economic policies

Question 1

policies

Answer 1

the corporate state
response to the great depression
autarky
battle of births
battle for land
battle for grain

Question 2

liberal policies and why

Answer 2

Mussolini supported more traditional economic policies such as free trade and laissez faire to keep support of italian elite

Question 3

finance minister 1922-25

Answer 3

alberto de stefani

Question 4

stefani’s policies

Answer 4

tax cuts, reduce govt intervention and public spending, pro-business policies

Question 5

evaluation of stefani’s policies

Answer 5

success as created an industrial boom but then couldnt deal with inflation that followed the boom so was replaced by Count Giuseppe Volpi

Question 6

Mussolini’s aim

Answer 6

autarky

Question 7

battle for the lira

Answer 7

1927
lira revalued from 140 to 90 lira to the british pound
tariffs on imports to protect value of the lira and italian economy
more govt intervention!!

Question 8

evaluation of battle for the lira

Answer 8

FAILURE:
wages fell more than prices
living standards for proletariat decreased
2 million unemployed by 1933 (tripled from 1926-8)
BUT did not result in widespread hostility towards M

Question 9

what was the corporate state

Answer 9

a state in which fascist officials, employers, and workers formed into corporations. they were supposed to work together to resolve disputes between workers and management and to improve production

Question 10

Vidoni Palazzo Pact

Answer 10

2 oct 1925
signed between confindustria and the fascist trade union federation.
each side recognised each other as the only negotiator for their respective groups
other trade unions excluded

Question 11

Rocco Law

Answer 11

1926
labour and anti-strike law
banned workers from striking and some professions banned from being members of trade unions

Question 12

ministry of corporations

Answer 12

1926
est’d to oversee the new system
the corporations emerged slowly in the 1920s
not fully operative until 1934
corporations played a key role in labour relations and were glorified in fascist propaganda, but were never fully supported by industrialists or Mussolini

Question 13

the trade union movement and consequences

Answer 13

1927
confindustria opposed all trade unions and were determined to retain control of their factories and businesses
in 1927 Mussolini broke down the confederation of fascist trade unions into smaller federations
this reduced the infleunce of trade unions into the workplace and boosted the power of the employers

Question 14

evaluation of the corporate state

Answer 14

failed to have a dramatic impact in the economy
used as propaganda but effectively useles
businesses ignored the regulations produced and maintained their own organisations, and the reps of workers generally sided with the employers

Question 15

economic problems of the great depression

Answer 15

manufacturing down by 14%
balance of payments deficit increased due to imports costing more than exports
unemployment rose from approx 300,000 to over 1 milion people

Question 16

measures to protect the economy

Answer 16

italian banks had loaned money to industries that were now struggling to repay them due to a fall in profits.
thus led to: INI (1931) and IRI (1933)

Question 17

IRI

Answer 17

used state finance to buy worthless shares and lent money to industries that could be kept running.
SUCCESS many small firms were saved from bankrupcy

Question 18

institute of foreign exchange (IFE)

Answer 18

1934
monopolised and regulated foreign exchange and currency trading.
helped maintain value of the lira

Question 19

success of responses to the GD

Answer 19

action of Mussolini contrasted with inaction of various European govts during the Depression
these emergency measures used were to prove useful when the fascist govt was preparing for war against Ethiopia

Question 20

reasons for the introducture of autarky

Answer 20

due to the Great Depression andd the sanctions imposed by the League of Nations in response to the Ethiopian war

Question 21

which body supervised the policies for autarky?

Answer 21

the high commission of autarky 1937

Question 22

measures used to implement autarky

Answer 22

Battle for Grain
increased controls on currency
production of import substitutes
searches for new emergency sources that meant not importing oil or gas e.g. the state agency AGIP (italian petroleum) explored for gas and oil in Albania

Question 23

successes of autarky

Answer 23

reduced demands for exports
wider financial and trade policies received less emphasis due to focus on autarky
resulteed in more finance available to invest in military and industrial development

Question 24

failures of autarky

Answer 24

hardly any coal supplies
little iron and no coal discovered
domestic production of raw materials like coal only met 1/5th of needs
prices increased
industries like textiles suffered
living standards of peasants and industrial workers edclined compared with 1920s and when ww2 broke out italy could not join due to a lack in foreign currency

Question 25

battle for grain when

Answer 25

1925-onwards

Question 26

battle for grain - what it meant and how it was to be 'won'

Answer 26

in july 1925 Mussolini annoucned this and promised to make Italy self-sufficient in terms of grain production - demanding targets set for increases in production of various cereal crops - this was supported by setting high tariffs on foreign imports - grants given to farmers to encourage modernisation

Question 27

success of battle for grain

Answer 27

50% rise in wheat production esp in fertile Po Valley in Northern Italy

Question 28

failures of battle for grain

Answer 28

valuable exports like olives did not progress in production not self-sufficient in fertilisers so in war time grain yields fell meat and egg production declined prices rose and living standards declined, as well as quality of Italian diet govt subsidies allowed inefficient farms to survive in the south by 1933 italy was still dependent on foreign imports, with 500 million tonnes of foreign food imports taking place in 1933

Question 29

battle for the land/marshes - what and why

Answer 29

fascists promised prosperity and land to small peasant farmers they aimed to 'ruralise' italy and to stem the rush of rural workers to the towns

Question 30

what was Mussolini's law of 1928

Answer 30

promised huge sums of money towards land reclamation projects. it was compulsory there would be irrigation, aqueducts, housebuilding and road building

Question 31

successes of battle for land

Answer 31

health benefits -- number of malaria cases reduced by over half reduced unemployment particularly successful in some areas e.g the Pontine Marshes as the main barrier in these areas to cultivation was drainage

Question 32

failures of the battle for land

Answer 32

differently from propaganda, a half of 4.75 million hectares was untouched by 1934 scheme badly administered = 4 billion lire given to consortia of landowners but little oversight to ensure this was used properly compulsory purchase powers were hardly used not much improvement in the lives of the poor as there waas no genuine attempt of reform of land ownership real wages of farmers fell by over 50% in 1926-34

Question 33

battle for births when and what and why

Answer 33

1927-onwards Mussolini wanted population to increase from 40 million to 60 million by the 1950s make italy a world power, boost economy, military strength, better relations with catholic church etc

Question 34

incentives for battle of births

Answer 34

tax reductions and loans + prizes to families with lots of kids employment more available to married men with children a married man with 6 children has not required to pay tax higher levels of taxation for bachelors for 'unjustified celibacy' 1933 quota to limit employment of women to 10% of workforce

Question 35

failure of battle of births

Answer 35

marriage rate did not change significantly and birth rates was on decline until 1936 target population of 60 million by 1950 would NOT be achieved women in 1936 still made up 33% of the industrial workfrce, which represented a decline of only 3% compared with 1921

Question 36

ruralisation when and what

Answer 36

1927 to maintain its traditional values and boost its population, italy had to protect and maintain its peasant population and agricultural industry

Question 37

empty the cities campaign

Answer 37

1928 prevented internal migration from italy's rural areas to the cities

Question 38

bonifica integrale

Answer 38

land reclamation and improvement scheme

Question 39

measures taken to achieve ruralisation

Answer 39

massive land reclamation and improvement schemes was launched marsh draining projects, irrigation, road building, house building,a nd aqueduct construction all carried out to provide more arable land for italy's peasantry

Question 40

aims and peasants that would live in this area

Answer 40

it would be carried out on around 4.75 million hectares and provide land for italy's peasant farmers these peasants were to be carefully selected for their working and childbearing qualities, and thus italian countryside wuold be repopulated and agriculture made more productive