Mussolini Domestic and Foreign Policy

Domestic policy

Policies and actions within Italy to strengthen fascist control and economy

Economic aims

Achieve greatness through land reclamation, strong currency, autarky, and a corporate state via corporatism

Corporate state

Partnership between state and private economic enterprise to organize economy under fascist control

Battle Over the Southern Problem

Policy to address poverty and development in southern Italy

Battle for Grain

Increase grain output to reduce imports and achieve self-sufficiency, largely unsuccessful

Battle for Land

Reclamation of land, limited success in Pontine Marshes, provided work for unemployed

Battle for Births

Increase birth rate, failed as birth rate declined and female workforce remained high

Battle for the Lira

Overvalued Lira, exports expensive, unemployment rose, worsened recession and Great Depression effects

State intervention

Job-sharing schemes, public funding to prevent bank

IRI

Institute of Industrial Reconstruction, aimed to support industries, ended up forming capitalist monopolies, failed corporatism

Religious aims

Reconcile state and church for stability, allow state focus on economy, education, and policy

Catholic education

Restored in state primary schools to gain papacy support

Lateran Agreements 1929

Vatican sovereignty, recognition of Italian state, cash compensation, Catholicism sole state religion, concordat for education and marriages

Religious success

Church supported Mussolini short-term, strengthened Church, partial control only, suppression of non-believers

Racism

anti-Semitism aims

Charter of Race 1938

Declared Italians ‘Aryans’, excluded Jews from schools, banned interracial marriage, restricted property, expelled foreign Jews

Racism

anti-Semitism success

Propaganda aims

Create obedient nation to prevent threats to Mussolini’s authority

Propaganda policies

Personal dictatorship over party, state-controlled newspapers, LUCE film agency, youth and education propaganda

Propaganda success

Media control limited, short-term popularity, public speeches and rallies effective, education reforms and cultural control largely failed, partial indoctrination through ONB, Church and monarchy undermined image

Women

birth rate aims

Rocco Criminal Law 1932

Banned contraception, sterilization, abortion, increased husband’s legal

Female employment restrictions

Max 10% jobs 1933 and private firms 1938, encourage home population growth

Family incentives

Tax benefits for large families, penalties for bachelors, cheap honeymoon tickets

Homosexuality law 1931

Outlawed

Women

birth rate success

Industrial impact

Loss of independent trade unions, right to strike removed, wage cuts, extended workweek, standard of living declined, unemployment rose, public works limited, social welfare and education improvements insufficient

Peasants

agricultural workers

Lower-middle classes

Hard hit by Depression, fascist members gained prosperity through party

Industrialists

landowners

Foreign policy aims

Establish modern Roman empire, distract from domestic problems, reverse WWI territorial disappointments, promote national glory

1920s diplomacy

Cautious foreign policy through negotiation

Corfu Incident 1923

Italy withdrew under League pressure, gained compensation from Greece

Pact of Rome 1924

Fiume granted to Italy, boosted Mussolini prestige

Locarno Treaty 1925

Attempt to reverse TOV diplomatically

Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928

Italy signed, hoped to improve international standing

1930s foreign policy

Alliance with Hitler, aggressive expansion

Preventing Anschluss 1934

Intervened to stop Germany’s annexation of Austria

Abyssinian Crisis 1935-36

Full invasion of Abyssinia, revenge attempt, costly and economically fruitless

Rome-Berlin Axis 1936

Alliance with Germany, Mussolini supported Franco in Spanish Civil War

Munich Conference 1938

Diplomatic involvement with Germany

Pact of Steel 1939

Formal military and strategic alliance with Germany

WWII entry

Heavy defeats in North Africa, foreign policy failures evident

Foreign policy successes

1920s diplomacy boosted image, Spanish Civil War enhanced prestige, spread fascism, Rome-Berlin Axis created

Foreign policy failures

Could not reverse TOV, Abyssinian invasion costly, Italy could not compete with major powers