Why was Mussolini appointed prime minister on 29th October 1922 (May 1921 – October 1922)

Question 1

When did Mussolini become prime minister

Answer 1

October 29th 1922

Question 2

What 3 things did Mussolini need to prove in order to become prime minister

Answer 2

• He needed to show industrialists, landowners and the m/c that:
• Liberalism was finished
• Had to convince them that only Fascism could stop the Socialists and restore order
• For Fascism to be acceptable it needed to play down the ideas of radical economic and social reform put forward in the 1919 programme

Question 3

Explain how government instability enabled Mussolini to become prime minister

Answer 3

• Violence extended to parliament itself – one Socialist deputy was beaten up on the floor of the chamber
• Giolitti’s coalition with Mussolini collapsed within a month as the Populari withdrew its support
• Liberals were divided amongst themselves – Giolitti, Salandra, Facta and Orlando all hated each other

Question 4

What was the outcome of government instability for Mussolini becoming prime minister

Answer 4

• As a result, the three Italian Governments May 1921 – October 1922 were fragile and unable to introduce the necessary decisive measures needed to restore order - which M could exploit

Question 5

How did Mussolini seek to increase his control over Fascism in late 1921

Answer 5

• Oct - organise Fascism more effectively via creation of the National Fascist Party
• Nov -, Mussolini made leader and the party was run by men loyal to Mussolini from the Milan faction
• Mussolini established more control over the Fascist squads, though this was not to go unchallenged

Question 6

What did Mussolini put forward in 1921

Answer 6

His political ‘New Programme’

Question 7

What are the 5 features of Mussolini’s New Programme

Answer 7

• 8 hour working day, argri & industri exceptions
• No ref to confiscating the property of the Catholic Church
• Obligatory military service and aggressive f.p. extending Italy’s Mediterranean sphere of influence
• A strong military
• Nationalism and a strong Italy was at the heart of Fascism

Question 8

Mussolini also had to reassure the ….. & …..

Answer 8

Catholic Church & conservative Italians

Question 9

Reassuring the Catholic Church and conservative Italians

What was the Roman Question

Answer 9

• The question of the role of the Catholic Church in the Italian state, including the territorial claims of the Pope over Rome, the issues of civil and church marriage and divorce

Question 10

Reassuring the Catholic Church and conservative Italians

How was the Roman Question resolved?

Answer 10

• November 1921 – Mussolini declared Fascism to be opposed to divorce
• & in agreement with the Popolari (peasants deserved a better deal)
• & that he would settle the Roman question on terms acceptable to the Pope.

Question 11

Reassuring the Catholic Church and conservative Italians

How did Mussolini move more right-wing

Answer 11

• Dropped the left-wing policies of 1919, distancing himself of these in 1920
• The 35 deputies elected in May 1921 were on the right of the movement

Question 12

Reassuring the Catholic Church and conservative Italians

What did Mussolini’s speeches focus on from 1921

Answer 12

• what Fascism was against – Socialism & Liberalism
• – but expressed in broad terms
• (expressing patriotism and commitment to a strong government)

Question 13

Reassuring the Catholic Church and conservative Italians

How did his policy satisfy?

Answer 13

• Mussolini wanted a strong, expansionist Italy,
• hated Socialism and democracy,
• & despised parliament,
• but he was principally concerned with winning power for himself.
• SO it was advantageous to have no clear policy to offend 0 groups

Question 14

To handle fascist violence, Mussolini undertook a..

Answer 14

dual policy

Question 15

Fascist violence

What was Mussolini’s dual policy

Answer 15

• 1) encouraged the squads to continue their campaign of violence, & suggestably agreed with plans for a violent take-over
• 2) when dealing with conservatives, he would distance himself from the worst cases of Fascist violence, claiming that those responsible were a wild band of renegades that would be disciplined
• hed make out that only he was able to bring them under control

Question 16

Describe the violence that continued in May 1922

Answer 16

The town council of Bologna was driven out of office

Question 17

Describe the violence that continued in July 1922

Answer 17

• street-fighting took place in the northern cities
• the police were reluctant to intervene, the fragile coalition did not have the political will to restore order
• & in some cases the police even loaned the Fascists weapons

Question 18

When was the general strike

Answer 18

July 1922

Question 19

What was the general strike

Answer 19

• Socialist trade unions called a general strike in an attempt to force government to act against the Fascists

Question 20

What did Mussolini do about the general strike

Answer 20

• made a brilliant use of this opportunity to demonstrate that the left was still a threat and that only Fascism could deal with it
• He publicly declared that if the govt did not stop the strike, then his Fascists would step in and do it for them

Question 21

How effective was Mussolini’s manipulation of the general strike?

Answer 21

• The strike was a disaster for the Left – poorly organised and only partial support
• Within days the strike had collapsed and Mussolini could present his Fascists as the sole defenders of law and order
• Fascists’ actions impressed the Conservative m/c, and helped convince them that the Fascists belonged in government

Question 22

Who called for the general strike

Answer 22

• the PSI and PCI attempted to encourage further pressure on the political system by backing the call for a 24-hour general strike across Italy

Question 23

When was the March on Rome

Answer 23

October 1922

Question 24

What was the March on Rome

Answer 24

• Many Fascists wanted Mussolini to seize power.
• Mussolini increased the pressure by starting to organise a Fascist march on Rome
• Fascist squads organised into a militia
• & Mussolini also took care to reassure the establishment that they shouldn’t fear a Fascist govt
• He stressed that the Fascist Party and the monarch could work together

Question 25

Timeline of the March on Rome

What happened on the 27th of October 1922

Answer 25

• seized town halls, telephone exchanges and railway stations throughout northern Italy

Question 26

Timeline of the March on Rome

What was the king persuaded to do and by who on the 28th of October 1922

Answer 26

• Facta persuaded the King to declare martial law and police and troops prepared to disperse the Fascist gangs

Question 27

Timeline of the March on Rome

What change in decision led to shaken govt

Answer 27

• However, by 9am the King Victor Emmanuel had changed his mind
• The King lacked confidence in his government and was anxious to avoid a violent showdown
• Facta resigned and the King approached Salandra to ask him to form a government

Question 28

Timeline of the March on Rome

Explain how Salandra & King catapulted Mussolini to PM

Answer 28

• Salandra attempted to negotiate with the Fascists – but Mussolini would not accept anything less than PM.
• The King realised that he had to find a different man to head the Government as Salandra was unpopular – Mussolini was appointed 29 October 1922.

Question 29

Was Facta a strong PM

Answer 29

• a weak & complacent Prime Minister
• govt did nothing to stop the continuing fascist violence –> enabled it

Question 30

Under Facta’s govt, many …………… in many of Italy’s provinces
* & ….k members joined the PNF & …k joined the fascist trade union

Answer 30

• de facto fascist govts
• 320,000
• 500,000

Question 31

In what provinced had facsists extended de facto govts to over summer 1922

Answer 31

Genoa, Milan, Ancona and Bari

Question 32

….., …… & …… all belived they should be PM but …. Mussolini to stopping their rivals, not as concerned with avoiding a ….

Answer 32

• Salandra, Orlando & Giolitti
• preferred
• fascist revolution

Question 33

Who was Salandra

Answer 33

• Minister in a fascist coalition
  he convinced King to enforce martial law thinking Facta’s resignation would make himself PM

Question 34

By September 1922, the squads had taken over areas around ….. and were ready to move on the capital.
The seizure of…..

Answer 34

By September 1922, the squads had taken over areas around Rome and were ready to move on the capital.
The seizure of power seemed only to be a matter of time.

Question 35

Describe how the indivdiuals in govt were poor in responding to Mussolini’s dual policy

Answer 35

• Key liberal figures, including Giolitti, were more concerned with stopping their rivals becoming prime minister than they were avoiding a fascist revolution
• e.g Giolitti refused to travel to Rome to help Facta’s government unless he was offered the prime ministership by the king

Question 36

Describe how the liberals were onfused to respond to Mussolini’s dual policy

Answer 36

• Orlando and Nitti said they would work with Mussolini, and called for a coalition that included fascism, but only if the fascists supported them as prime ministerk

Question 37

How did Mussolini then react to the govts poor response to his dual policy in October 1922

Answer 37

• Mussolini encouraged this division, separately promising Nitti, Salandra, Facta and Giolitti that they would be prime minister in a fascist coalition government