The Fascist State 1925-40 Flashcards

Question 1

Q

Youth groups for boys

Answer

A

by December 1921 the Fascist Front Guard was created for boys 14 to 17 years old
March 1923 the Gruppi Universitari Fascisti - GUF was formed
creation of Balilla for ages 8-14 years old
in the early 1920s these youth groups weren’t well organised and competed with youth groups of other political partes
by 1924 only 3k children were formally involved with fascist youth organisations

Question 2

Q

Opera Nazionale Balilla ONB

Answer

A

created by formal decree on 3 April 1926
goal of providing for the physical and moral benefit of youth - through the education of boys 8 to 18 years

Question 3

Q

1934 Balilla restructuring

Answer

A

Figla Della Lupa- Sons of the She Wolf - for ages 6 to 8 years
Balilla - for ages 8 to 14 years
Avanguardisti - for ages 14 to 17 years

Question 4

Q

Youth groups for girls

Answer

A

Figlie Della Lupa - Daughters of the She Wolf - for ages 6 to 8 years
Piccole Italiane - Little Italians for ages 8 to 13 years
Giovane Italiane - Young Italian Women - for ages 14 to 17 years
these organisations were under the control of the Ministry of National Education

Question 5

Q

Ministry of National Education

Answer

A

created in 1929
to oversee both the scholarly education and physical training of Italy’s youth
aim to create a new loyal and physically strong generation of fascists

Question 6

Q

Compulsory youth group membership

Answer

A

ONB was linked into the formal education system and was compulsory for boys and girls aged 6 to 11 years
in 1939 ONB membership made compulsory after the age of 11 too
non-membership made it difficult to enrol in further education + barred civil service employment + caused suspicion of being non-fascists
membership of the ONB provided access to jobs + special scholarships

Question 7

Q

Balilla legend

Answer

A

allegedly the nickname of Giovane Battista Perasso - a boy from Genoa
started a revolt against Austrian rule in 1746 when he threw a stone at an Austrian official
the name Balilla was associated with revolution + independence
the name chosen to represent the idea of a militarised youth who were ready to stand against foreign invaders

Question 8

Q

Youth programme aims

Answer

A

all other youth organisations apart from Church associated ones were banned
from 8 to 14 - boys trained in the moral + spiritual defence of the country
14+ boys involved in sporting programmes to prepare for military life
at 18 years old all able-bodied males underwent military training
Giovinezza - name of the fascist hymn

Question 9

Q

Balilla training

Answer

A

sport + military training for boys involved activities like marching + wrestling + shooting + bomb throwing
young boys taught that the perfect Balilla was one who swore loyalty to Mussolini + dreamt of fighting + dying for his country

Question 10

Q

Physical education for girls

Answer

A

girls did gymnastics - to ensure they would become fit mothers + bear healthy children
would educate their children in the love for Italy + Mussolini

Question 11

Q

At school

Answer

A

made links between Italy’s great heroes like Caesar and Mussolini
textbooks explained the poor treatment of Italian soldiers post-WWI + fascism saved Italy from a communist revolution
in 1933 made compulsory for teachers to be a PNF member
Libro Unico - single authorised government textbook covering all subjects
101 out of 317 history textbooks banned in 1926

Question 12

Q

GUF goals

Answer

A

at university level there was less focus on formal fascist training + military training
GUF’s main goal was to run the Littoriali - national student games about cultural + debacle competitions centred on fascist themes
Littoriali ran from 1934 to 1940
by 1937 before membership was compulsory - fascist youth groups had 7 million members

Question 13

Q

Motivation for youth

Answer

A

not usually the belief in fascism
more interest in the enjoyable social occasions - enjoyed being outdoors than in classroom
success of youth policy hampered by regional and demographic differences

Question 14

Q

Divide between north and south

Answer

A

in the rural south most didn’t study past the compulsory age of 11
nature of agricultural work made participation in youth groups more difficult
difference between fun sport activities for boys vs dull focus on becoming good mothers for girls
1937 PNF survey in Rome found that girls were more interested in the sporting activities for boys

Question 15

Q

WWII soldiers

Answer

A

the most dedicated fascist soldiers were mainly young Italians who were products of fascist youth policy
HOWEVER the antifascist forces were predominately made up of young people who had also been brought up in the same fascist education system

Question 16

Q

Opera Nazionale Dopolavoro OND

Answer

A

National Afterwork Organisation - one of the most popular aspects of the fascist regime
in 1925 the fascist OND replaced the banned socialist organisations for worker recreation + welfare
provided workers with social + sporting activities - bars + billiard halls + cycling groups + football teams + libraries + radios
each OND section typically had a clubhouse + recreation ground for activities
plays + concerts provided for workers + popular films

Question 17

Q

OND membership benefits

Answer

A

rail ticket discounts + other consumer benefits
acted as a welfare organisation provided relief for workers in need + provided a level of social insurance
subsidised holidays + excursions - workers could their family for virtually no cost to mountain retreats + sporting events + beach
first example of popular mass leisure in Italy

Question 18

Q

OND membership

Answer

A

by 1939 OND had over 4 million members
approx 80% of all state + private sector salaried workers were OND members
approx 40% of Italy’s industrial workers
OND was ideologically free - no direct promotion of fascist beliefs + ideology

Question 19

Q

OND popularity = Mussolini popularity

Answer

A

people benefited from OND without any actual commitment to fascist ideals
some PNF members complained that OND didn’t provide fascist education
Mussolini considered main achievement of OND to be that workers met + participated in social activities linked to the fascist party

Question 20

Q

Press control decrees + prefect power

Answer

A

1923 + 1925 press control decrees formalised into official laws sanctioned by government by 1926
1926 provincial prefects given the power to place anyone under police supervision if deemed a political threat
prefects had the ability to confiscate whole editions of newspapers + journals + magazines if judged as unfavourable to the fascist regime
prefects could suspend publications + replace editors + shout down offending newspapers completely

Question 21

Q

Newspapers + journalists

Answer

A

left-wing newspapers like Avanti! + Partito Popolare + L’Unita were closed down
all journalists incorporated into a fascist union - controlled job access + promotion
enforced a type of self-censorship - journalists in the union ensured work was fascist-positive or lost their job
Mussolini’s Press Officer sent out specific instructions on what should and shouldn’t be published
fascist reports about the greatness of Mussolini and published
journalists couldn’t write about crime + suicides + traffic incidents - would ruin the fascist image of Italy as a country with no social problems

Question 22

Q

Controlling Press

Answer

A

Mussolini’s fascist newspaper Popolo d’Italia only had a circulation of 100k compared to the Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano with 250k in circulation
fascist newspapers only made up 10% of all newspaper sales in Italy
Press Law of December 1925

Question 23

Q

Controlling newspapers

Answer

A

increased subsidiaries for newspapers printing positive stories about Mussolini
independent newspapers allowed to exist under strict guidance - often by the newspaper’s own editor who was fearful of consequences
fascist regime was successful in controlling press - public only saw the narrative given by the fascist regime

Question 24

Q

Propaganda

Answer

A

Mussolini’s goal was to use propaganda to increase support for policies + transform Italians into fascists
focus on unifying ideals to draw Italians together
create shared patriotic feeling about Italian history + fascist rebirth of Italy

Question 25

Q

Cult of Ancient Rome

Answer

A

celebrated the greatness of Ancient Rome + leaders
portrayed Italians as the heirs to the greatest empire in history
Medieval buildings destroyed so that Rome’s classic ruins could be better displayed
in 1937 a large celebration to commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of Augustus Caesar was held in Rome
over a million people visited the exhibition of Roman history

Question 26

Q

Mussolini and Rome

Answer

A

Mussolini linked to the image of Rome as the heir of Augustus
Mussolini was rebuilding Italy as a great power from the ruins of chaos + war

Question 27

Q

Sport propaganda

Answer

A

Italian football team won the World Cup in 1934 + 1938
an Italian was the world boxing champion between 1933 - 35 - Primo Carnera
demonstrated the new greatness of the Italian people - supremacy in sport
famous sports venue built 1928 - 38 called Forro Mussolini

Question 28

Q

Ministry of the Press

Answer

A

Ministry of Press formed in 1935
renamed to the Ministry of Popular Culture in 1937
not very sophisticated + struggled using media such as films for propaganda
lack of mass media in the south - lack of national integration

Question 29

Q

Cult of Il Duce

Answer

A

image propagated by posters + cinema news reels + radio - portray Mussolini as a great leader
popular fascist slogan Mussolini is always right - starts the school day off
30 million pictures of Mussolini circulated throughout Italy of 2.5k poses
image of Mussolini as a modern + dynamic leader + sportsman + respected statesman
frequently photographed shirtless - image as a man attractive to women + traditional family man - contradictions strengthened appeal as Mussolini appealed to everybody

Question 30

Q

Image as a lone leader

Answer

A

image as a lone leader above friends + own Party
without friends to distract from work + without normal emotion to hinder
Il Duce represented hopes + desires of the Italian people - supreme patriot + heir to Julius Caesar and Augustus
whilst PNF ideology might not be popular - Mussolini himself was believed in

Question 31

Q

Problems with the Mussolini image propaganda

Answer

A

Mussolini’s image was more popular than the fascist ideology
cult of Il Duce didn’t transform the Italian people into a more militaristic society
focused on the worship of one leader - not sustainable after death
as Mussolini aged the image was difficult to maintain
Mussolini may perhaps have started to believe in the cult of Il Duce himself - explains his more agressive + radical policies after 1935

Question 32

Q

Cultural revolution of Fascism

Answer

A

all art should serve the goals of the fascist state + sustain the fascist image
The National Institute of Fascist Culture created in 1926 - artists + intellectuals organised into particular associations
organised cultural events + free concerts + publications to encourage mass Italian participation in fascist propaganda
PNF funded the Italian film industry + created an art film production complex called Film City

Question 33

Q

Exhibition of the Fascist Revolution

Answer

A

1932 - held to celebrate a decade of fascist rule
artists commissioned to make artwork for it - over 4 million people visited the exhibition
Mussolini never attempted to control art style - as long as it glorified fascism - much of fascist art was modern + experimental

Question 34

Q

Architecture

Answer

A

new fascist buildings modelled on neo-classical Roman style
to connect the fascist regime with Ancient Rome

Question 35

Q

Plays and Movies

Answer

A

Giuseppe Forzano produced three plays called Napoleon + Camilo Benso di Cavour + Juliius Caesar* - audience encouraged tho link great leaders to Mussolini
Mussolini listed as the co-author of the plays - he suggested the idea of the films to Forzano
several popular films that glorified fascism + its achievements - Pilot + Vecchia Guardia
worth noting that 87% of all box-office takings in Italy were from Hollywood films

Question 36

Q

Unsuccessful influence of fascist culture

Answer

A

the National Institute of Fascist Culture may have controlled what was produced - but wasn’t focused in a coherent manner

Question 37

Q

Repression of political opposition

Answer

A

November 1926 – Mussolini introduced legislation that banned all other political parties and suppressed any Italians who tried to protest against the dictatorship
death penalty was also reintroduced for anyone who attempted to assassinate the King or Mussolini or threatened state security

Question 38

Q

Confino

Answer

A

The Specials Tribunals could send political dissidents into exile for an unspecified amount of time – known as Confino
Used against Italians who were judged as potentially dangerous antifascists despite lack of evidence
financially devastating for those sent away and their families who faced discrimination from the fascists
dangerous to employ anybody who had returned from Confino

Question 39

Q

Political Police Division ZA

Answer

A

Formed in late 1926 by Arturo Bocchini
Were successful in infiltrating + breaking up antifascist organisations
Had a considerable network of spies in Italy + Italian communities abroad
June 1937 – they worked with the Servizi Militari Informativi Italiani (SIM) – the military spying organisation – to organise the assassination of prominent Italian antifascist exiles Carlo + Nello Rosselli through a French fascist group IN 1937

Question 40

Q

OVRA - Italian Secret Police

Answer

A

Formed in 1927 by Arturo Bocchini to spy on Italians + ensure destruction of antifascist activities
Approximately 5k informers in Italy for the OVRA + successful in stopping antifascist groups
OVRA spies infiltrated universities + businesses + fascist unions + anywhere workers met
Italian mail was examined + phone calls were listened to by the Special Reserve Service

Question 41

Q

Success of Bocchini’s organisations

Answer

A

Bocchini had files on over 130k Italians
the Special Tribunals prosecuted 13k cases + imposed approx 28k years of jail time
appprox 10k Italians sentenced to Confino + hundreds arrested weekly
the regime ONLY carried out 9 death sentences before WWII - little serous opposition

Question 42

Q

Mussolini’s concern with national security

Answer

A

Mussolini worried about nationalist movements among the Slovenes within Italy’s borders
Slovenes were restricted in culture + speaking their language
Slovenes faced considerable oppressions from the fascist authorities

Question 43

Q

Cinema organisations

Answer

A

The Experimental Centre of Cinematography - film school admitting 100 students yearly
The General Directorate of Cinema - LUIGI FREDDI

Question 44

Q

Political prisons

Answer

A

Lipari + Lampedusa
housed political prisoners

Question 45

Q

Early economic policies

Answer

A

wanted to win over the powerful + established industrial elite - appointed Alberto DeStefani as Minister of Finance 1922
DeStefani’s approach was little gov interference + focus on reduce gov spending to balance the budget
privatised the telephone industry + reduced state expenditure + cut protective tariffs - angered agricultural workers
from 1921 - 24 manufacturing production improved + achieved budget surplus
inflation problems + pressure on the lira

Question 46

Q

Giuseppe Volpi

Answer

A

replaced DeStefani in July 1925
marked a transition in fascist policy towards a more regulated + state-run economy

Question 47

Q

The Corporate State

Answer

A

Alfredo Rocco introduced the structure of corporatism in 1925 - 26 - involved workers + employees + state-appointed officials
main goal of corporations to fix goods + service prices + issue norms to regulate economic relations
Ministry of Corporations set up in 1926
the Corporate State provided a third way between capitalism + communism
Mussolini publishes book Doctrine of Fascism in 1932
Giuseppe Bottai was the Minister of Corporations

Question 48

Q

The Corporate State Timeline

Answer

A

1925 - Palazzo Vidoni Pact - asserts that Italian industry will only negotiate with fascist trade unions
April 1926 - Rocco Law - bans strikes + lockouts
1927 - Charter of Labour asserts that workers’ rights will be established through mixed corporations
March 1930 - National Council of Corporations set up - consists of 7 large corporations representing the main parts of the economy
1939 - Parliament replaced by Chamber of Fasces and Corporations - mainly a powerless body for show

Question 49

Q

Battle for Lira 1

Answer

A

1922 - Italian currency stood at 90 lira* to the British pound - fell to 150 lira in 1926
price inflation starting to rise again
December 1927 - lira fixed to 92.46 to the British pound - sharp revaluation known as Quota Novanta
policy seen as a way of restricting government spending
disaster for most export industries, as foreign buyers found Italian goods nearly twice as expensive - Textiles industry underwent a depression

Question 50

Q

Battle for Lira 2

Answer

A

tariffs on undesirable products such as consumer goods kept their prices high
1926-28 - unemployment rates trebled whilst wages went down 20% due the Revaluation
people accepted wage cuts as Mussolini portrayed this as a necessary adversity
industries such as steel + armaments + ship-building improved as as their imports were cheaper
companies such as Fiat (Car) + Montecatini (Chemical) + Ansaldo (steel) thriving
gov forced to devalue the Lira on 7 October 1936

Question 51

Q

Battle for Births

Answer

A

1927 - Mussolini wanted to increase Italy’s population from 40 million to 60 million by the 1950s - unsuccessful as in 1950 it was 47.5 million
larger population would make Italy a world power - increase military strength to gain a strong empire + create competition for employment, keep wages and labour costs low
Mussolini believed that 12 children per family was ideal - Basilicata used as example
Marriage loans available + part of the loan cancelled after every child born - loan cancelled after 6 children
1928 - married men with at least 6 children entitled to jobs in civil service + promotions + tax concessions

Question 52

Q

Battle for Births 2

Answer

A

bachelor’s tax introduced so single men take on financial burden
1927 - women’s wages were lowered - to discourage from working - lower wages encouraged employers to hire them
state railway company fired all women except war widows + 1933 - women were limited to 10% of the workforce
1930s - Fascist Italy had second highest proportion of married females in employment in Europe - women were 33% of workforce + only declining 3% from 1921
1930s - marriage rates remained + birth rate fell - 1936 102.7 birth per 1000 women vs 1911 147.5 births per 1000 women
Mussolini claimed that the lack of patriotic effort in terms of reproducing from Italians lost him the equivalent of 15 army divisions in WWII

Question 53

Q

Battle for Land

Answer

A

The land reclamation attempt to increase areas for wheat production - linked with policy of ruralisation
Ruralism - rejecting modernity + urban cities - return to agricultural life + countrysides

Question 54

Q

Bonificia Integrale

Answer

A

land reclaimation + improvement project + prevented internal migration from country to cities
1920 - USA closed immigration borders from Italy - more Italians left the countryside for the cities for a better standard of living
Rome population doubled 1921- 41
Two projects under Bonifica Integrale were draining marshlands + building new towns
useful for Facist Propaganda - Pontine marshes drained only 50km from Rome - tourists could visit + town of Littoria created
Wall Street crash - land reclamation projects boosted employment + economy
marsh drainage reduced malaria by more than 50% - improving public health in poorer areas
only 58% of the land was improved

Question 55

Q

Peasants and the Battle for Land

Answer

A

less than 10,000 landless peasants received the land promised
law to break up big estates and distribute them had been dropped -fear of offending the land owners who were political supporters
Italy was 18th across Europe in the daily calorie intake of people - lowest in the south

Question 56

Q

What was the battle of grain

Answer

A

agricultural policy 1925 - to make Italy self-sufficient
in response to substantial growth in grain imports + price
high tariffs on foreign imports + gov gave grants to farmers + fertilisers + machinery + resistant seeds
free advice on latest, efficient farming techniques
farmers guaranteed high price for grain produced
didn’t want slavery of foreign bread

Question 57

Q

Successes of battle for grain

Answer

A

Wheat imports fell 75% 1925 - 35
wheat production rose 5.39 million to 7.27 million tons 1925 - 35
Grain production up 40% by 1940
5000 newly funded farms
benefit large-scale farms like in Po Valley - maximised use of mechanisation + fertilisers

Question 58

Q

Failures of the battle for grain

Answer

A

cereal production increased at expense of other forms of agriculture - animals + viticulture
lack of competition increased prices for Italians - families paid 400 lira extra in food costs per year
Italy’s livestock decreased by more than 500k
Production of typical Italian goods - fruits + olive oil decreased

Question 59

Q

Autarky

Answer

A

being economically self-sufficient by reducing imports + maximising production in Italy itself
formally announced 1936
consequence of the Great Depression + sanctions from League of Nations after invasion of Abyssinia 1935
1937 - creation of High Commission on Autarky - supervised policies +encouraged domestic production
1939 - lack of raw materials domestic production only met 1/5 of their industrial raw material need - still required imports
Living standards for industrial workers declined - Mussolini willing to let happen to avoid tax increases + spending cuts

Question 60

Q

What was the Great Depression

Answer

A

triggered by Wall Street Crash in America 1929
gov cut workers’ wages by approx 12% November 1930 + welfare spending increased 6.9% 1930 to 4x higher 1940 + taxes increased
Cartelisation encouraged + made compulsory 1936 - to help companies survive
Cartelisation was the Union of businesses to decrease prices
Several Italian banks had to loan money to struggling industries

Question 61

Q

Policies formed due to Great Depression

Answer

A

1931 IMI policy provided credit to banks to guarantee they wouldn’t collapse
1933 IRI scheme - used state finances to buy worthless shares + lent money to industries + developed more effective management to mobilise various resources more efficiently
Long term loaning + lending became the responsibility of state agencies such as the IRI
June 1932 - formation of consortiums made obligatory

Question 62

Q

How government helped people during the Great Depression

Answer

A

1939 - gov owned majority of companies in steelwork + shipbuilding + electricity + telephone industries
Spending increased on public works programmes + social welfare to combat unemployment
gov intervention guaranteed financial support for banks + key employment industries = maintained public confidence in economy

Question 63

Q

Discontent due to new anti semitic degrees

Answer

A

Italian fascism had no link to race - many jews had joined the Fascists
only approx 45k Italian Jews - less than 1%
Mussolini had a Jewish mistress + appointed a Jewish Finance Minster in 1932

Question 64

Q

New decrees against Jews

Answer

A

1938 - Italian Jews forbidden from marrying PURE Italians
not allowed to have *public office jobs - teaching
can’t run businesses with more than 100 employees + employing pure Italians as servants
can’t own more than 50 hectares
foreign Jews deported
6k Jews left the country - businesses closed + students expelled + lost jobs

Answer 65

A

anti-Jewish right-wing dictatorships in Germany + Austria + Hungary + Romania
harsher policy would unite Italians in hatred for external + internal enemies - create a militaristic society
racial mentality would give Italians a sense of superiority - prepare them for inevitable war
Italian imperialism in Africa - mixing of troops with African women - seen as inferior race

Answer 66

A

idealogical campaign - forced all civil servants to wear uniforms
army + militia had to adopt the passo romano - goose step - German idea
army forbidden to handshake + greet with straight arm salute - Roman Salute - to seem imposing
ridiculed by Italians as pointless + copied off of Germans - most chose to ignore it

Answer 67

A

Pope condemned the policies as un-Italian + attempt to copy German nazism
public viewed polices as a sign of Italy’s growing weakness + subordination to Germany
Mussolini’s goal to unite Italians through radicalism was a failure
lost support of conservative elite of the Church + business + judiciary
caused Italians to doubt direction of fascism

Answer 68

A

Italy remained a constitutional monarchy until September 1943
1920 programme excluded any mention of removing King
political compromise with the Monarchy - gained acceptance of fascist dictarship amongst armed forced + state administration who had loyalty to monarchy

Answer 69

A

December 1928 - Fascist Grand Council granted constitutional right to limit King’s power to nominate future PMs + advise king on future Royal succession
March 1938 - creation of the title of First Marshal - highest rank in military hierarchy - given to King + Mussolini - king had previously been the Supreme Military Commander
June 1940 - when Italy joined WWII - Mussolini took complete control of military

Answer 70

A

King made little effort to prevent erosion of Italy’s constitutional democracy
unwilling to challenge Mussolini + was subservient - to retain position
didn’t try to prevent the anti-semitic decrees - in 1938
-political compromise with Mussolini

Answer 71

A

legal system - mostly unchanged - judged were independent from the party though many joined the PNF
military ran independently - armed forced run by under-secretaries - generals + admirals
gov administration - conservative elite maintained influential positions - some civil servants removed due to antifascist ties
top administrative posts in the ministries held by long-term civil servants - in the Ministry of Corporations senior staff had been civil servants since 1916

Answer 72

A

highest state authority remained the prefect - mostly career civil servants not regional fascist leaders
traditional conservative elite had political influence through role of podesta - held by elderly conservatives - especially in the south - aristocrats + former generals
for Mussolini this relationship enabled a greater acceptance of his dictatorship

Answer 73

A

December 1925 - Mussolini became head of gov -accountable only to King not Parliament
May 1928 - Parliament was to be made up of 400 deputies chosen by Fascist Grand Council from a list of 1k candidates nominated by Fascist confederations + public bodies
December 1928 - Grand Council’s role formalised in the Constitution as the most important legal body in the state - all major policy matters to be discussed + approved by Grand Council - framework to allow PNF to retain power after Mussolini

Answer 74

A

Mussolini had the power to appoint PNF leaders + decide laws to be debated by the Council
Grand Council had no consultation on major policies - Catholic Church agreement 1929 + WWII entry
Grand Council barely met in the 1930s
Senate left completely unchanged - by 1932 14 senators not in the PNF - Mussolini accompanying existing political elite to ease acceptance of dictatorship - over time ensured all Senators were fascists

Answer 75

A

tradition position of Prefect remained - usually held by carrer civil servants
organised police + ensuring censorship of local press + suppressing antifascist activity
reported on local fascist branches - to ensure PNF was in Mussolini’s control
not always fascist but appointed by Mussolini - ensured loyalty to his political goals

Answer 76

A

local councils run by podesta - appointed by the Prefect
podesta role often given to conservative elite instead of fascists
local gov not in control of Fascist party but conservative elite + career civil servants - all owed their position to Mussolini - ensured loyalty

Answer 77

A

appointed Roberto Farinacci in 1925 - purged party of dissidents - was an extremist - encouraged squad violence in provinces - October 1925 fascist squads kill 8 liberals in Florence
Matteotti murder - violate became unpopular with the public
Mussolini purged the Florence Fascio + dismissed Farinacci - replaced by Augusto Turati

Answer 78

A

Turati ensured PNF’s purpose was to only fulfil Mussolini’s personal policies
mass expulsions of older hard-line fascists - 50k - 60k members dismissed by 1929 + 110k left voluntarily - unhappy with Party direction

Answer 79

A

1931 Giurati replaced Turati
oversaw the purge of another 120k members - replaced by 800k new fascists - mostly clerks + civil servants + white-collar workers** - little interest in political opposition - joined for employment benefits of PNF membership
1933 PNF membership became compulsory for public office jobs

Answer 80

A

ANI merged with PNF 1923
*17 June 1924 - nationalist Luigi Federzoni appointed Minster of Interior - helped placed older conservatives
ANI members accepted merger - followed Mussolini’s direction - unlike PNF prominent members

Answer 81

A

Roberto Cantalupo asserted Fascism’s main goal should be creation a new generation local to Fascist ideals
Costanzo Ciano was the Minster of Communications from 1924 - 34 - longest serving minster in the regime

Answer 82

A

ex-ANI member Giotto Dainelli helped rid Italy of foreign sounding words - hotel names - part of reform of customs
nationalist ideology about expansion + imperialism influenced Foreign Policy in the 1930s

Answer 83

A

Mussolini’s first economic policy focused on placating large economic groups - Fiat + Pirelli
licensing system introduced to protect small shop owners against larger supermarkets
trade union policy adapted to favour industrialist interests + syndicalists
October 1925 Palazzo Vidoni Pact - recognised only the Fascist syndicates as representative bodies of Italian workers - rendered other trade unions irrelevant

Answer 84

A

argued that fascist syndicates should be the basis of the state - corporations of employers + employees should run the economy together - would ensure workers wouldn’t revolt
not subservient to industrial interests - conservative industrial elite concerned
April 1926 Rocco Law - gave syndicates rights of representation + compulsory arbitration of pay + conditions disputes at special labour tribunals
strikes + lockouts banned - syndicates given no actual say in gov policy

Answer 85

A

gov pursued policies to support big businesses + encouraged wage cuts
favoured interest of big industry - such as Montecatini (chemicals) + ILVA (steel)
richer industrial + agricultural interest grouped were main benefactors of Fascist economic policies
workers’ interests weren’t as important - workers’ wages reduced below cost of living from 1927 onwards

Answer 86

A

Mussolini had published articles contrasting Jesus’s life + corruption of the Catholic Church
published book The Cardinal’s Mistress
Mussolini angered by Pope Benedict XV’s Peace Note after Caporetto Defeat
Fasci di Combattimento first programme 1919 had called for the confiscation of all church property

Answer 87

A

May 1920 Fascist congress - Mussolini declared Catholicism was a political force to drive Italian unity + nationalism
most of the Fasci leadership supported drop of anticlericalism in quest for power
during his maiden speech May 1921 Mussolini asserted fascism’s positive view of the Catholic Church

Answer 88

A

Cardinal Achille Ratti became Pope Pius XI in January 1922
concerned by communist threat - believed fascism could save Italy from left-wing revolution

Answer 89

A

Mussolini responded by reintroducing **religious education + crucifixes in pubic buildings + increase in priest pay*
Vatican had a large stake in the Bank of Rome which was in danger of collapse - Mussolini assumed that the gov would help the bank
banned Freemasonry + anticlerical journals + dropped policies about taxing church property
had his 3 kids baptised + married his wife in a church ceremony

Answer 90

A

Pope’s close relation with PNF undermined the PPI
1923 Pope ordered PPI leader Luigi Sturzo to resign
backed Mussolini during Matteotti crisis - led to resolution of the Roman Question

Answer 91

A

signed on 11 February 1929
provided Pope 44 hectares of land + full diplomatic rights in Rome - Vatican City
gave Pope 750 million lire + 1k million in State bonds - compensation for territory loss 1870
Catholicism recognised as sole religion of Italy + RE established in schools + church marriages given legal validity
Catholic youth groups allowed to continue - no political activities allowed - concession about youth - only no-fascist org. Allowed to exist - had approx million members

Answer 92

A

1928 - Mussolini introduced new electoral law that a plebiscite will be held - to approve a list of candidates from the PNF - to claim a broad consensus from public
as part of the Lateran Pacts - Catholic Church promised to mobilise the Catholic vote for the fascists - proclaimed to be motivated by gratitude for Mussolini - Catholic Action appealed to voters to vote yes
Pope said in speeches that yes vote would help approve the Concordat

Answer 93

A

12 March 1929
8.63 million voters partook + 98% of voters approved the vote
Catholic support repeated in the 1934 plebiscite

Answer 94

A

rival organisation with 250k members - wanting to ensure loyalty of next generation
Giurati as Party Secretary + Carlo Scorza given responsibility for fascist youth organisation October 1930 - hardline in their attitude towards Catholic Action
accused Catholic Action of organising sport - banned under Concordat + being led by former PPI + being sanctuary for antifascist policies + attempting to form trade unions = police raids + violence to close down Catholic Action youth orgs
Pope Pius XI responded with attack on fascism + PNF + encyclical titled We have no need - couldn’t reconcile fascism’s sole control of youth with Catholicism

Answer 95

A

Catholic Action youth groups to be reinstated + not allowed to organise sporting activities - confined to recreational + educational aspects that were strictly religious
former PPI members not allowed to be youth leaders
February 1932 - Mussolini visited Pope in Rome + he and Pius XI confirmed mutual views on societal + gender values + foreign policy towards Soviet Union + communism
Catholic youth organisations had 388k members by 1939

Answer 96

A

girls involvement in physical activities in fascist youth groups - didn’t prepare them for maternity
prostitution viewed as young male culture by state vs condemned by Church
1938 Church condemned anti-Semitic decrees + prohibition of intermarriage conflicted with Church authority to allow Jews to convert - conflict with Concordat
Pope Pius XI wrote a letter against racism - died 10 February 1939 - letter not published

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The Fascist State 1925-40 Flashcards

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