Topic 3: Relationship with political and economic groups Flashcards
Monarchy
Fascism brought victor Emmanuel additional titles such as emperor of Ethiopia in 1936 and king of Albania in 1939.
Done as the king was popular after WWI, brought legitimacy and did not act against Fascism (did not dismiss M as PM after Matteotti crisis).
fascist grand council was given the power to fix the line of succession to the throne as prince Umberto was reputed to have anti-fascist sympathies.
Kings command of the army was transferred to Mussolini during wartime.
How did Emmanuel resist Fascism
In private complained his royal prerogative was being encroached on.
Resisted some change e.g: army giving the fascist salute, puting the fasci on the italian flag.
Critical of anti-Semitic laws, but signed them.
Retired from public life in the 1930’s.
Yet ordered Mussolini’s arrest in 1943 when other fascists made moves against him.
Was Mussolini successful with the monarchy
M wanted all political power to be concentrated upon himself and all key decisions to be made by him.
Yet the monarchy was an irritant to M especially when compared to other leaders such as Stalin and Hitler.
Far from the totalitarian dictator he aimed to be.
Judiciary
Anti-fascist judges were removed from their posts and replaced with fascists.
M intervened to influence verdicts and sentences.
While the system was largely unchanged a special tribunal for the defence of the state was established in November 1926 which tried those who opposed the state.
Overall increase in M’s control
Civil service
1925- civil servants kept jobs (not freemasons) and maintained practices.
1927- following expansion 15% were PNF members.
1935- Compulsory PNF membership.
Yet many who joined the PNF were not genuine fascists.
Civil service jobs were greatly increased to offer jobs to Fascist supporters yet it was still mainly composed of older civil servants.
Not seen as necessary as it carried out gov policy rather than initiating it.
Nationalists
attempts to expand Italy’s control in the Mediterranean from 1922 to 1924 won the support of many nationalists-
The Corfu incident in which Mussolini forced Greece to pay Italy 50 million lire in compensation for the murder of Italian diplomats.
The annexation of Fiume appealed to nationalists as it expanded Italian territory. M claimed he was standing up for Italy’s interests. Media presented M’s policy as a heroic adventure similar to D’Annunzio’s occupation of Fiume.
The 1930s Abyssinian campaign was extremely popular with nationalists as it led to the establishment of an Italian colony in Africa and showed that Mussolini was not scared of the league of nations.
Nationalists sought to gain control of Albania and thus supported this.
Appealed to emphasis on italian culture and national rebirth.
Armed forces
Expanded the armed forces.
Underwent an aggressive foreign policy.
Promoted senior generals.
No major reorganisation or purge of the army, in 1925 there were plans to reduce its size however this never took place.
More leading members of the army gave loyalty to M. Senior positions given to Fascists.
Limitations of new army
Lack of intervention was popular with career officers but was disastrous in the long run in terms of the army’s readiness for actions in WWII.
Centralisation
Local gov abolished and elected mayors and councils were replaced by appointed podesta who were loyal.
Extended M power over italy
Negatives of centralisation
M sought adulation and would not listen to advice or constructive criticism.
Exploited rivalries between ministers and encouraged them to undermine each other, indirectly strengthened his position by stopping powerful rivals emerging.
Fired those with better organisational and administrative skills.
PNF
During the PNF congress of June 1925, M demanded:
An end to all internal party arguments
For the PNF to obey the orders of Il Duce.
1928- M carried out further purges, PNF increasingly used for propaganda rather than policy.
Issues with Mussolini’s PNF leadership
Appointed Fascists to positions who were obedient and loyal rather than able.
Achille Starace (party secretary)- not effective but never challenged M.
Farinacci- realised power would be preserved through loyalty to Il Duce.
Italo Balbo- man of ability so appointed governor of LIbya.
Prevented rivals
divisions within PNF
Those in the squads used violence.
Others demanded industry reorganisation.
Nationalists linked PNF with territorial expansion
Conservatives emphasised law and order.
Made M’s achievements easier. He held these competing interests together allowing him to exert his dominance over the party more easily.
Manipulated groups by shifting his own position at a later stage if it suited his political interests. ( initial conservative and industrialist support, by the late 1930s he focussed on social revolution).
Economic interest groups
Italy benefitted from general economic recovery.
Ended the so-called socialist threat and weakened the trade unions, reassuring industrialists and businessmen.
This increased trust increased their investment in the new state.
Agriculture
benifited from ban on strikes and state-impossed wage controls, meant they could pay workers less.
Landowners allowed control of flagship policies such as land reclamation.
They could choose the land to be reclaimed and oversee the process.
