Liberal state Flashcards
(45 cards)
Globally what was Italy seen as?
“The least of the great powers”
What evidence is there of a North-South disparity in Liberal Italy?
In 1910, Northern Italy accounted for 48% of the Nations wealth whereby the south had 27%
Where was most industry centred in Liberal Italy?
In the North- Milan, Turin and Genoa accounted for 55% of industrial income
Where did many industrial workers in Italy work?
Half of Italy’s 2.2 million industrial workers were employed in the northern provinces of Lombardy, Liguria and Piedmont
How much did Exports increase by 1911-14?
4.5%
YET Italy still needed to import raw materials and machinery, and transport links were poor
What industry was Italy heavily dependent on?
Agriculture, but again it was the North that benefitted from new crops & Wheat production increased. eg the Po valley was rich
How did Giolitti attempt to improve literacy rates?
By placing responsibility for primary schooling on central government
What policies were implemented to help Italys poor?
-Raising the minimum working age to 12
-Reducing food taxes to make food more affordable
What evidence is there that G’s reforms precipitated an improved living standard for Italians?
By 1914, Italians had the same life expectancy as other Europeans
What evidence is there that G’s reforms improved the literacy rate?
in 1900, 69% of Italians were illiterate but by 1911 the national rate of illiteracy had fallen to 37.6%
Describe G’s policy towards workers
G enacted a series of reforms to allow workers to strike and hold peaceful protests
By 1910 374 catholic workers unions and the Federation of Agricultural workers represented approximately 240,000 peasants
What key social problem remained a debate in Liberal Italy?
Intellectuals and politicians tried to understand the Question Meridonale- Why was the South so backwards and poor?
Were people in liberal Italy afflicted by disease?
Between 1910-11, 25,000 people died from cholera in Naples
What evidence is there of industrial unrest in Liberal Italy?
There were 1500 strikes from 1901-1911
When did Italy invade Libya? Why?
-29 September 1911
-To assert its claim as it was worried about French colonial expansion into Morocco
Describe the actions of Italian troops in Libya?
Italy’s Navy seized all ports and coastal towns within 3 weeks, with 70,000 troops committed to the invasion. Libya was formally handed over on 8 October 1911
What was the expense of the war in Libya?
1300 million lire & the death of 3500 Italians died
What was the Nationalist response to the occupation of Libya?
the Nationalists claimed credit for the policy yet condemned the loss of life
What was the response of the PSI to the Libyan occupation? What happened to the moderates?
The PSI argued Italys wealth was being wasted on foreign campaigns and during a temporary alliance between the ANI and the PPI, the moderates were weakened to the extent that the maximalists seized control
What can be seen as a ramification of the Libyan war?
The extension of the Franchise in 1912
How much of the vote did the PSI win in 1913?
1/4 of the Vote / 79 deputies in parliament
How many liberal deputies won seats in the 1913 elections?
318 seats, a loss of 71 seats
Who was G reliant on? Why?
G was reliant on the catholics since conservative peasants voted in favour of the church, this hence isolated the PSI and ANI from supporting the liberal state.
This reliance stemmed from the consequences of his extension of the Franchise, whereby during the 1913 elections Lib deputies witnessed a loss of 71 seats from 1909
Who was enfranchised in 1912?
Changes made in 1912 widened the voting franchise to include literate men aged 21, men who had served in the army or navy (regardless of whether they were 21 years old), and illiterate men over the age of 30.
YET 70% of the electorate were illiterate
