Italy in the Early 20th Century

Question 1

When was Italy fully unified as one country?

Answer 1

1870

Question 2

What was the South of Italy like?

Answer 2

Little industry, exhausted infertile land and social unrest with mafia and clans running certain areas. Main cities include Naples

Question 3

What was Central Italy like?

Answer 3

Administrative centre in Rome, once controlled by the Pope in the Papal States, lack of natural resources (most of Italy was like this)

Question 4

What was Northern Italy like?

Answer 4

Industrialized with major centers like Turin, Milan and Genoa, fertile commercial farm land due to river Po

Question 5

What was the name given to noble owned land in the south and what percentage of people owned what percentage of the land?

Answer 5

Latifundia, 0.01% of people owned 50% of the land

Question 6

What percentage of people had a primary education in the north compared to the South?

Answer 6

80% had a primary education in the north, only 18% in the south (87% illiteracy in the south)

Question 7

How many people emigrated to the USA in the years 1900-10?

Answer 7

3.6 million

Question 8

What did D’Azeglio say in a parliamentary speech regarding Italy?

Answer 8

We have made Italy, now we must make Italians

Question 9

What were some issues with language in Italy?

Answer 9

Each region had different dialects, for example ‘boy’ had a different word in the north and south

Question 10

What percentage of the south had no roads in the 1890s?

Answer 10

90%

Question 11

What was the population of Italy at the time and how did this compare to other countries?

Answer 11

35 million lowest of key European countries in the war, Great Britain had a population of 45 million and Germany 65 million

Question 12

How much money was spent on war preparation in 1914 and how did this compare to other countries?

Answer 12

£10 million, £60 million in Germany and £50 million in Great Britain

Question 13

How many soldiers did Italy have and how does this compare?

Answer 13

750,000 in Italy, which was higher than GB with 711,000 and the US with 151,000 both of which were just volunteers

Question 14

What was Italy’s oversea empire population and how did this compare?

Answer 14

2 million, France had 58 million and GB had 390 million

Question 15

What were economic issues facing Italy at the time?

Answer 15

Government debt, high taxes on the poor, frequent unrest especially in Sicily with major revolts 1893-94 value of foreign trade was $1.8 billion compared with $7.5 billion in GB