Italy dates and events and bits

1861

Establishment of the Kingdom of Italy

1892

Italian Socialist Party (PS1) established

1896

Italian army defeated at Adowa

1903

Giolitti becomes PM

1910

Italian Nationalist Association (ANI) founded

1911

Beginning of the Libyan War

1912

Franchise extended to all literate men over 21 and all men over 30

1914

Resignation of Giolitti

1915

Treaty of London

October 1917

Defeat at Caporetto

March 1919

Fasci di Combattimento launched

September 1919

Invasion of Fiume

1919

Creation of the Catholic Party (PPI)

1919

Bienno Rosso begins

November 1919

Elections - PSI and PPI win the majority but cannot work together, leaving the liberals in charge

May 1921

Elections - Fascists have an electoral breakthrough of 7% / 34 seats

August 1921

Pact of Pacification, Mussolini temporarily resigns

November 1921

Mussolini reinstated as leader and formalises the fascist movement into an official party known as the Partita Nazionale Fascista (PNF)

1921

Italian Communist Party founded

27th October 1922

March on Rome

30th October 1922

Mussolini appointed as Prime Minister

November 1922

Parliament approves year long emergency powers for Mussolini, passed 306:116

December 1922

Fascist Grand Council created

January 1923

Fascist Militia set up

February 1923

ANI amalgamates with the PNF

July 1923

Acerbo Law passed

April 1924

Election - Fascists win 66% of the vote gaining 374/535 deputies

June 1924

PSI leader Giacomo Matteotti murdered, MPs leave parliament in protest... leading to what is known as the Matteotti Crisis

July 1924

Press censorship introduced and opposition meetings banned

1924

Annexation of Fiume

3rd January 1925

Mussolini announces dictatorship

20th June 1925

Battle for grain proclaimed

November 1925

New press cencorship introduced

December 1925

Title of PM changed to Head of Government and Duce of Fascism

1st December 1925

Locarno Pact signed

January 1925

Mussolini given the right to rule by decree without consultation with parliament

November 1926

Opposition parties banned

May 1925

Opera Nazionale Dopolavoro (OND) established

February 1926

Role of Podesta replaces elected mayors

April 1926

Strikes forbidden by Rocco Law

Opera Nazionale Balilla set up (ONB)

July 1926

Ministry of Corporations established

August 1926

Battle for Lira launched

November 1926

OVRA (secret police created)

Political divisions established under Arturo Bocchini

May 1927

Battle for Births policy introduced

'Ruralisation' launched

December 1927

Lira is artificially fixed at 92.46 against the British pound

1928

Empty the cities campaign

May 1928

Parliamentary deputies are to be chosen by the Fascist Grand Council

December 1928

Constitutional powers of the King are limited by the Fascist Grand Council

February 1929

Concordat with the Pope

March 1929

Italians overwhelmingly support Mussolini's government in a national plebiscite

1931

Tension begins between the government and the church over youth policies, a compromise eventually met

1932

Exhibition of the Fascist Revolution held in Rome

1933

It becomes compulsory for all teachers to be part of the PNF

1934

Balilla restructured and Youth organisations for girls established

February 1934

Mixed corporations of employer and employee groups established

1935

Ministry of the press established

1931

Homosexuality is banned

1935

Policy of Autarky is adopted

1937

It becomes compulsory for all young Italians to be part of youth organisations

Ministry of the press is renamed Ministry of Culture

June 1937

Leading antifascists Carlo and Nelli Rosselli are assasinated in Paris

March 1938

Parliament grants the title first marshal of the empire to mussolini

September 1938

Racial laws against Jews are introduced

1939

Pope Pius XI dies before he can publish criticisms of Mussolini's race policy and is replaced by Pope Pius XII

August 1923

Corfu Incident - Italy threatens war with Greece but backs down under pressure from League of Nations.

October 1925

Mussolini involved in negotiations leading to the Locarno Pact

1929

Italy begins brutal crackdown on Libyan rebels

15th July 1933

4 Power Pact signed but never ratified by France and Britain

April 1935

Italy, Britain and France sign the Stresa Front

October 1935

Mussolini launches Italian invasion of Abyssinia

9th May 1936

Mussolini announces the Italian victory in Abyssinia

July 1936

Italy beings intervention of the Spanish Civil war on the side of Franco

November 1936

Informal Rome-Berlin Axis

1937

Italy signs the Anti-Comintern pact

April 1939

Italy invades Albania

May 1939

Pact of Steel - Mussolini signed a military alliance with Germany, obliging both countries to support each other in war.

September 1939

Italy chooses to be 'Non-belligerent' in the war

10th June 1940

Italy declares war on France and Britain, joining ww2 on the side of Nazi Germany

October 1940

Italy invades Greece but is pushed back

May 1941

Italian troops retreat from Abyssinia

13th May 1943

Axis troops surrender in North Africa marking an end of the war

9th July 1943

Allied forces launch invasion of Sicily

25th July 1943

Mussolini removed from power by Fascist Grand Council and arrested on the King's orders

8th September 1943

Italy announces surrender to the allied forces

The King and Badoglio flee to the south establishing the 'Kingdom of the South'

8th September 1943

Germany begins occupation of Italy

12th September 1943

Mussolini released from prison by German commanders

23rd September 1943

Social Republic of Italy declared, Mussolini head of Salo.

13th October 1943

Italy declares war on Germany

April 1944

Social Republic of Italy collapses

28th April 1944

Mussolini captured and executed by partisan forces

4th June 1944

Allied forces enter Rome

2nd June 1946

Constituent election and referendum on the monarchy held in Italy - they vote to remove and Italy becomes a republic

December 1921

Avanguardia Giovanale Fascista set up

March 1923

Gruppi Universitari Fascisti set up

December 1928

Fascist Grand Council's role formalised in the constitution as the most important legal body in the state

October 1925

Palazzo Vidoni Pact - ensured the dissilution of the Catholic, socialist and communist trade unions