Fascist Italy domestic policies dates

Workbook page 25-30

Trade unions banned, confidence of the economic elite improved

1924

‘Battle for Grain’ began

1925

‘Corporate state’ began

1926

The Italian economy was comprised almost entirely of 22 corporations

By 1934

The economy began to weaken due to the overvaluation of the Lira

1927-1929

Italian unemployment less than 500,000

1928

Italy first affected by the Great Depression, car production fell by 50%

1929

Unemployment was 2 million

By 1933

Italian economy was more prosperous than it was in 1922

1939

Mussolini expressed contempt for what he called the ‘bourgeois mentality’

By the 1930s

The Dopolavoro was set up to provide leisure activities which would also promote Fascism

1925

Dopolavoro membership was 300,000

1926

Dopolavoro membership was 2.4 million

1935

The Fascist salute was made compulsory

1937

Bottai’s School Charter

1939

Mussolini restored Catholic education in schools and increased government payments to priests

1922

The Pope withdrew his support of the Popolari

1923

Lateran Agreements

1929

Senior clergy did not approve of Italian involvement in the Spanish Civil War and Invasion of Abyssinia

Mid to late 1930s

Pope Pius XI openly disapproved anti-jewish laws

Late 1930s

Alliance between the Catholic Church and Fascists ended

By 1939

Mussolini published the anti-Semitic ‘Manifesto of Racial Scientists’

July 1938

Jews were excluded from the membership of the Fascist Party

October 1938

Jews were forbidden to marry non-Jews

November 1938

A law was passed making Prefects responsible for censorship

1923

The last opposition newspapers were suppressed and editors were warned they would be arrested for expressing opposition to Fascism

By 1926

Film and newsreels became major propaganda tools

From 1924

Mussolini’s Press Office became a Ministry

1935

Ministry responsible for propaganda was called the Ministry of Popular Culture

1937

Mussolini held an exhibition to celebrate the 2000th anniversary of Augustus’ birth, 1 million people attended

1937

Launch of the ‘Battle for Births’

1927

The birth rate declined despite the ‘Battle for Births’

Until 1936

Women made up 33% of the industrial workforce

1936

The government raised 230 million Lira by taxing bachelors

By 1939

Jobs and promotions in the civil service were only available to married men with children

By the 1930s

The quota system was introduced in the public sector, limiting women to 10% of the workforce

1933

Women still made up 33% of the workforce, only 3 points lower than in 1921

1936