Liberal State - Socialist response to war, economy and victory Flashcards
(27 cards)
How did nationalists and liberal supporters view the socialist attitude towards war?
Defeatist, unpatriotic and anti-Italian
What did the PSI declare a policy of to the war effort?
Neither support nor sabotage
[Gap fill] The hysteria after C_________ against defeatists who had ________ Italy __ ___ ____ led to the arrest and imprisonment of many ____ ________.
The hysteria after Caporetto against defeatists who had stabbed Italy in the back led to the arrest and imprisonment of many PSI leaders.
Who did Mussolini blame for Italy’s shortcomings in WWI?
Italian socialists
Why did Mussolini blame Italian socialists for Italy’s shortcomings in WW1?
He asserted that they were a more dangerous enemy than the Austrians and he called for a more forceful Italian leader to create a united country
What was Italy’s economy like overall compared to Austria at the beginning of the war?
Italy was behind Austria in all key economic areas crucial for war.
What was Italy’s steel production like compared to Austria at the beginning of the war?
Italy’s steel production was less than 1 million tonnes while Austrians were at 2.6 million tonnes
What was Italy’s arms production like compared to Austria at the beginning of the war?
For every two machine guns per Italian battalion the Austrians had 12 and Italy was short of artillery and bullets
How did the Italian war economy hold up over the course of the war?
Italy made significant economic improvements that would overcome its deficits and overall Italy’s industry coped effectively with the requirements for WWI
[Finish the sentence] Fiat during the war economy…
established itself as Europe’s leading truck and lorry manufacturer producing 25,000 vehicles in 1919
What industry did Italy create that produced 6,500 planes in 1918?
Aeronautical industry
What had the Italian industry produced by the end of the war that was more than the British could manufacture?
20,000 machine guns and 7,000 pieces of heavy artillery
How did the Italian industry produce so much in WWI?
Due to the under-secretariat of arms and munitions Alfredo Dallolio
How did Alfredo Dallolio have such an impact on the Italian war economy?
He organised the recruitment of women and peasants into factories. Hours of work were increased, strikes were illegal and workers could face military tribunals if their behaviour was unsatisfactory
How did Dallolio’s ministry finance industrial expansion?
By making payments in advance, arranging cheap loans and establishing profitable contracts for big business.
What about the methods of Dallolio were worrying for the long term survival of the Italian economy?
The growth of the economy was based almost entirely on government investment in war production which had been paid for by foreign loans and printing money
What did the conclusion of WWI bring about for the Italian economy?
Inflationary problems, Cuts to government spending and being 23 billion Lire in debt (was 2.9 billion before the war)
How had Italy’s economy become unbalanced after WWI?
War-based sectors such as steel, engineering, vehicles, cement, rubber and chemicals were growing at disproportionate rates compared to other industries
How did the Italian war economy accentuate the north-south divide?
Majority of war production was based in the north east and the growth of industry in these areas accelerated the division. The norths economy grew over 20%
What were worker conditions like in 1917 during the war?
Bread and pasta being rationed, meat and sugar consumption falling sharply. Long hours and a fall in wages of 25% when industrialists were profiting made workers angry (esp because many didn’t support war)
What happened in the Turin protests of August 1917?
50 Workers were killed whilst protesting in Turin against bread shortages and the continuation of the war.
What did politicians do after the protests in Turin in 1917?
increased food supplies and pro-war propaganda
When did World War I end?
11th November 1917
What changed in Italy by October 1918 that saw the Austro-Hungarian Empire nearly collapse?
A shift in military tactics and the disintegration of the AH empire elsewhere
