Economic and Social policies QUESTIONS

Why did Mussolini follow liberal economic policies in the early years of his regime and what did they include?

\-adopted moderate economic policy to please conservatives and industrialists

\-laissez-faire model meant minimal govt. interference in economy

What were the effects of the battle for the lira?

\-imports became cheaper, exports undermined

\-wages fell more than prices

\-1926-28 unemployment trebled

\-textiles industry entered depression

What was the purpose of the corporate state?

\-easy resolution to worker management and working conditions disputes

\-reassured employers that their property was safe from syndicalist ideas by extreme Fascists

Did the corporate state achieve its aims?

\-impact was low

\-did not encompass entire economy until 1934

\-industrialists ignored corporations entirely

\-successful as foreign propaganda

What impact did the economic depression of the early 1930s have on manufacturing and unemployment?

\-manufacturing fell by 14%

\-unemployment rose from 300k to over 1 mil

How did the IRI (Institute for Industrial Reconstruction) help prop up the Italian economy?

\-purchased worthless shares from and lent money to industries via state funds

\-Italian banks and many small firms survived

What were the negative effects of the policy for autarky?

\-coal, iron and oil production was only at 20%

\-cutting wheat imports increased other food imports

\-prices increased. living standards decreased

Give two examples of ‘carrots’ in the battle for births?

\-loans offered to couples who married, paid off for each child and cancelled after 6

\-a married man with 6 children did not pay tax

Give two examples of ‘sticks’ in the battle for births?

\-bachelors locked from promotion

\-bachellors taxed heavily

In what ways was the battle for grain successful?

-50% rise in wheat production

-Self-sufficiency in cereals achieved

-modernisation of farming

Give three examples of the negative effects of the battle of grain

-rising animal fodder prices, 500k fall in livestock numbers by 1928

-meat and egg production decreased

-self-sufficiency in crops undermined by fertiliser imports

-prices of cereal goods increased due to the lack of cheap imports

In what ways was the battle for land a success?

-irrigation was incredibly successful e.g Pontine Marches small farm patchwork

-provided employment through labour

-up to 50% cut in malaria cases

In what ways was the battle for land a failure?

\-over half of the promised 4.75mil hectares were untouched

\-4 billion lire given over 10 years with little oversight to ensure spending was on project

\-under 10k poor families resettled

Overall, in what ways were Mussolini’s economic policies successful ?

-increased self sufficiency

-maintained lira strength

-reclaimed land

-could claim propaganda/prestige success

Overall, in what ways were Mussolini’s economic policies a failure?

\-fell short on almost every plan

\-corporations ineffective and ignored

\-battle of births did not greatly affect birth rate

\-battle of grains as successful as unsuccessful

\-reclamation of land was underwhelming