Mussolini Authoritarian States

Rise to power conditions

• S

• P

• E

• W

Social divisions in the country

• The increasing anarchism in Rural Areas (rural often poorer farming) worried many Italians (especially the Monarchy and upper classes) of the possibility of a Socialist left wing (or Bolshevik) revolution.

• The Regio Esercito (Royal Army) was totally loyal to the King.

• Above all King Emmanuel III feared a Communist Revolution (as happened in Russia in 1917) or the possibility of a Civil War between the left wing revolutionaries (including socialists) and the rising Fascists.

• By 1919-1920 were the Biennio Rosso (The Red Years) was a time of large social and political chaos and conflict in Italy. Riots and strikes were common. Rural farmers were also angry. It seemed that a revolution was imminent. 

• By 1921-1922 were the Biennio Nero (The Black Years) marked by the growing power and violence of the fascists party. Burning down the headquarters of the Avanti Newspaper. Burning down homes of prominent politicians, catholic leaders, and socialists. The ‘ras’ (the local fascist leaders) began wielding great power

Weakness of a political system

• Real democracy came to Italy in 1912 (then only for men over 30 years of age). This meant, as a Liberal state, that people could go on strike without being punished by the state. And go on strike en masse, they did.

• The King, Vittorio Emanuele III was the Head of State, but Italy parliamentary government was chaotic and instable. No party was strong enough to win power and yet post war problems demanded action.

• Above all King Emmanuel III feared a Communist Revolution (as happened in Russia in 1917) or the possibility of a Civil War between the left wing revolutionaries (including socialists) and the rising Fascists.

• By 1919-1920 were the Biennio Rosso (The Red Years) was a time of large social and political chaos and conflict in Italy. Riots and strikes were common. Rural farmers were also angry. It seemed that a revolution was imminent. 

• By 1921-1922 were the Biennio Nero (The Black Years) marked by the growing power and violence of the fascists party. Burning down the headquarters of the Avanti Newspaper. Burning down homes of prominent politicians, catholic leaders, and socialists. The ‘ras’ (the local fascist leaders) began wielding great power

Economic Factors

• The post war problems Italy had were very much related to unemployment and the increase of living cost. With the War, the people had been encouraged by the leaders to expect greatness, but in 1919 they were “hungry and humiliated”.

• The war had also been very expensive and had completely disrupted the Italian economy.

• The population was also increasing rapidly, which along with the two and a half million men who came out of the armed forces (who were now unemployed) made the matter of poverty worse as unemployment and poverty rates where really high and increasing. 

• This caused the price of food to rise and violent armed strikes to occur frequently.

• By the end of 1920 the Lira (Italian currency) was only ⅙ of the 1913 value

Impact of war

• Estimates range from 680 000 to 709 000 dead or missing due the war

• 950,000 to 1,050,000 wounded, 463,000 of whom reported permanent disabilities

• 580,000 to 600,000 prisoners returning home

• 2,500,000 sick Italians due to war, disease, and food shortages

• The number of invalidity pensions paid was 675,000, 14,114 of which were for serious illnesses (9,040 for tuberculosis, 2,632 for insanity, 1,466 for blindness, 619 for injuries to the nervous system, and 327 for multiple amputations)

• Deducting the number of those maimed and disabled by wounds, one finds 212,000 among the sick and prisoners of war who had a permanent disability.

• Given much less from Treaty fo Versailles than promised in treaty of London

• Casualties of the war were high as over half of million were killed while much of the Italian population was seriously affected.

• The situation in Italy had reached so tense that a common saying among the Italians in 1919 was “in the next war we had better be defeated, if this is what it means to be one of the victorious powers”.

Methods to Establish Power

• F

• L

• I

• P

• P

Use of Force

• Mussolini used the Fascist squads, the Blackshirts as a form of paramilitary group to intimidate opposition, and enforce violence. 

• Many original members were ex-military soldiers who after WWI felt underappreciated, frustrated, angry and eager to seek out ‘justice’ on their terms

• Swore an oath to their leader, El Duce- Mussolini

• Black Shirt squads were used for intimidating and beating up or even killing political opposition (socialists, and communists), unionists, political leaders, leaders in the church. They would often start fights or be sent to go beat people up.

• Often financed by landowners or industrialists, used systematic violence to destroy these organizations. 

• Thousands of people were beaten, driven out of town, or even killed. *bludgeoning, castor oil 

• Hundreds of union offices, employment centres, and party newspapers were looted or burnt down. 

• In October 1920, after the election of a left administration in Bologna, Fascists invaded the council chamber, causing mayhem and nine deaths. The council was suspended by the government. 

• Later, Socialist and Catholic deputies were run out of parliament or had their houses destroyed.

Role of the leader

• He was a charismatic orator 

• He was pragmatic and flexible politically *debatable

• Mussolini positioned himself as the pivotal and coherent leader of the divided fascist party, and the only figure that might lead the party into parliament and political power. 

• During 1920 there could have been some challengers from smaller fascist rural factions, but as Mussolini was the original founder, he continued to dominate as leader.

• Mussolini appealed to the masses by promoting nationalism with some socialist dynamics. 

• Mussolini and fascism appealed to the wealthier and middle class farmers and industrialists

• He also managed to appeal to the elites as a strong man willing to take on the left (communists) and control his own party bosses, the ras.For many Italy was beginning to look like economic, social, and political chaos that no one could reign

Ideology

• By the late 1919-1921 the Fascists had become a major political force… gaining support of ...

  • Landowners

  • Industrialists

  • Urban Middle Class (students, shopkeepers)

  • Anti-Communists, Anti-Socialists

  • In May 1921, when Prime Minister Giolitti called new elections, 35 Fascists were elected to parliament as part of a government bloc of 275 deputies. 

  • In October 1921 Mussolini consolidated and united all the Fascist blocs, and in November he formed his movement into a proper political party, the National Fascist Party (Partito Nazionale Fascista; PNF).

Persuasion/ coercion

Propaganda

• Visual Fashion: By 1920s Mussolini was establishing a very clear visual image, he was often in well dressed suits and military garb. The Blackshirts had a clear intimidating uniform. 

• Newspapers: In 1912 Mussolini became editor of the socialist newspaper, Avanti! He demonstrated his capabilities as a powerful and radical writer. Mussolini resigned from Avanti! in 1914, when he became pro-war and set up a new newspaper Il Popolo d’Italia that promoted Italian intervention in the First World War. He was expelled from the socialist party.  He understood the ‘popular’ mood and was open to shift his stance on issues. Returned as editor of Il Popolo. In editorials he claimed Italy needed a ‘dictator’ to effectively direct the war.  Il Popolo became the focal point of the fascist movement. This allowed him to spread his message. 

• Cult of El Duce: We begin to see the cult of personality emerge, passionate speaker, powerful aggressive, macho, military might. But more of this is focused once power is assumed.

Facism

• Nationalism

• Violence, Aggression, Military, Wwar

• Dictatorship, Single Party State and Single Leader

• Anti-Communism

• Paramilitary - Black Shirt used to inflict violence and fear to keep leadership

• Accept no dissent or opposition