Mussolini's Relationship with the Elites and the Church Flashcards
(37 cards)
1
Q
Up until when did Italy remain a constitutional monarchy?
A
- Until September 1943
- He shared power with the monarchy and was not solely in power
- Original 1919 programme wanted a republic but this was far too radical and was dropped in 1920
2
Q
What law limited the kings right to nominate a potential PM?
A
December 1928
- Fascist Grand Council limited kings input on future PM’s and to advise him on any future royal succession
3
Q
What Law created the First Marshall of the Empire?
A
March 1938
- Created the highest rank of military hierarchy
- Given to BOTH Mussolini and King
- Previously it was just the king who had been supreme military commander
4
Q
How did Mussolini deprive the king of his role as supreme military commander?
A
June 1940
- Italy had entered WW2 and Mussolini took full control of the military and deprived the King
5
Q
How would the King react to Mussolini taking control and how would Lawyers react to this?
A
- The King retained power to remove M but did not care as long as he maintained the title of King
- He did not oppose the antisemitism of 1938
- Lawyers wanted a new constitution that revealed the truth of the fascists
6
Q
How did Mussolini appease the Army?
A
- He allowed them to run independently
- Allowed under-secretaries made up of generals/admirals to run it
- Despite his Minister of War position
7
Q
How did Mussolini appease the Judiciary?
A
- Many retained independence from the party
- Some however did join the party as a precautionary aspect
8
Q
How did Mussolini reform the civil service?
A
- Some were removed due to anti-fascist attitudes, but many kept their jobs
- Top administration posts in fascist ministries were held by career civil servants
- Ministry of Corporations senior staff had all been civil servants since 1916
9
Q
Who were ‘prefects’ and how were they appointed?
A
- Career civil servants who were chosen by Mussolini to run Italian provinces
- They organised police, censorship in local areas and reporting on fascist branches
10
Q
How did conservative elites fit into the dictatorship?
A
- Creation of the Podesta, elected by Prefects
- These positions were held by old elites, e.g aristocrats and former generals, usually from the south
- Gave the traditional elites political power to appease them
11
Q
What law changed the structure of the Government and what did this mean for Mussolini?
A
December 1925
- M was now head of Government, only accountable to the king and not Parliament
- Mussolini initiated all Parliamentary discussion and all new legislation
12
Q
What law changed the people in Parliament?
A
May 1928
- Parliament to consist of 400 deputies chosen from 1,000 nominated by the Fascist Confederations and public bodies
13
Q
What law boosted the prestige of the fascist grand council?
A
December 1928
- Put the grand council as the most important legal body in the state
- All gov + party policy and ministerial positions were to be discussed by the grand council
- Framework for retention of fascism after Mussolini’s death
- M retained power to appoint top PNF leaders and set out laws to be debated by the grand council
14
Q
Did the grand council actually get much power?
A
- Did not consult major policies such as accommodation with church in 1929 and entry into the war in 1940
- Through the 1930’s the grand council barely met
15
Q
Did Mussolini change the senate?
A
- Left the senate with the senators who were appointed for life by the King
- 148 senators were not PNF members
- Mussolini did however appoint new senators that were fascists from that point onwards
16
Q
Which extremist was appointed by Mussolini and what did he do?
A
- 1925, Roberto Farinacci
- Purged PNF members who did not agree with Mussolini
- October 1925, squads murdered 8 liberals in Florence
17
Q
Who replaced Farinacci and what did he do?
A
- After purging the Florence Fascio, 6 months later he replaced Farinacci with Augusto Turati
- Made sure PNF was not just serving Mussolini’s personal policies
- 50-60,000 hard line fascists thrown out, by 1929 110,000 left voluntarily
18
Q
Who replaced Turati and what did he do?
A
- Giurati purged another 120,000 members
- Replaced by 800,000 members
- Most were clerks, civil servants, white collar workers, public service and local gov workers
- Most joined for employment benefits
- 1933 made compulsory got workers to join for more middle class presence who didn’t challenge Mussolini
19
Q
What did Luigi Federzoni contribute to the fascist government?
A
- Appointed Minister of Interior 17th June 1924, placated conservative elites during Matteoti crisis
- ex-ANI members tended to follow Mussolini and accept his policies without much questioning
20
Q
What did Roberto Cantalupo and Emilio Bodrero contribute to the fascist government?
A
- Influenced the direction of fascist youth educational policies
- Cantalupo asserted that the goal of education should be to create a new generation of Italians loyal to fascist ideals
21
Q
What did Constanzo Ciano contribute to the fascist government?
A
- Minister of Communications from 1924 - 34
- Longest serving minister of fascist regime apart from Mussolini
22
Q
What did Giotti Dainelli do?
A
- During ‘reform of customs’ tried to get rid of foreign sounding words, e.g hotel names
23
Q
What was the Nationalist concern for Italy?
A
- Italy was viewed as having a great history
- Any real ally of Italy should focus on its preset military, not Rome or the Renaissance
- Mussolini’s aggressive foreign policy in the 30’s could be down to the ex-Nationalists as much as the PNF
24
Q
What were Mussolini’s old view of the church?
A
- Thought they were corrupt, he published anti-Jesus articles and ‘the cardinals mistress’
- Opposed Pope Benedict XV’s attempt to end WW1 through peace note, M saw it as pacifism and defeatism
- Original Fasci di Combattimento called for confiscation of Church property
25
When did Mussolini drop his anticlerical views?
- May 1920, fascist congress of new programme he asserted that Catholicism would be used as a political force for unity and nationalism
- This angered futurists
- May 1921, maiden speech in parliament he publicly asserted a positive view of the Catholic Church
26
When did Pope Benedict XV die and who replaced him, how did this benefit the fascists?
January 1922
- Replaced by Cardinal Achille Ratti (Pope Pius XI)
- Pius XI was more concerned about the communist left than the fascists and wanted a gov of 'National Concentration' including the fascists
27
How did Mussolini try to get on side Pope Pius XI?
- Religious education in state schools and crucifixes in buildings
- The Vatican were bailed out the Bank of Rome in Jan 1923 upon fear of collapse
- Banned freemasonry, anticlerical journals and liberal policies on taxing church properties
- Had 3 children baptised and married Dona Rachele in a church despite the original civil ceremony in 1915
28
When was the Lateran Pacts signed and what were the 3 main sections?
- 11th February 1929
| - A treaty, financial convention and a Concordat
29
What were the main aspects of the Lateran Pacts?
- Providing a sovereign state of 44 hectares of land with full diplomatic rights in Rome as the state of Vatican City under the Pope's control
- Pope to receive 750 million lire and 1,000 million State Bonds to make up for losses in 1870
- Catholicism as religion of Italy, education in primary and secondary along with legal validity for Catholic marriage
- Catholic youth groups (Catholic Action) allowed to continue without political activities, had over 1 million members and only non-fascist organisation
30
What were the successes of the Lateran Pacts?
- Mussolini gained great prestige overseas for being the one to solve the Roman Question, though he did slightly limit his dictatorship
- Lots of success for the Catholics as they saw religious revival and had re-entry into education and marriage etc
- Both parties gained
31
When had Mussolini introduced a new electoral law and what was it?
1928
- A plebiscite to be held no later than April 1929, Italians would approve or reject a list of candidates from the PNF
- The Pope called M 'the man sent by providence' and was supportive of the plebiscite due to Lateran Pacts
32
When was the plebiscite held and what were the results?
12th March 1929
- Church wanted to gain support to strengthen the pacts
- Pope asserted a 'yes' would help affirm the concordat
- 8.63 million voted and approved by 98%
- Church would continue to support in the 1934 plebiscite
33
What was a main area of tension between Church and State?
- The Youth Groups due to its 250,000 members
- Giovanni Giuratti was PNF secretary and Carlo Scorza was responsible for youth organisations (Oct 1930), both men were hardline against Catholics
- Accused catholics of organising sport, led by former members of PPI, acting as a sanctuary for antifascism and attempting to create Trade Unions
- Police raids and violence shut down the youth organisations?
34
How did the Pope react to the attacks on youth organisations?
- Anti-fascist encyclical 'Non abbiamo bisogno' (we have no need)
- Argued fascisms ideal youth of being reconciled with a state did not line up with being Catholic, he condemned stealing children from Christ for worship of the state
35
How did Mussolini ease tensions about youth groups?
- Summer 1931 deal, youth groups to not organise sports, only recreational and education stuff that is purely religious + no former PPI members to be youth leaders
- Feb 1932 M and Pope confirmed mutual views on gender values, foreign police and hate for SU and communism
- 388,000 members by 1939 for Catholic Youth Groups after tensions eased
36
What were some minor disagreements between church and state?
- Girls involvement in physical activities of the fascist youth organisations
- Worried that this did not prepare girls for maternity
- Fascist attitude to prostitution was brothels were a natural part of male culture
37
What was a more serious tension that arose in 1938?
- Concerns about Mussolini's attack on Jews
- This conflicted with the Concordant and the authority that Jews could convert to Catholicism through marriage
- Pope wrote a letter against racism
- Unable to be published due to death on 10th Feb 1939
- He was replaced by Pius XII
