Mussolini's Italy (1919-41) Flashcards
43/60 = A (45 cards)
1
Q
what were problems facing Italy after WW1? [4]
A
- postwar recession (industries that flourished during the war faced drop in demand : arms/shipbuilding)
- inflation / financial instability
- unemployment
- dissatisfaction with the peace settlement
2
Q
what caused financial instability?
A
- war debts (repayment of loans to Britain & USA)
- cuts in public spending : attempt to stabilise economy BUT affected welfare programs (poor/working class)
3
Q
what worsened the unemployment ?
A
demobilised soldiers returning from frontlines flooded the job market
4
Q
why was there dissatisfaction with peace settlement ?
A
- ‘mutilated victory’
- Italian public had been promised extensive territorial gains for their participation in WW1.
- (e.g., South Tyrol, Trentino, Dalmatian Coast) in the 1915 Treaty of London.
- However, at the Paris Peace Conference, Italy was denied key areas like Fiume and the Dalmatian Coast.
- Treaty of St Germain provided far less than expected.
- perceived betrayal = Italians felt cheated/humiliated.
- led to the rise of Nationalism
5
Q
EVIDENCE
Economic effects of WW1 on Italy
A
- National debt grew from 16 billion lire (1914) to 85 billion lire (1919).
- Unemployment reached over 2 million by 1921.
- Returning soldiers couldn’t find jobs or reintegration programs.
- Industrial production fell, while rural areas saw growing poverty and food shortages.
6
Q
what was the ‘Biennio Rosso’ ?
A
- the ‘Two Red Years’ (1919-1920)
- widespread strikes
- factory occupations (in Turin & Milan)
- peasant land seizures
7
Q
weaknesses in the democratic gov
A
- proportional representation
- allowed many small parties to gain seats
- 5 diff PMs from 1919-1922
- Chamber of Deputies became fragmented, reducing the ability to pass legislation
- In 1919, the PSI won 32% of the vote, becoming the largest party, but unable to govern due to coalitional deadlock.
- corruption (liberal leaders like Giolitti)
8
Q
which social groups supported Fascism & why ?
A
- Middle class and professionals: feared socialism, valued order.
- Industrialists and landowners: for anti-socialist stance and use of Blackshirts violence.
- War veterans and nationalists: felt betrayed post-war; Mussolini promised national revival and action.
- Catholic Church: cautiously supportive due to shared opposition to socialism.
9
Q
what ideas did the Fascist party promoted to gain support ?
A
- nationalism & militarism
- anti-communism & anti-socialism
- corporatism (cooperation between workers & employers under state guidance)
- a strong, centralised state
1919 - Mussolini’s movement had only 4,000 members. By 1922 - it grew to over 300,000, thanks to shifting ideology and pragmatic alliances.
10
Q
what did the Blackshirts do ? & how did they contribute to Mussolini’s rise ?
A
- violently attacked socialists, broke strikes, destroyed union offices.
- 1920–22, over 2,000 political killings occurred.
- seen as wall against socialist revolution
11
Q
when was the March on Rome?
A
28 October 1922
12
Q
why is the March on Rome important ?
A
- 30,000 Fascists mobilized to seize power
- intimidated the gov.
- King Victor Emmanuel feared outbreak of civil war, & was advised against martial law.
- King invited Mussolini to form gov.
13
Q
Why did King Victor Emmanuel III choose Mussolini over military action ?
A
- feared civil war
- feared army disloyalty
- saw Mussolini as stabilising force against socialism
- hoped to control Mussolini by giving him legal power
14
Q
how did conservative elites & monarchy help Mussolini to power ?
A
- Industrialists and landowners funded the Fascists
- Army officers tolerated Fascist violence
- The monarchy, instead of defending liberal institutions, gave in to Fascist pressure
15
Q
what were Mussolini’s key aims after becoming PM?
A
- establish personal dictatorship
- restore law & order
- rebuild national pride & Italy’s international standing
- suppress socialism & remove liberal democratic opposition
- create fascist state, based on hierarchy, nationalism, discipline
16
Q
what Mussolini call himself
A
Il Duce (“The Leader”)
- a decisive, strongman figure
17
Q
Was Mussolini an all-powerful dictator from the beginning?
A
No
- initially, he headed a coalition government (1922–1925), giving impression of democratic continuity
- had to compromise with conservatives, the monarchy, military (building strategic alliances)
18
Q
What key steps did Mussolini take to establish a one-party dictatorship?
A
- Acerbo Law (1923): Gave 2/3 of parliamentary seats to any party with 25% of the vote.
- 1924 elections: Fascists used violence and intimidation to secure victory.
- Murder of Giacomo Matteotti (1924): Socialist MP who accused Fascists of fraud; kidnapped and killed by Blackshirts.
- Leggi Fascistissime (1925–26): Abolished all other parties, censored the press, banned trade unions, and created OVRA (secret police).
19
Q
What happened to opposition parties under Mussolini?
A
- All non-Fascist parties were banned by 1926
- Opponents were arrested, exiled (often to islands), or placed under surveillance
- Political opponents such as Antonio Gramsci, leader of the Communist Party, were imprisoned
20
Q
How did Mussolini use the legal system and secret police to maintain control?
A
- special tribunals to try political crimes
- OVRA (1927) : spied on citizens, suppressed dissent
- By 1939, more than 10,000 people had been arrested for political crimes
21
Q
propaganda methods
A
- Cult of Il Duce: Mussolini shown as athletic, wise, tireless - through posters, newspapers, radio, and films
- State-controlled media: All newspapers required Fascist approval; Mussolini’s speeches broadcasted widely
- Education reforms: Textbooks rewritten to glorify Fascism and Mussolini; youth taught to obey and revere the state
- Fascist youth organizations: Balilla (boys), Piccole Italiane (girls), and Opera Nazionale Balilla (ONB) indoctrinated children from age 8
22
Q
Mussolini’s main foreign policy aims
A
- make Italy a Great Power, like Ancient Rome
- expand Italian territory (esp. in Africa and the Balkans)
- challenge the post-WWI Versailles system
- increase Mussolini’s prestige at home and abroad
23
Q
What early foreign policy actions did Mussolini take in the 1920s?
A
- Corfu Incident (1923): Italy occupied Corfu after an Italian official was killed in Greece; withdrew after pressure from League of Nations
- Fiume annexed (1924): Taken from Yugoslavia without much resistance
- Locarno Pact (1925): Mussolini portrayed as a key European diplomat
These were mostly symbolic, but boosted Mussolini’s image
24
Q
what was the Rome-Berlin Axis ?
A
- 1936
- alliance w Nazi Germany
- after sanctions from LoN for invading Abyssinia
25
How did Mussolini’s foreign policy affect Italy by the late 1930s?
- economic costs of war in Abyssinia and Spain drained resources
- alliance with Hitler led Italy into WWII unprepared
- mussolini’s reputation declined as military failures mounted
26
what were Mussolini's main economic aims ?
- achieve autarky (economic self-sufficiency)
- build strong, modern industrial economy
- reduce Italy's dependence on foreign exports
- boost agriculture & food production, esp grain
- create Corporate state that ends class conflict
- enhance Mussolini's prestige through economic success
27
purpose of Corporate State
- replace class conflict w cooperation
- Workers and employers were organized into 22 corporations representing different sectors
- all production and labor issues would be resolved through state-supervised negotiation, uniting the nation in harmony
28
How was the Corporate State structured in practice?
- all independent trade unions abolished in 1926
- strikes banned
- each corporation had employer & worker representatives, but all decisions had to be approved by Fascist gov
- mostly served interests of employers & state, NOT workers
29
was the Corporate State a success
No
- created bureaucracy & confusion, not economic coordination
- workers lost rights
- wages fell
- failed to improve productivity/ resolve class tensions
30
How did Mussolini respond to the Great Depression (1929 onwards)?
- created the Institute for Industrial Reconstruction (IRI, 1933) to bail out failing banks and companies
- nationalized key sectors like steel, shipbuilding, and transport
- road/bridge construction (public works) to create jobs
- tariffs + quotas on imported goods to protect domestic industries
- by mid-1930s, state controlled 80% of Italian industry
- 'battle of grain' to make Italy self-sufficient in grain production
- Lira was devalued to make Italian exports more competitive in international market (initially boosted exports, but led to increased cost for imported goods)
31
What were the social and economic effects of the Depression in Italy?
- unemployment rose sharply: over 1 million unemployed by 1933
- wages fell, and the cost of living increased
- the poorest Italians suffered the most, while elites were protected
32
What was the "Battle for Grain" and its aims?
- 1925
- to increase grain production and reduce dependence on imports
- promote rural self-sufficiency and national strength
33
key strategies in 'Battle for Grain'
- subsidies/incentives provided to farmers to boost wheat production
- import tariffs on foreign grain significantly increased = domestic wheat more competitive
- large scale reclamation projects like draining of marshlands to expand area for wheat cultivation
34
outcomes of the Battle for Grain
- grain production increased significantly, especially in the Po Valley
- however, other crops suffered: olives, fruits, and wine were neglected
- Italy remained dependent on imports for meat, dairy, and animal feed
- food prices rose, and diet quality declined
- the campaign favored wealthy landowners, not peasant farmers
35
What was the “Battle for Land”?
- aimed at reclaiming marshlands and expanding arable land
- notable success: Pontine Marshes near Rome drained and settled
- provided jobs and reduced malaria
- however, only 5% of promised land was reclaimed overall
36
industrial production under Mussolini
- steel and electricity production increased
- focus on heavy industry and rearmament
- this came at expense of consumer goods & other sectors
37
How successful were Mussolini’s economic policies overall?
✅ Some growth in grain production, industrial output, and infrastructure
❌ Failed to achieve autarky or real prosperity
❌ Worsened inequality and ignored consumer needs
❌ Economy became dependent on state support and heavily militarized
38
Why did Mussolini seek good relations with the Catholic Church?
- church had mass influence over Italians (esp in rural areas)
- wanted to reduce opposition & legitimise fascism
39
What were the Lateran Pacts (1929), and why were they important?
- Treaty: Recognized Vatican City as an independent state
- Concordat: Catholicism made Italy’s official religion; Church controlled religious education
- Financial settlement: Italy paid 750 million lire to the Church for land seized since 1870
This ended the “Roman Question” and earned Mussolini great popularity among Catholics.
40
How did Mussolini use education to control Italian society?
- teachers had to swear loyalty oaths to Fascism (from 1931)
- textbooks were rewritten to promote nationalism and glorify Mussolini
- history and religion were emphasized; critical thinking discouraged
- by 1939, students were taught that Fascism was the only correct ideology
41
youth organizations by the Fascist regime
- Opera Nazionale Balilla (ONB): Ages 8–14 (boys), taught discipline, military drills
- Avanguardisti: Older boys, trained for future army roles
- Piccole Italiane and Giovani Italiane: Girls taught domestic roles and motherhood
Membership became compulsory by 1937
42
Fascist ideal for women in society
Women were expected to be mothers and homemakers
- “Battle for Births” (1927): policies encouraged large families
- Loans for married couples
- Bachelors faced tax penalties
- Tax breaks for large families
- Bans on contraception and abortion
Target: raise birth rate from 27 to 35 per 1,000 and grow population to 60 million by 1950
43
Did Fascist policies for women succeed?
❌ Birth rate fell, not rose
❌ Female employment increased in sectors like textiles due to economic need
✅ But women were excluded from high-status jobs and politics
44
How were workers affected by Fascist policies?
- Independent trade unions banned in 1926
- Wages cut, strikes banned
- Workers had no say in the Corporate State
45
Which groups benefited under Mussolini’s rule?
- Industrialists: state contracts, anti-socialist policies
- Landowners: support during agricultural campaigns
- Army and monarchy: preserved privileges
These elites helped Mussolini maintain control.
