Mussolini IB History

Lateran Pact of 1929

Lateran Pact of 1929

resulted in reconciliation with the papacy under Mussolini, institution of the Vatican as an independent state

Battle for Grain of 1925

Mussolini encouraged Italian farmers to grow grain so that the country would not need to import it from other countries

Black Shirts (Italy)

A private army under Mussolini who destroyed socialist newspapers, union halls, and Socialist party headquarters, eventually pushing Socialists out of the city governments of Northern Italy.

Gabriele D'Annunzio

- D'Annunzio was an Italian writer and ex-soldier from WWI who occupied Fiume with 2000 arditi (WWI veterans)- in 1919. By doing this, he defied and undermined the Italian democratic system which, in turn, showed the weakness of the Italian government when they were unable to remove his men from Fiume. This led fascism to gain supporters and thus, led to Mussolini's rise to power.

Fiume Affair

1919--D'Annunzio led 2,000 ex-soldiers to occupy this port, to protest against the Italian government's agreement to hand it over to Yugoslavia. The seizure shows the level of anger that some Italians held toward the government over the terms of the WWI peace talks. The fact that the Italian govt. could not dislodge these ex-soldiers until 1920 also demonstrated the weakness of the government.

Autarky

- Economic independence or self-sufficiency
- Was going to be impossible for Italy to fully achieve because it lacked a number of natural resources.

Pact of Steel of 1939

Italy and Germany; turned the Rome-Beline axis into a full scale military and political alliance, an aggressive agreement

1914-1918

- Mussolini found the Fascist Party
- D'Annuzio got the Fiume

1922

- Mussolini takes over Italy
- Mussolini got the march on Rome

1923

- Hyperinflation
- Mussolini bombed Corfu
- Weakened the Leauge of Nations
- Forced to back down by the British

1924

- Mattetti was assassinated in June
- Mussolini took control over Fiume

1925

- Locarno Pact
- the leaders of Europe signed a number of agreements at Locarno, Switzerland
- Germany's affirmation that it would accept its current boundaries
- Battle for Grain & Land

1926

- Germany joins League of Nations
- Battle of the Lira
- Albania becomes an Italian Protectorate

1929

- Great Depression
- Stock Market Crash
- Mussolini signed the Lateran Pact
- Mussolini used this to get more power
- In agreement the Catholic church said Mussolini was leader of Italy

1934

- Hitler tried to take over Austria
- Was stopped by Mussolini
- Wal-Wal incident to be used as an excuse to attack Abyssinia

1935

- Italy invades Abyssinia

1936

- Rome-Berlin Axis signed
- The link between Italy (Mussolini) and Germany (Hitler)
- Abyssinian war is over
-Italian troops go to the Spanish Civil War

1936-1939

- Start of the Spanish Civil War
- Invaded Italy

1937

- Italy left the League of Nations

1939

- Mussolini annexed Albania imitating Hitler's seizure of the rest of the Czechoslovakia
- Pact of Steel signed between Hitler & Mussolini
- Nazi-Soviet Pact

1940

- France fell
- Italy joined the war
- Italy signed the Tripartite/Three Power Pact
- Mussolini invaded Greece & Egypt
- Mussolini needed help from Hitler
- Delaying the invasion of the USSR

1943

- Allied invasion of Italy
- The fall of Mussolini
- Mussolini puppet regime in the north of Italy

Mussolini

- Fascist leader of Italy
- During WW1 & WW2

Treaty of London (1915)

- The Treaty of London (1915) was a secret agreement between the Allied Powers and neutral Italy during WWI to convince Italy to join on their side.- The Allied promised Italy that she would receive areas that belonged to Austria-Hungary including South Tyrol, Trentino, Istria, Dalmatia, and Central Power colonies in Africa in exchange for joining the Allies.- However, Italy did not receive the port of Fiume and Dalmatia and the colonies. This undermined the Italian liberal government for not negotiating the territory promised to Italy.

Mutilated Victory

- Even though Italy was on the winning side in the First World War, many Italians felt grievances at their limited rewards for their 600000 war dead, massive debts and a huge increase in the cost of living.- The Italians suffered high casualties and did not get all the lands they were promised in the Treaty of St.Germain. The Italian nationalist and poet, Gabriele D'Annunzio, deemed it a "mutilated victory".

Treaty of St. Germain (1919)

- signed in 1919 by the victorious Allies of WWI and by Austria. It recognized the independence of Hungary, Poland, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia.- The treaty officially separated Austria Hungary into two separate states. This treaty allowed many of the nationalities within Austria Hungary to declare self determination. - However the terms of the treaty did not please Italy who claimed former Austrian territories as irredentist lands. While Italy gained South Tyrol, Trentino, Trieste and Istria, she did not gain Fiume, Dalamtia or a share of German colonies in Africa.

Fiume 1924

- Fiume, along with other regions (Tyrol, Trentino, Istria and Dalmatia) were all Italian speaking under the control of the Austro-Hungarians. Prime Minister Vittorio Emmanuelle Orlando had not obtained the port on the Adriatic bitterly disappointing many Italians.- In 1919, Gabriele D'Annunzio led 2,000 ex-soldiers to occupy Fiume by force in protest against the Italian government's agreement to hand the port over to Yugoslavia.

Battle for the Grain (1925)

- In order to achieve economic greatness and self-sufficiency, Mussolini launched three key initiatives, one being the Battle for Grain in 1925 which set out to increase the production of wheat and to reduce Italy's reliance on imports.- The Battle for Grain led to an increase in grain production and imports fell by 75%, but this success came at the cost of other important crops, like olives.

Spazio vitale

- Italian, meaning "living space". It is the territorial expansionism of the Italian Fascism. Linked to this was Mussolini's belief that Fascist Italy could be the second Roman Empire.- Control the Mediterranean Empire was key to his vision of Italy as "the heir of Rome". Mussolinialso sought to conquer lands in Africa and the Balkans to serve as Italy's empire and to provide Italy with space for her growing population and needed resources.- This was a major goal of Mussolini's foreign policy.

Corfu Crisis (1923)

- Mussolini invaded the Greek island of Corfu after an Italian officer and his team were killed on the Greek border with Albania.- The League of Nations condemned this action and demanded that the Italians withdraw; however, only after Britain threatened to use its navy did Mussolini withdraw. - While doing so, he demanded payment of 50 million lire of compensation from the Greeks.- The "Corfu Affair" was seen as a great success within Italy.- It also showed a weakness of the League of Nations in dealing with a major member's aggression.

Stresa Pact (1935)

- Signed in 1935 between Italy, Britain, and France, the Stresa Pact aimed to reaffirm the Locarno Treaties and to confirm the independence of Austria to avoid a German take-over.
- In addition, the countries agreed to resist further attempts to breach the Treaty of Versailles especially German rearmament. In the meeting, Mussolini believed the British and French would not object to his takeover of Abyssinia.

Wal-Wal crisis

- In December 1934 Italians forces clashed with Abyssinians in the Wal Wal oasis. Thirty Italians died and Mussolini demanded an apology and compensation.- The Abyssinian emperor went to the League of Nations but Mussolini ignored their decision and made a secret order to his troops to attain total conquest of Abyssinia

- a fight at an Oasis- preparations to invade Abyssinia, were very open- Haile Selassie - Emperor- Slow to impose sanctions and did not impose sanctions on oil upon Italy for a while
- Britain and France let Mussolini send troops and ships through the Suez Canal

Hoare Laval Pact (1935)

- The Hoare Laval Pact was a secret pact formed by Britain and France in December of 1935 to give Mussolini large parts of Abyssinia without the consent of the League of Nations or Haile Selassie, the emperor of Abyssinia.- The hope was to stop a war in Abyssinia. The plan was leaked to the press ad caused both Hoare and Laval to be fired.


- However, it undermined the League of Nations, and Mussolini continued with his conquest- secret deal with Mussolini and without the League of Nations and Haile Selassie to divide up Any
- The deal leaked to the pressLava, was shot by a firing squad after WW2 because of his role in Vichy France working with the Germans

Appeasement

- The policy of giving in to the demands of another country in order to avoid conflict.
- During the 1930s, the British government, and especially the Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, gave in to Hitler's demands in the hopes of keeping peace in Europe
- Idea of giving into Hitler's demands in the hopes of avoiding war with him
- Anglo-German Naval Pact in 1935 with Germany now having a navy 35% of the British navy
- Revenge for a defeat in the 1890s at Adowa Wal-Wal Incident

Rome-Berlin Axis (1936)

- A coalition between Italy and Germany, signed in 1936, and formalized in 1939.- The beginning of what would be known as the Axis Powers, Japan would join in later years.- This agreement focused on increasing cultural and economic ties between Italy and Germany, but there was no military commitment.

Pact of Steel (1929)

- The Pact of Steel was signed between Germany and Italy in1939. It was a pact of trust and cooperation, but also had a secret protocol that stated a union of military and economic policies

What is France nervous about?

- How Germany will invade France

What does Britain think?

- Germany is treated badly

What does Italy lack?

- Natural Resources

What does Britain and France not want to get into again?

- War

What do Britain and France want?

- Mussolini & Italy to stay with them & not go to Hitler

What did Italy take over that broke the League of Nations?

- Abyssinia

What was one of the issues with the Abyssinian War?

- It was very expensive

When did Italy become a unified state?

- 1861

What factors influenced Mussolini's foreign policy?

- Economic resources
- Versailles settlement
- Earlier humiliations
- Nationalist view

How did the politicians respond to growing worker unrest?

- Closing down trade unions

What is meant by the term "Liberal Italy" and when was this period?

- Between 1870 and 1923
- Liberal Italy is the inherent weakness that undermined Italy during the period would ultimately facilitate the development of a Fascist dictatorship

What groups supported joining the war?

- The Entente Alliance

Why did Italy join the Allied side? Who was the PM then? What was Italy promised?

- The prime minister was Antonio Salandra
- Italy was promised Trieste, southern Tyrol, northern dalmatia, and other territories in return for a pledge to enter the war within a month

What losses had Italy sustained from the war?

- Over 600,000 men were dead and hundreds of thousands were wounded

What were the general principles of Fascism?

- Key features of Fascism
- Nationalism
- Militarism
- Social Darwinism
- Social Unity
- Authoritarianism

Key features of Fascism
- Nationalism:

- View of the nation state, its culture and history as an unifying force
- Desire to remove foreign influences
- Own nation seen as superior to other nations

Key features of Fascism
- Militarism

- Promotion of political violence and war as a method of revitalizing society
- Violence seen as necessary in order to progress
- Development of paramilitary organizations

Key features of Fascism
- Social Darwinism

- The belief that races has evolved as superior to other races
- "Survival of the fittest"

Key features of Fascism
- Social Unity

- Opposes class-based divisions in society and promotes collective national society

Key features of Fascism
- Authoritarianism

- Totalitarian; the state has influence or control over all aspects of society
- The people are subservient to the state
- Mussolini: "obedience not discussion"

When and how did Fascism begin in Italy?

- 1919
- Mussollini used his charisma to establish a powerful fascist state because many people wanted a national unity and strong leadership

What is a totalitarian government?

- A totalitarian state is one in which the government has total control over all aspects of a citizen's life
- Political, economic, cultural, and social

Describe how Italy's economy was affected by the Depression.

- The economic problems caused by overvaluing the lira were exacerbated by this worldwide crisis
- Investment from the USA was withdrawn, and Italian farmers were also badly affected by the collapse of the grain prices

What did the 4 powers agree upon?

- The signatories agreed to adhere to the League's covenant, the Locarno Treaties and the Kellogg-Briand Pact

What topics were NOT settled at the conference?

The Treaty of Versailles