured that those men deemed essential to war production were exempt from conscription

Question 18

[Under Alfredo Dallolio] What was increased? What was made illegal? What could workers face and why?

Answer 18

Hours of work were increased, strikes made illegal and workers could face military tribunals if their behaviour was deemed unsatisfractory

Question 19

[Under Alfredo Dallolio] How many munition factory employees were women?

Answer 19

A quarter of munitions factory employees were women

Question 20

[Under Alfredo Dallolio] How many workers were men or were secondment from the army?

Answer 20

1/3 of Italy’s 900K workers in the war economy were either men exempted from military service or om secondment from the army

Question 21

[Under Alfredo Dallolio] How did the military indutry grow during the war?

Answer 21

The military industry grew substantially during the war

Question 22

[Under Alfredo Dallolio] What did Fiat increase its workforce from?

Answer 22

Fiat increased its workforce from 6K to 30K

Question 23

How did Alfredo Dallolio’s ministry finance industrial expansion?

Answer 23

Alfredo Dallolio’s ministry financed industrial expansion by making payments in advance, arranging cheap loans and establishing profitable contracts for big businesses

Question 24

[Under Alfredo Dallolio] How much government interference was there in industry?

Answer 24

There was little government interference in industry

Question 25

What did leading indutrialists run?

Answer 25

Leading industrialists ran the central and regional committees for insutrial mobilisation

Question 26

What did Italy achieve?

Answer 26

Italy achieved rapid growth

Question 27

What fuelled the industrialist’s expansion?

Answer 27

For the industrialists there was absolutely no risk involved as they were backed up by the state and the banks, which fuelled their expansion

Question 28

Why was the industrialists being backed up by the state and banks worrying for the long term?

Answer 28

This was worrying for the long term as this growth was based almost entirely on govt investment in war production, which had been paid for by foreign loans and printing more money

Question 29

While the war continued…

Answer 29

these issues could somewhat be ignored (ndustrialists being backed up by the state and banks)

Question 30

What would the conclusion of the war bring about?

Answer 30

The conclusion of the war would bring about inevitable inflationary problems

Question 31

Why was there massive cuts to government spending?

Answer 31

There were massive cuts to govt spending as the country found itself around 23 billion lire in debt (2.9 million before the war)

Question 32

What was the national debt in June 1919

Answer 32

National debt was 84.9 billion lire in June 1919

Question 33

How many lire did Italy owe to Britain?

Answer 33

Italy owed 15 billion lire to Britain

Question 34

How many lire did Italy owe to the USA?

Answer 34

Italy owed 8.5 billion lire to the USA

Question 35

How did Italy’s economy become unbalanced?

Answer 35

Italy’s economy had become unbalanced with a few war-based sectors such as steel, engineering, vehicles, cement, rubber and chemicals growing at a disproportionate rate compared with other industries

Question 36

What did Italy’s war economy accentuate?

Answer 36

Italy’s war economy also accentuated one of Italy’s most troubling issues: north-south divide

Question 37

Where was the majority of war production based?

Answer 37

The majority of war production was based in the north east

Question 38

What state did the south remain in?

Answer 38

The south remained a predominately impoverished agricultural society

Question 39

How much did the north’s economy grow by between 1911 and 1921 due to the war?

Answer 39

The war saw north’s economy by over 20% between 1911 and 1921

Question 40

What would be a major challenge for Italy’s politicians after the war?

Answer 40

The bitterness of the south that it was being ignored and left behind as the north progressed would be a major challenge to policians after the war

Question 41

Who was there resentment and unrest among?

Answer 41

There was also resentment and unrest among the industrial workers in the north

Question 42

What was being rationed by 1917?

Answer 42

By 1917, bread and pasta were being rationed

Question 43

Consumption of what was falling sharply by 1917?

Answer 43

By 1917, meat and sugar consumption was falling sharply

Question 44

What fuelled work anger? Why (particularly)?

Answer 44

Long hours and a fall in wages of around 25% at a time when the industrialists were making vast profits fulled worker anger; particularly as the majoirty didn’t support the war

Question 45

What did the government increase? Why?

Answer 45

The government increased indirect taxes to pay for war effort

Question 46

What did the indirect taxes to pay for war effort lead to? Why?

Answer 46

This in turn led to greater social division, as the poorer in society felt that these affected them more greatly than the rich

Question 47

What happened in August 1917?

Answer 47

In August 1917, 50 workers were killed protesting in Turin against bread shortages and the continuation of the war

Question 48

Why did this protest/riot shock politicians?

Answer 48

The riots shocked politicians who made steps to increase food supplies and pro-war propaganda