Conservative elites Flashcards
(9 cards)
1
Q
Who was Mussolini generally prepared to work with?
A
the existing elites such as the army and civil service so he could cement and retain his power
2
Q
What would have happened if Mussolini replaced the elites with fascist members?
A
A crisis
3
Q
What did Mussolini allow the army to do?
A
- Run independently
- Mussolini was minister of war but left the running of the armed forces under the control of generals or admirals
4
Q
How did Mussolini gain further support from the army?
A
- Promoting senior generals to prestigious post or field marshal
- Army generals soon realised that a pro-fascist stance would increase their promotion
5
Q
Why did most civil servants keep their jobs?
A
Kept their jobs as they were largely sympathetic to Mussolini
6
Q
What are some examples that most civil servants kept their jobs?
A
- In the Ministry of Corporations, all the senior staff had been civil servants since 1916
- IN 1927, 15% of civil servants were actually apart of the Fascist party
7
Q
Why did membership of the PNF increase in conservative elites?
A
Because promotion depended on being a supporter of the reigme
8
Q
How did this help consolidate Mussolini’s power?
A
- His approach to the civil servants and army meant that there was a greater acceptance of Mussolini’s dictatorship and therefore strengthened his position
9
Q
What did Mussolini change to the judiciary?
A
- Mussolini conducted a purge of ‘undesirable elements’ and dozens of judges were sacked for not supporting fascism or for being independent
- the Italian legal system lost all claim to impartiality
- imprisonment without trial became common
- Mussolini occasionally intervened to dictate verdicts and sentences
