italy - key facts - midterm 1

Treaty of London (April 1915)

A secret treaty where Italy agreed to join the Entente in return for land (South Tyrol, Trentino, Istria, Dalmatia, parts of Turkish & German colonies).

PM Salandra's hope

Hoped the war would unite the nation through patriotic fervour.

Opposition to intervention

Giolitti (argued Italy was unprepared); Socialists (saw war as capitalist); Catholics (opposed killing fellow Catholics).

Victory battle?

Vittoria Venetto ended nov 3rd 1918 - supposedly when Italy won the war

Support for intervention

Mussolini and Nationalists — believed war would bring revolution and strengthen Italy's global status.

Radiant days of May

Period of public demonstrations for war that led to Italy's declaration of war in May 1915.

Military Stalemate (1915

16)

General Cadorna's methods

Harsh discipline (750 men executed), blamed troops for cowardice.

Soldiers killed or wounded by 1918

Around 650,000 killed and over 1 million wounded.

Morale among Italian soldiers

Many were southern peasants with little understanding of why they fought; poor conditions and contempt from officers.

Caporetto (October 1917)

Austrians pushed Italians back 100 miles; huge defeat, 300,000 soldiers deserted.

Reaction in Italy after Caporetto

Public outrage — blamed the government and military leadership.

General Diaz's changes

Improved morale, rations, and strategy (defensive at Piave).

• replaced general cadorna after oct 1917 defeat

Political impact of Caporetto

PM Boselli resigned → replaced by Orlando; reinforced divisions between Liberals, Socialists, and Catholics.

PSI's stance on war

Refused to vote for war credits; policy of 'neither support nor sabotage.'

Socialists gaining support

Anger over rationing, low wages (fell by 25%), long hours, and profiteering by industrialists.

Companies benefiting from war contracts

Fiat, Montecatini, Breda.

Socialist anger at government

Salandra ruled by decree; democracy sidelined; strikes banned; some riots suppressed (50 killed in Turin 1917).

Russian Revolution's effect on Italian socialism

Inspired radicals — belief that revolution could follow once war controls were lifted.

Worries of Italian elites about Russian Revolution

Showed how socialism could overthrow existing order; upper/middle classes feared loss of property and power.

Turati's difference from Lenin

PSI leader Turati did not plan to seize power — believed revolution would come naturally.

Italy's war economy by 1918

Surprisingly effective — Italy produced more artillery than Britain by 1918.

Key figures in wartime production

Fiat (vehicles), Dallolio (Under

Financial consequences of war

Government debt rose from 3 to 23 billion lira; inflation quadrupled prices; hit middle class hardest.

Region benefiting most economically

The north (20% growth), widening the north

Problems after the end of the war economy

Industries lost demand, unemployment rose, inflation eroded savings.

Italy's final victory in WWI

Battle of Vittorio Veneto (October 1918) — Austria surrendered soon after.

Tensions emerging after the war

Soldiers wanted rewards; peasants wanted land; workers wanted jobs — expectations the government couldn't meet.

1860s ?

Unification of Italy

1882

Triple Alliance

1885

Franchise extended from 2% to 25% of men

1896

Italy defeated by Abyssinia at Battle of Adowa

1898

Major riots in which over 100 people were killed

1900

King Umberto assassinated + a banking crisis

1911

Giolitti was made Prime Minister for the 4th time after coming to power in 1900 + INVASION OF LIBYA

1912

Turkey surrendered Libya + extension of franchise to most men

1913

General Election + Gentolini Pact

1914

Giolitti resigned as PM and was replaced by Salandra + 'Red Week' and declaration of neutrality in WWI

Risorgimento

rebirth' and refers to unification in the 1860s.

'Legal' and 'real' Italy

Roman question

Catholic Church's refusal to recognise the legitimacy of the Liberal State and the loss of the Papal States.

Trasformismo

system of bargains and compromises that politicians made with each other to form a government. Giolitti was the master of making such deals to form a majority. Party loyalty counted for little. Trasformismo was less effective when the electorate expanded in 1913.

Italia irredent

Italian speaking territories occupied by Austria (South Tyrol, Trentino, Istria, Dalmatia, Triest, Fiume)

Treaty of London

IN april 1915 British agree to grant italia irredenta (except for Fiume) in exchange for Italy's declaration of war against Austria and Germany

Reformists

Moderates in the socialist party led by Turrati

Maximalists

Extremists in the Socialist Party (mussolini as leader)

Liberal party

A loose collection of groups generally in favour of the status quo and included Radicals (anti-clerical), Catholics, Nationalists, Democrats and Conservatives. Liberals dominated parliament in terms of numbers but they were divided. They tended to group themselves around patrons such as Giolitti on the Left and Salandra on the Right of the party.

PSI

Italian Socialist party

ANI

Italian Nationalist Association

Futurists

Intellectual movement led by Marinetti who glorified violence and influenced Nationalists

Industrial triangle

Industrial base centred around the cities of Turin, Genoa and Milan

Syndicalists

Extreme trade unions advocating strike action

Catholic action

The umbrella organisation for numerous charitable and sports club that spread the church's influence beyond priests

Franchise

Extension of vote

Giolitti's reform programme

i) Abolished child labour ii) Social insurance and pensions iii) Maternity Fund iv) Spending on public works increased by 50% v) balanced the budget by restraining expenditure on armed forces vi) maintained government neutrality in industrial disputes. The last point is the most important policy because it enabled trade unions to strike and force employers into increasing wages.

Anti clericalists

Italians who opposed the power of the Catholic Church. They rejected religious involvement in schools and marriage. Socialists & Radicals were anti-clericalists. Giolitti's electoral pact with the Catholics in the 1913 elections led to the Radicals withdrawing their support, forcing Giolitti to resign as PM in 1914 because he could no longer command a majority. Salandra replaced him.

'Red week'

Following the resignation of Giolitti in March 1914 the new PM, Salandra, reversed many of his reforms, in particular non-intervention in strikes. The provoked the Left into rioting in which hundreds were killed by the police. The Socialists were too disorganised to maintain the momentum and as the name suggests only lasted one week.

Declaration of neutrality

Italy was part of the defensive Triple Alliance to help further her colonial gains. She remained neutral in August 1914 by claiming that Austria's invasion of Serbia was an aggressive act. Italy had little to gain from fighting alongside Austria and much to lose by making enemies of France and Britain.

Stat about illiteracy

In 1911, illiteracy was 45% in the South and 10% in the North

Steel stat

Germany produced 20x as much steel as Italy

Agricultural yields stat

French agricultural yields were double that of Italy

Italian GDP stat

Italy's GDP grew by 2.8% annually and workers' wages grew by 40% from 1900 to 1914 and this explains why the working classes were generally non-revoluntionary in outlook until 'Red week' in 1914

Election stats

In the 1913 election the Socialists won 22% of the vote but only 69 deputies (15% of seats) because Proportional Representation was not introduced until after WWI. The nationalists only had 3 deputies. The liberal coalition lost some deputies but they still dominated (318 out of 511)

Italy lagging behind industrially stats

60% of the population in 1914 was concerned with agricultural production. In Britain it was just 15%. This difference reflected how Italy lagged behind other European countries in industrialisation

Po valley

Po valley was the most fertile region of Italy

Franchise extension

Only 2% of men could vote. In 1870 and it was restricted to the wealthy, the franchise was extended to 25% of men in 1885 but the majority of men were not eligible to vote until 1912

Electorate increase

The electorate increased from 3 to 8 million in 1912

Socialist news

Circulation of the main Socialist newspaper, Avanti! (Forward!), quadrupled between 1912 and 1914. This was mainly due its new editor and rising star among the Maximalists of the PSI, Benito Mussolini.

Membership of PSI

Membership of the PSI in 1914 was 50,000. It was growing but was not yet a mass party

death of soldiers in libya

3,000 from 1911-12

Deputies support for Giolitti

300 out of 510 deputies (majority) expressed support for Giolitti's attempt to prevent the declaration of war in May 1915, but he backed down when the king threatened to abdicate and provoke a constitutional crisis.