Liberal PMs Flashcards
(39 cards)
Describe cairoli’s background before becoming PM
- Devoted to the risorgimento from 1848-1870
- Garibaldian officer, commanded a volunteer company under Garibladi in 1859 and 1860
- Political refugee
- Anti-Austrian conspirator
- Deputy to parliament
How did Cairoli’s family augment his prestige?
His 4 brothers fell during the wars of the risorgimento, and his mother was renowned for her heroic conduct during the war
How did Cairoli further endear himself to the Italian people following the wars of the risorgimento?
He refused all compensation
When did Cairoli become leader of his party?
Became the leader in 1876, then a deputy of 16 years, as the left came into power
When did Cairoli become PM?
He formed his cabinet in 1878 with a francophile and nationalist party
What did Cairoli permit his nationalist supporters to do?
Carry the country to the brink of war with Austria
At which diplomatic event did Cairoli cause irritation?
Irritation was caused by his failure at the Berlin Congress, where Italy obtained nothing, while Austria-Hungary acquired Bosnia and Herzegovina
What, perhaps unfairly, caused the ned of Cairoli’s first term as PM?
An attempt to assassinate the king in Naples, in spite of his courage in sustaining a severe wound to protect the King
When did Cairoli come to power for the second time?
In 1879, he formed a coalition with Depretis, where he retained the premiership and foreign office
What caused Cairoli to rsign in 1881?
The French occupation of Tunisia caused him to resign in light of popular indignation
What happened to Cairoli after his resignation in 1881?
He practically disappered from political life, eventually dying in 1889 while a guest of King Umberto at the royal palace
Who was Crispi?
A fiery, revolutionary left-winger who had fought with Garibaldi
When did Crispi become PM for the first time?
Following Depretis’ death in 1887, Crispi abandoned the left to become PM. He was the first PM from southern Italy
What impact did Crispi’s first premiership have domestically?
- As a true left winger, he tried to reform Italy
- He abolished the death penalty
- Revoked anti-strike laws
- Limited police powers
- Reorganised charities
- Passed public health laws
- In 1889, his government promoted a new penal code, which abolished capital punishment and recognised the right to strike
What was Crispi’s foreign policy during his first premiership?
- One of his first acts as premier was the triple alliance with Germany. This comitted Italy to a possible war with France, and led to increased taxes to pay for weapons - making it unpopular in Italy
- He was anti-French, and therefore started a tariff war in 1888. It proved to be an economic disaster, costing 2,000,000,000 lire in lost exports over the course of 10 years
What was Crispi’s colonial policy during his first term as PM?
- Determined to colonise, Crispi signed the treaty of Wuchale, which claimed Italian ownership of Eritrea, near Ethiopia
- The Ethiopian Emperor Menelik rejected this claim, informed the press and a scandal erupted
- Along with a defiicit that was higher than expected, this forced Crispi’s resignation in 1891
When did Crispi become PM for the second time?
In 1894, following the Banca Romana scandal
Describe Crispi’s harsh policies on law and order in 1894
- Fearing unrest in Sicily, he sent 40,000 troops to restore order
- In Sicily, he arrested not just the leaders, but poor farmers, students and even sympathisers
- He introduced new anti-anarchist laws, which would then also be used against the socialists
- Police were given new powers of arrest and deportation
What did King Umberto say about Crispi’s colonial policy?
‘Crispi wants to occupy everywhere, even China and Japan’
Describe Crispi’s foreign policy during his second premiership
He talked openly about attacking France and broke off relations with Portugal, this ‘entirely unimportant country’
Describe Crispi’s great colonial failure during his second term
- Began a war with Ethiopia in 1895
- Italian troops had initial success before he withdrew part of the army to save money
- Italy suffered a humiliating defeat at Adowa, with Italian casualty rates worse than any other battle of the 19th century, including Waterloo
- This forced Crispi’s resignation
How did Crispi respomd to his loss against the ethiopians?
- He would not deal with them, regarding it as humiliating for the Italians to make peace with ‘monkeys’
- Said he did not care about the lives of the 15,000 Italians taken prisoner, saying they were ‘expendable’ compared to the ‘glorious’ national mission of conquering Ethiopia
What did the authorities prosecute Crispi for at the end of 1897?
Embezzlement, with Crispi resigning his seat in parliament soon after
What happened to crispi after he resigned his parliamentary seat?
His health gave way and he died in Naples on August 11 1901
