Mussolini: from prime minister to dictator

When was Mussolini appointed PM?

30th October 1922

Why was a Fascist government not yet possible? (2 reasons)

Did not have a majority of Fascist MPs in parliament + King would probably not let him do away with parliament

Who was in Mussolini’s coalition government?

Liberals, Popolari and fascists

How many senior ministers were fascist?

4/14

Why did this reassure the liberals and conservatives?

Once fascists had crushed the socialists they could be absorbed into the regime or dispensed.

Mussolini was minister of the interior, which gave him control over what?

Police

How did he intimidate parliament?

Fascist violence

Why was Mussolini granted new powers by parliament? (2 reasons)

Told MPs the that there was a huge breakdown of law and order + ‘big threat’ of socialist revolution

What did Mussolini say about any powers he would be granted?

They would be temporary

What does it mean to rule by decree?

Create laws without consulting parliament

Mussolini received a huge vote of confidence and received emergency powers for how long?

12 months

When was the grand council of fascism created?

December 1922

Mussolini wanted to reduce the influence of provincial fascist leaders, how did he do this?

Converted the Fascist squads into a national militia (funded by the state)

How many people were in this private army?

30,000 men

What was *Confindustria*?

A powerful, conservative organisation representing big businesses.

Why did Mussolini not attack widespread tax evasion?

to show industrialists he wasn’t a dangerous radical

How did Mussolini gain support from the church? (2 reasons)

Intended to ban contraception + make RS compulsory in schools

How did the pope show his support? (2 reasons)

Dropped support from Popolari + instructed leader to leave Italy

What was the Acerbo law?

The political party with the most votes in an election get 2/3 of the seats in the chamber of deputies?

What did this mean if the fascists came to power?

It would become impossible to vote them out of power

How did Mussolini rig elections? (2 reasons)

Fascist squads would destroy offices of opposition newspapers + prevent opposition from reaching polling booths.

When was the Acerbo law passed?

July 1923

When was the next election?

April 1924

Who did the Fascists campaign with in the 1924 election?

The Liberals (including Salandra)

How many people voted for the Fascists?

4\.5 million which represented 66% of the vote (a clear majority)

How much did Fascist MPs increase by?

35 to 374

How many votes did the socialists and communists get?

2\.5 million

Where did the resilience of support for opposition parties come from?

Northern cities Milan and Turin didn’t have fascist majorities

When was Matteotti killed?

10th June 1924

Why was Matteotti killed?

Delivered a speech denouncing fascism and its violence

Who was the main suspect and why was it a problem for Mussolini?

Cesare Rossi - he was Mussolini’s press secretary and confidant

What was the Aventine secession?

Anti-Fascist MPs walked out of parliament in protest against fascist violence, hoping that this would encourage the king to sack Mussolini.

How did Mussolini create the impression he wanted an open and fair investigation?

Ordered arrests of Fascist suspects + put a Conservative as minister of the interior

Why did the King not sack Mussolini?

Feared it would strengthen the revolutionary left and lead to civil war (a point echoed by the Pope)

How did the Liberals see the Matteotti affair?

An opportunity to increase their influence over Mussolini

When was press censorship introduced?

July 1924

Did the government manage to suppress the controversy created by the Matteotti crisis?

No. The Liberals who had supported Mussolini now protested against him

When did the leading fascists present Mussolini with an ultimatum?

December 1924

What was included in the ultimatum?

If Mussolini did not end the Matteotti affair immediately and establish a dictatorship, they would withdraw their support

When did Mussolini accept all responsibility for fascist actions?

In a speech on 3rd January 1925

What gave Mussolini the confidence to create his dictatorship? (2 reasons)

Majority in parliament + confident the king wouldn’t move against him

Why was the opposition in the chamber not a threat?

It was divided + lacked leadership + compromised by its earlier support for fascism

When did Mussolini establish a committee to reform the constitution?

January 1925

What were the *Leggi Fascistissime*?

Fascist laws that banned opposition political parties and free TUs

When were the *Leggi Fascistissime* passed?

December 1925

How was fascist control on local government tightened?

Replaced elected mayors with nominated officials

What was the new special court used for?

To try political crimes

When could Mussolini grant the right to issue decrees carrying full force of the law without parliament?

January 1926

Did Mussolini have to consult parliament on laws anymore?

No, they didn’t even have the right to debate laws or criticise government

When did the king lose the right to select the PM?

1928

Who chose the PM now?

Candidates would be selected by the Grand council of Fascism which was controlled by Mussolini