Benito Mussolini Fascist Italy Background Risorgimento was the

Benito Mussolini Fascist Italy

Background �Risorgimento was the Italian unification movement �Cavour wanted unification and didn’t like the regionalism left after so he made moderately conservative reforms �The reforms allowed the north to prosper, gradually letting southern Italy fall behind.

Background: Why was the government weak? Transformism: (Created by Depretis) Scattered political beliefs, brining men in that believed in their own individual view and not one of a part -Ministers grant favors to increase support in belief or legislative system, -Deputies lost jobs if didn’t do favors Still needs occasional suppression by military because instable Weak Government No real party system; parliament corrupt and self absorbed Crown has most power 3 good ministers: Agostino Depretis, Francesco Crispi, and Giovanni Giolitti

Background: Social/Economic Issues Social Economic �South is behind north � Still agrarian � Little industrial import or � 90% south is illiterate production (not fit for war) � Priority to build railroads � 11% illiterate in north �Mafia in Sicily �Common peasant risings �Many conscripts from south rejected due to poor health Protective tariffs helped agricultural prices in north Motor industry (north) Giolitti increases orders for manufacturers & railways National Bank 1896 -1914: Industrial growth Just before 1914, industrial boom stagnates

Background: 3 Opponents to Democracy Socialists: -Stimulated by uneven north and south -1890 s “tariff war; ” French put protective tariff, limiting Italian export, causing bread riots in Milan (1898) and general strikes (1904) -1904 liberal defeat in election, gave false sense of comfort -Electoral law by Giolliti 1912, universal male suffrage over 30 -Wrong! Radicals got upper hand- Mussolini in office Catholic Church: -Bad terms with Piedmont 1850 and worse 1879 by getting Rome -1900 Papacy encouraged boycott of elections -1904 Pope Pius X relaxed because of fear of socialists -Hated liberals and socialists Nationalistic People/Irredentism: (should claim all the land thought to belong to Italy, i. e. Nice, Savoy, Corsica) -Defeats in Adowa, Abyssinia (1896), they blamed parliament -Wanted to improve foreign policies by having one all powerful leader -1911 -12 got Libya from Turkey and stimulated movement

What is Italian Fascism? • Based on the belief that there should be one all powerful ruler for Italy to succeed in nationalistic aims • Nationalism and Irredentism supported • Thought modern Italy was the heir to Ancient Rome • Believed foreign aggression/power would prove strength as a state The symbol, fasces, is based off a symbol of Lictors of Ancient Rome, people who guarded magistrates. Shows power over life/ death. United as one nation under an all powerful ruler, like the twigs tied together, is strong, unlike single individuals, like each twig separate.

Mussolini’s Rise to Power �Liberalism is weak -Right after WWI: a lot of media about unsatisfactory peace treaty, economic difficulties (2 million unemployed Nov. 1919) �Mussolini formed first “combat group” March of 1919 (It’s a Fascist group). They made left wing proposals: -abolition of monarchy, est. of a Republic -Decentralization of government -abolition of conscription -closure of all banks and stock exchange -profit sharing and management participation by workers -seizure of Church lands

Mussolini’s Rise to Power (Continued) � In November 1919, Fascists only got a few votes and that is when they turned to be more conservative � Fascism was about getting power for Mussolini, not really about unchanging beliefs. So he was only moderately conservative � Mussolini was really aggressive growing up and that contributed to his desire for power � He wanted revolutionary reform; hated socialists who wanted moderate reform and hated parliamentary government � Didn’t want Italy to be neutral in WWI and published his thoughts in Avanit! Oct. 1914 � Went to war and turned his back on socialists

Mussolini’s Rise to Power (Continued) � Strong support -Squadristi was a paramilitary used to terrorize political opponents -Supported free enterprise so got the support of big companies/businesses which helped Fascists financially -Still got a lot of support from peasants and urban working class because they didn’t like socialism or capitalism -Giolitti helped Mussolini to get parliament seats (35 out of 535) after overlooking the terrorist acts of the Squadristi

Mussolini’s Rise to Power (Continued) �Aug. 1922: Socialist strike -Squadristi crushed strike in just one day so they looked like a protector against “red threat” (socialism) �Coup d'état Oct. 27, 1922 -”March on Rome” by Mussolini -King Victor Emmanuel III didn’t sign the Prime Minister’s proposal of a martial law, so Rome didn’t have defense *The King just wanted to make firm decisions to fix the unrest in Italy* � October 29, 1922, Mussolini became the youngest ever Prime Minister of Italy

Domestic Policies: Overview �POWER! Mussolini wanted personal power � Many of his reform/policies were vague to get as many supporters as possible � Very good with media. He over used propaganda and was good at public speeches. He wrote newspaper editorials before and after WWI. More talk than action.

Domestic Policies: Political � Dismantling of Parliamentarianism -First few years in office destructing parliament; hated all parties -Squadristi became a paramilitary force, Volunteer Militia for National Security (Dec. 1922)- violence important for elections � Acerbo Law: Proposed and accepted July 1932: any party getting majority of votes (at least 25%) gets 2/3 seats in assembly to “create political stability” � Murder of socialist, Matteotti, and blame was put on Mussolini, but socialists left parliament in protest (event called “Aventine Secession”) leaving Fascists in more control � Mini “reign of terror” 1925 - house searches, newspaper control, and harassment to political opposition � Decrees Oct. /Sept. 1926 banned all other parties and created secret police force OVRA, respectively, officially causing political dictatorship

Domestic Policies: Political �By January of 1926, Mussolini had the power to decree laws without consent from parliament �Sept. 1928: law for the entire composition of parliament to be chosen by Fascist Grand Council (headed by Mussolini) �A list of 400 would be presented for approval/rejection *In 1929 many voters rejected list, but numbers dropped by 1939* �Mussolini got power over most things and King got more limited powers (He could no longer select prime ministers after Dec. 1928)

Domestic Policies: Political � Corporativism: Trade or professional organizations, corporations, are the basis of society � Rocco Law of April 1926: outlaw worker strikes and employers’ lockouts, and gave Fascist syndicates (unions) legal recognition -The syndicates were either workers or employers, but the law allowed them to find some sort of median � March 1930 National Council of Corporations created; 1934 corporations were actually set up. � 1936 there were 22 representing branches of industrial, agricultural, artistic, and professional life. � 1938 -39, parliament was renamed to Chamber of Fasces and Corporations because it had no use with the party system gone. � The corporations made it seem like there was representation/decartelization, but each corporation was joined by an official of the Ministry of Corporations to ensure govt. ’s view prevailed.

Domestic Policies: Catholic Church �Mussolini hated it but was realistic and knew he needed it to rule �Gentile Education Act (Feb. 1923)- Restored religious education abolished by liberal regime � 1924 - Pope withdrew from Catholic Popular Party, bringing a large crowd with him, making Mussolini’s rivals not a problem �Lateran Accords (Feb. 1929)- Created Vatican City, restored some temporal authority, confirmed Catholicism as the only religion, and gave financial support from the State. Mussolini got popularity from this

Domestic Policies: Economic � 1922 -25 most successful with liberal Minister of Finance, Alberto De Stefani who abolished price fixing and rent controls, and reduced govt. expenditure anywhere possible. At a surplus first time since 1918. �Mussolini replaced him, possibly motivated by political prestige �Italian currency lire in Aug. 1926 was worth 90 to a pound. ~Artificial sense of strength~ �Italian economy fell before Wall Street Crash

Domestic Policies: Economic � Wanted autarky (1930): relying only on Italy, not other nations � Successful in electricity and motor production. � Three straggles policy focused on: � Battle for grain (1925): Successfully produced more grain, but output of other agriculture hindered and kept cost of grain production high � Battle for land: Drained Pontine Marshes near Rome to gain new farmland, but most lost due to neglect of war 1943 -45. More effective control on Mafia in south and construction of motorways. � Battle for births: Support colonial claims. 1926, bachelors were taxed (except priests and maimed war vets) and parents of large families rewarded. Italy had limited resources, and population really only rose due to immigration limits imposed by US and lower death rates.

Domestic Policies: Social �Education/media -Controlled students at a young age to support Fascists *When a student asks why, it is “because you must. ” -Compulsory education system to raise young males in Fascist path -Didn’t cause real big improvements in literacy -All media should support regime �Sport -Dopolavoro (“for the sake of labour”) May 1925: workers’ leisure time -Sports centralized but successful; hosted and won soccer world cup 1934 �Limits on culture -Some writers, philosophers, physicists fled and some critical reviews were written in papers but tolerated (wouldn’t be tolerated with Nazi Germany or USSR)

Domestic Policies: Social Improvement • Yearly bonuses • Paid Holidays • Paid redundancy Social Not So Much Improvement • Strike abolished • “Charter of Labor” (1927) didn’t succeed in guaranteeing minimum wage • Unemployment rose 1926 -1933

Foreign Policies: 1879 -1914 Colonial Aims � Similar to France: based on other European countries (France and Alsace Loraine, Italy and full unification of Tyrol, Istria, and Dalmatia under Austrian rule) � Eritrea and Abyssinia -occupied Part of Massawa (1885) but 500 Italian troops massacred in Dogali (1887) -Emperor Menelik (1888) was pro. Italian, but Italians went too far -Crispi (using as a distraction from internal issues) defeated March 1, 1896: humiliation and resignation � France and Italy want Libya & Morocco -1911 France settles in Morocco -1912 Italy gets Libya (was controlled by Turkey but they were busy with Baltic wars) European Diplomacy � Started to turn away from France -Upset about Nice and Savoy to French (1860) -French and Italians similar aims in Mediterranean -1881 French occupied Tunisia that had more Italians the French settlers � Triple Alliance (May 1881) -Friends with Germany who was getting closer with Austria -Italy came to terms with old enemy -Italy really got nothing out of it b/c it couldn’t claim land from its new ally (Austria) � Franco-Italian disputes resolved -1914 agreement that Italy would declare war on its allies for Trento, South Tyrol, Trieste, and Dalmatia at end of war

Foreign Policies: Abyssinia �Starting with border incidents at Wal-Wal in Nov. 1934 �Built army in Italian Samalia and Eritrea �October 2, 1935, attacked with modern warfare �Emperor, Haile Sekssie, fled and capital, Addis Ababa, was taken over �Victory in May 1936

Foreign Policies: Spanish Civil War/Balkans Spain Balkans � Civil War in July 1936 � Nationalistic forces under � 1923 defied League of General Franco wanted a coup to overthrow Republican government � Left got help from others � Right got help from Mussolini, and Hitler (indirectly) � Success for nationalists March 1939 Nations by invading a Greek island, Corfu, but withdrew eventually � Agreement with Yugoslavia (January 1924) acquired Fiume (port city in Croatia) � Nov. 1926 - pact with Albania tied it with close economic dependence

Foreign Policies: Germany/Austria �“Mussolini aspired, Hitler perfected” -Hitler got ideas of uniforms, solutes, rallies, and means of organized violence from Mussolini -Mussolini adopted anti-Semitic only after relations with Hitler (Jews forbidden to enter Italy Sept. 1938) �Mussolini did fear “Greater Germany” �Biggest problem 1925 -33 was Austria possibly becoming German province and support German growth �Locarno Pacts, Four-Power Pact, and promotion of trade between Italy, Austria, and Hungary to prevent

Foreign Policies: Germany �“October Protocols” 1936: Berlin-Rome line known as Axis �May 1939 Pact of Steel: official alliance between Germany and Italy

Fall of Mussolini � Joined WWII thinking it would be quick territorial gain but Greece (Oct. 1940) drove them back to Albania, Battle of Mattapan (March 1941) confirmed British naval supremacy � Lost ALL African possessions 1943 -Little equipment and chaotic campaigns War Failures *Mussolini was Minister of War, Navy and Air force, and Supreme Commander, so he got all the blame* � Hydro-electric didn’t get very far for war � Still production down � Oil in Libya not found yet � Bombed by allies in 1942 hurt industrialization Economic Issues, making Italy dependent on Germany

Fall of Mussolini � Started to get resistance from liberal, communists, socialists, Catholics, and even those who initially supported him � Feb. 1943 - sacked cabinet members -Fascists turn; peace negotiations from remaining members, and King Emmanuel III wants to ensure his own future � July 1943 - allied troops in Sicily and alllied aircraft bombed Rome -Fascist Grand Council met (July 24) and voted to end Mussolini’s career. Next day King dismissed him � Germany made him a ruler in North Italy from 1943 -45, but he was assassinated by a communist.