Autarky and the battles Flashcards
(13 cards)
1
Q
What was the need for autarky driven by?
A
By decline in oversea trade, sanctions placed on Italy in 1936 in response to aggression in Africa and in preparation for war in the late 1930’s
2
Q
Evidence of autarky being successful
A
- Quotas on foreign imports were introduced which favoured domestic goods
- Agricultural products such as cereal and wool were stock piled to boost reserves meaning supplies and prices were stable
- Developed synthetic substitutes like lanital instead of wool
3
Q
Evidence of autarky being a failure
A
- Raw materials like coal and iron were scarce. In the 1930’s Italy produced 1.8million tonnes of ore annually, less than 1/10th of Germany
- Textiles industry suffered as they were not prioritised
- Govt spending on autarkic measures doubled from 30bil in 1943 to 60bil in 1938
4
Q
When was the Battle of Births announced?
A
May 1927
5
Q
What was the Battle of Births?
A
- aimed to increase the Italian population from 40million to 60million by the 1950’s
6
Q
Why was the Battle of Birth’s introduced?
A
- Larger population would make Italy stronger economically and militarily
- Mussolini hoped it would improve relations with Catholic Church as family was a catholic value
7
Q
What laws were made for the Battle of Births?
A
- Married men with 6 or more children paid no tax
- Contraception/abortions were banned
- Medals for women with large number of children
8
Q
Was the battle of births successful?
A
- Overall a failure
- Marriage rate stagnated
- Birth rate decline between 1927-36
9
Q
What was the Battle for grain?
A
Make Italy self-sufficient in grain
10
Q
Success of battle for grain
A
- Wheat production increased by 50% 1914-38
- Imports of grain were reduced by 75&
11
Q
Failure of Battle for grain
A
- Not self-sufficient in fertilizers which led to lower grain yield
- By 1933 Italy was dependent on imports
- Meat and egg production declined as it was too expensive
- Living standards declined and by 1930’s families were paying around 400 lire extra in food costs
12
Q
What was ruralisation?
A
- announced in may 1927
- Idea that Italy had to retain its rural/peasant population to maintain its traditions and increase birth rate
- peasants encouraged to stay in rural areas and land was reclaimed to used as farmland
13
Q
Was ruralisation successful?
A
- Overall, no
- South only had 5% of the 475 million hectares of land that was reclaimed
- However, drained marshes did reduce malaria by 50%
- Between 1922-38 the GDP grew on average by 1.9%
