Liberal Italy Flashcards
(42 cards)
What was the Risorgimento?
Italian unification
Who were the key people in the Riorgimento?
Garibaldi - guerrilla leader - popular - First March on Rome 1870
Mazzini - critic of the ‘conservative revolution’
What were the cultural divides in Italy?
North looked down on the south
South called Mezzogiorno
South - more agricultural, controlled by mafia, seen is illiterate (58% in Sicily) - Politican Nitti tried to develop the south but there was resistance from the local elites.
North - had most politicians, more economically important, more industrialised]
Industiral triangle (Genoa-Turin-Milan) provided 55% of production
How was Italy economically backward?
Emigration in 1930 - 3.5 million
Social conditions 1860-96 - Italy increased 4% France, Germany Britain 40-50
What domestic policies did Giolitti implement?
Prohibited of child labour - up to 12
Maternity fund
Pension schemes
illiteracy reduced to under 40% by WW1
Centralised primary education
What developed economically in Liberal Italy?
Car companies (Fiat, Alfa Romeo) set up.
Hydroelectricity from Alps provided cheap renewable energy.
How did health improve in Liberal Italy?
Malaria medicine
Pellagra (vitamin-deficiency) declined as diets improved
What is trasformismo?
Idea that deals can be made between politicians to gain support
Why were the socialists a problem for Giolitti?
They were gaining support in the industrial areas of Italy. 1913 had 35% of the vote
Minimalists wanted to work with him, maximalists didn’t
How did GIolitti deal with the socialists?
Co-opted socialist ideas.
Offered Bisalati a seat on his cabinet, which was declined due to backlash from the maximalists.
Turati pleased with the moderate social reform
‘keeping Marx in the attic’ - introducing enough reforms people forget about the socialists.
Why was the Catholic Church a problem for Giolitti?
They had extreme influence and Pope Leo XIII wanted stronger Papal States and disallowed Catholics from being involved in Italian politics
Lateran question
How did Giolitti deal with the Catholic Church?
Allowed a divorce bill to disappear
Pius X more willing to work with Giolitti
Gentiloni Pact - Secret deal to keep PSI out & promote catholic interests in education
Not prepared to give any land so didn’t solve ‘Roman Question’
Why were the nationalists a problem for Giolitti?
Humiliation of defeat to Ethiopia led to increased popularity
Didn’t like the social reforms
Didn’t want to work with Giolitti
ANI set up 1910 under Corradini
How did Giolitti deal with the nationalsits?
Invasion of Libya to try and gain support through winning a battle
-Nationalists took credit saying they forced him to do it led to increased nationalist support
Trying to make himself more popular through stabilising his government.
What happend in the invasion of Libya?
Quickly kicked out the Ottomans but got stuck in a guerrilla war with the natives.
Also got the Dodecanese from Turkey
ANI took credit, condemned by the PSI
Led to the extension of franchise, literate men over 21 and all men over 30 - Giolitti hoped it would increase his popularity but it didn’t as most of the new voters were left-wing (Giolitti went from 370 deputies to 318)
Why was Italy neutral at the start of WW1?
Were technically in a defence alliance with Austria & Germany but since Austria was the aggressor they decided not to get involved.
Many people prefered pacifism (catholics and socialists)
Nationalists wanted to join the Entente to reclaim the Austrian owned irredente
Mussolini wanted to join the Entente - wanted to overthrow Austrian monarchy - probably payed by the British and French to promote the Entente - Led to his expulsion from the PSI
Not knowing who to join known as the intervention crisis
Why did Italy join the Entente?
Treaty of London 1915 - signed by Salandra - they were promised the Irredente lands and Germany’s African colonies.
Britain had naval dominance in the Mediterranean
The British supplied essential goods to Italy (coal etc.)
Entente more likely to win
What happened in the Battle of Caporetto?
Austrian army launched an offencethat allowed them to enter most of north-east Italy.
Blunders of General Luigi Cardonna - Ignored intel of where they would attack. - placed reserves too far back - Employed policy of decimation - killing every 10th soldier after they lost a battle (led to low morale)
Around the same time as Russian Revolution - led to increased communist support
Why were most Italians unhappy with the Treaty of Versailles?
Weren’t given all the irredente or Germany’s African colonies.
Most Italians saw this as a betrayal and the war as a waste of time
Why is the idea of ‘mutilated victory’ not fact?
Italy got the most land out of all victorious powers (14.5 thousand square km)
Given a permanent seat on the League of Nations.
What factors threatened Liberal Italy after WW1?
‘Mutilated victory
Occupation of Fiume
Post-war economic and political crisis
Growing socialist and Catholic parties
Impact of 1919 elections
What was the occupation of Fiume?
Gabrielle D’Annunzio (Far-right leader) led invasion of Yugoslavia Fiume with 2,000 men, (ex-soldiers, nationalists). 12/09/1919
First signs of fascist imagery
Ended with Giolitti ordering a naval bombing of the city (Bloody Christmas)
Treaty of Rapallo 1920 set Fiume as a free city
Showed Mussolini that force works
Who negotiated for Italy at the Treaty of Versailles?
Vittorio Orlando
What was the impact of the 1919 election?
PSI won with 156 seats
PPI (Catholics) 101 seats
Weren’t willing to work together so the PPI formed a coalition with the Liberals meaning that Giolitti became President again
