Fascism in Italy

What did the industrialists do to increase public support for the Fascists?

500,000 industrialists convinced many Italians that they were on the verge of a revolution, and Fascism would save them

How many core supporters by the end of 1919?

74,000

How many seats did the Fascists win in the 1919 election?

NONE

How many seats did the PSI win in the 1919 election?

156 seats

How many active supporters in 1919?

4,000

What % of Milan voters voted for Fascism?

1.8%

Who were the Squadristi?

Paramilitary Fascist groups often led by former army officers

An example of when the police supported the Fascists in 1919?

On the 15th April 1919, 200 - 300 men dressed in black shirts carrying pistols stormed a socialist demonstration. They burnt down the Avanti! office and killed 3 socialists. The police did nothing.

Why did wealthy peasants support the Fascists in 1919?

Thought socialists were going to take their land

What % of the Fascist movement were students?

10%

What was the Fascist newspaper created in 1919?

Il Populo d’Italia

How many socialists killed and wounded in the first 5 months of 1921?

200 killed and 1000 wounded

When was the pact of pacification?

July 1921

When was the PNF created?

October 1921

Increase in membership from 1921 - 1922?

Increased from 200,000 members in 1921 to 300,000 members in 1922

Example of when the weakness of political rivals helped the Fascist movement?

In 1922, the Popolari lost its moral authority when the newly elected Pope Pius XI ended his support for the party. The Popolari withdrew its support from the coalition gov in 1922 because of the Government’s failure to control fascist violence

What % of students in Italy were members of the PNF in 1922?

12-13%

Who were the syndicates?

labour or trade organisations

The results of the 1921 election and what did this mean for the gov.

123 socialists, 15 communists, 107 PPI and 35 Fascists. Made it impossible to form a stable government which led to political instability and the rise of extremist movements.

What did Giolitti stupidly do at the 1921 election?

He tried to absorb the Fascists into his “national bloc” as part of trasformismo as he hoped Fascism would be tamed. However, after being voted into parliament as a government backed candidate, Mussolini announced he would vote as part of the opposition. This gave the Fascists more legitimacy and put a foothold on the government. This weakened the official resistance to Fascist violence.

When was the general strike that helped mussolini rise?

July 1922

How many days did the general strike (July 2022) last?

1 day

When was the march on rome?

October 1922

How many blackshirts chanted “A Roma” at the Fascist congress before the march on rome?

40,000

When did King Victor Emmanuel support the appointment of Mussolini?

30th October 1922

When was Mussolini appointed as Prime Minister?

29th October 1922

What was Mussolini’s idea of a “dynamic myth” when he came into power?

He wanted to create an image that he came to power due to his heroic show of force instead of political horse trading. He needed the image of a “March on Rome” which appeared to have acquired power through the strength of the squads.

What is political horse trading?

Unofficial discussions and negotiations, often involving compromises and exchanges of favours, that occur behind the scenes to achieve political goals. Mussolini did not want his appointment to power seen in this way

Who were the Quadrumvirs?

The four main leaders of fascism whom Mussolini tasked with organising the March on Rome. They were considerably powerful and were often photographed alongside Mussolini in the early stages of the Fascist rule.

How many coalition governments from 1919 - 1922?

5 failed coalitions

How did the Fascists describe themselves to disillusioned voters concerning the rise of socialism?

Selfless individuals devoted to creating their vision of Italy

Who was in the Cabinet before the Fascist consolidation of power?

There were 4 Fascists, 4 Liberals, 2 PPI members, 1 Nationalist member and 2 military independent members

How did the Fascists in 1922 improve their relations with the Catholics?

They increased clerical pay and reinstated crucifixes in Schools. They also appointed PPI member Cavazonni as minister of work

When was Mussolini’s speech to the Chamber of Deputies?

November 1922

What did the Chamber of Deputies speech by Mussolini in November 1922 do?

He won a vote of 306 to 116 to grant Mussolini emergency powers for a year.

Who were the Ras?

Local fascist leaders who employed violence and intimidation to gain support for Mussolini.

Who was a leading Ras that advocated the closing of all political parties and the Italian Parliament?

Roberto Farinacci

…….. is the term used to describe Mussolini’s wish to end violence and return to normal constitutional political methods?

Normalisation

When was the Fascist Militia (MSVN) created?

January 1923

What was the membership of the MSVN in 1922?

300,000 black shirts who were paid directly by the state

How did the MSVN help Mussolini weaken the Ras?

He appointed former army officers in charge of local units, which helped weaken the Ras. This led to the expulsion of 200 Ras from the Fascist party

When was the Fascist Ground Council created?

December 1922

How much did PNF membership grow from 1922 to the end of 1923?

Increased from 300,000 to 783,000

How did the Nationalists disbanding from their organisations help Mussolini consolidate power?

They were made up of upper middle classes who would weaken more extreme Fascist ideas and allow Mussolini to gain firm control over the Fascist movement

When was the Acerbo law?

July 1923

What was the Acerbo law?

Divided the country into 15 large constituencies and added up the votes. Any party gaining 25% or more of the votes would be granted 2/3 of seats in the Chamber of Deputies. The Fascists passed with a comfortable majority

What was the result of the vote for the Acerbo Law?

235 for and 139 against

When was the Matteotti crisis?

June 1924

Who were Mussolini’s secret police? (copied Lenin)

The Cheka

What were the April 1924 election results?

As the Fascists joined forces with right - wing Liberals such as Salandra, they secured a majority in Parliament with 66% of the votes. The number of Fascist deputies in the Chamber of Deputies increased from 35 to 374

Why was Matteotti killed?

He made a speech criticising Mussolini and the Fascists for being too violent on the 30th May 1924

Who’s car was seen taking away the body of Matteotti in?

Dumini who was one of the leaders of the Ceka

When was press censorship introduced by Mussolini?

July 1924

When were meetings by opposition political groups or parties banned?

August 1924

What did leading Fascists do to pressurise Mussolini to establish a dictatorship?

In December 1924, 33 leading Fascists demanded Mussolini to establish a Fascist dictatorship. If Mussolini refused, they threatened to withdraw their support.

When did Mussolini establish a Fascist dictatorship?

3rd January 1925

Who did Mussolini appoint as PNF secretary?

Farinacci

What did Farinacci do?

As secretary of the PNF, his job was to purge the party of radicals. He increased the membership from 600,000 to 938,000 which diluted the power of the Squadristi

What was the motion passed by the Fascist Grand Council to stop the squads?

Forced all ras to disband any squads and enlist them into a militia. The independence and power that the Ras and squadristi was now finished.

When was the Palazzo Vidoni Pact introduced?

October 1925

What was the Palazzo Vidoni Pact (October 1925)

Established the official Fascist unions as the only representative of Italian workers, thereby taking power from the socialist and Catholic unions. It solidified the Fascist regime's control over labor relations in Italy, eliminating competing unions.

When did Mussolini’s title change, and to what?

In December 1925, the title of Prime Minister of Italy was changed to Head of Government and the Duce of Fascism

When was Mussolini granted the ability to rule by decree?

January 1926

When were all political parties, apart from the PNF, banned?

October 1926

How many history textbooks banned in 1926?

100

How much did the amount of university students increase?

54,000 in 1921 to 165,000 in 1942

What militaristic phrase was used when indoctrinating the children with Fascist ideology?

“Believe. Obey. Fight”

What was the OND?

Adult leisure programmes and facilities along with welfare facilities

What was the DGC and when was it created?

It was created in 1934 and was responsible for regulating cinema and bringing all films in line with the Fascist ideology

Amount of radio sets in 1932 compared to 1938

By 1932 there were 300,000 radio sets and by 1938 there were more than one million

When were independent newspapers close and the editors arrested?

1925, immediately after Mussolini came into power which shows that M knew he needed to control the population.

When was the ministry of popular culture established?

1937

Significance of press control, censorship and propoganda?

Hugely significant as it allowed Fascist Italy to be seen as a heroic regime, similar to that of the Greeks, which increased nationalism and support for the regime. Censorship of certain elements instilled intense fear into the population, leading them to become indoctrinated and succumb to their influence. It was accessible for all and pervasive in daily life, thus shaping public opinion and limiting dissent.

What was the largest building project of the Fascist regime?

Esposizone Universale Rome (EUR) was a major urban development initiated in the 1930s to promote fascist ideals and showcase Italy's progress.

How many people did the Fascists kill from 1920 - 22?

2,000 opponents

How many people were killed during the Fascist regime?

400

What is an example of a decree that allowed the police and local government to have extensive powers (repression)?

1926 Public Security Decree which meant that anyone perceived as a political threat could be placed under police supervision

When was the special tribunal introduced?

November 1926

When was the OVRA established?

1927

How many members of the Militia in the OVRA?

50,000 members

Where were the remote prisons?

Islands on Lipari and 10,000 were sent there

How many people were kept as political prisoners?

5,000 (1922-1943)

Significance of repression and terror?

These methods were effective in instilling fear into the population which enhances the strong position of the dictatorship. They didn’t wear uniform so they were unrecognisable, which instilled more fear as they could be anywhere.

Why did Mussolini and many leading Fascists not embrace anti - semitism to the same extent as hitler

The Fascists had Jewish connections such as Italo Balbo. 10,000 jewish members in the PNF and the Italian foreign secretary, count Ciano allowed 3,000 German Jews to enter the country as refugees

When were the anti semitic decrees introduced?

1938

Why were the anti semitic decrees introduced?

Increased the closeness to the Nazi regime. There was Jewish criticism towards Fascism in Europe for example, leading members of anti - Fascist group Justile and Liberty were Jews

What does the development of anti - semitic laws in 1938 reveal about the consistency of M approach to anti semitism?

Not consistent, it wasn’t Mussolini’s person choice. Many Government and Fascist officials did not rigidly apply it ( laws included exemption for Italian Jews who had served in the war).

What were the anti semitic decrees?

The Racial Laws prohibited Jews from most professional positions as well as prohibited sexual relations and marriages between Italians, Jews, and Africans.^[5] The press in Fascist Italy highly publicized the "Manifesto of Race", which included a mixture of biological racism and history; it declared that Italians belonged to the Aryan race, Jews were not Italians, and that it was necessary to distinguish between Europeans and non-Europeans.

Who was Italo Balbo?

Minister of the air force who was Jewish

What was the title that M gave the King?

Emperor of Ethiopia in 1936

How did the FGC harness control over the King?

They had the power to control the succession of the heir. This was significant as the heir, Prince Umberto, was a known anti Fascist.

What did the King criticise but still approve?

The anti semitic decrees

How did M control the judicary?

Anti - Fascist judges were removed and replaced with Fascists - no longer impartial.

What % of the civil service were members of the PNF in 1927

15%

What was the slight bit of resistance from the army to M?

the plans in 1925 to reduce size of the army are faced with opposition and then not introduced which was successful opposition.

What did M establish to allow him to establish a totalitarian regime with power centralised in his hands?

In 1939 he replaced parliament with a chamber of Fasces and Corporations

Who were the important Fascists that displayed minor resistance?

Alfredo Rocco and August Turati. However, they were dismissed due to not being completely submissive to Mussolini

An example of a minister that was rewarded for being loyal to M’s leadership?

Achille Starace was the party secretary from 1931-39 and was not effective but never challenged Mussolini’s authority so was given an inflated position.