Socialist responses to the war Flashcards
Did the PSI begin to support the war?
No! - continued to oppose the war, refusing to vote for war credits in parliament
Who despised the socialists stance to the war?
The nationalists and many liberal supporters who saw it as defeatist and unpatriotic
Who did Mussolini therefore blame for their defeat?
The socialists as the defeat at Caporetto led people to believe they ‘stabbed Italy in the back’
How did Mussolini use the hatred of socialists to gain influence over the Italian people?
He asserted they were a more dangerous enemy than the Austrians - and calling for a more forceful leader would help unite the country
What did the PSI’s position on the war do to Italy’s politics?
Meant there was a greater polarisation between left and right Italian politics
