DEVELOPMENT OF DICTATORSHIP:

Italy: 1918 – 43

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POST-WAR DISCONTENT IN ITALY

Pre-M: Weak government

Proportional representation: coalitions Politicians all liberal-minded: no party No policies Politicians acted independently - no

accountability Trasformissimo – unstable government Catholics boycotted all elections

Italian discontent with Versailles

1915 Treaty of London: Tyrol, Dalmatia, Istria

June 1919: Italy ignored in negotiations Sept 1919 Treaty of St. Germain – south

Tyrol and Trentino but not Fiume (Yugoslav)

Nationalists: disgrace ‘mutilated victory’ Occupation Fiume: September 1919 D’Annunzio led 2000 armed men

Discontent over Versailles

Public humiliated and angry Heavy losses: 650,000 killed, 1m

wounded Unemployment: 2m by 1919 Wage cuts: 25% down (1915-18) Inflation (prices): up 400% Middle class savings wiped out Armaments industries profiteered from

war, Fiat and Pirelli tyres profit most

Growth of Socialism

Socialist Party membership grew:1914 – 50,0001919 – 200,000

Revolutionary strategy (previous reformists) Dictatorship of the proletariat Socialist Republic (Bolshevik revolution

Russia) Distribute land and wealth evenly Nov’ 1919 elections = 156 seats (biggest

party)

Failure of governments, 1919-22

Treaties of Versailles & St Germain Fiume: weak and ineffective response National debt from 16bn(1914-1919)

85bn lira Printed money and spending cut back Industry suffered and went into

depression

Government failures continued

Socialist threat: remained neutral towards socialist strikes and farm labourers occupation

Giolitti urged industrialists to make concessions to strikers

Land owners to give farm labourers illegally occupied land

Collapse of law and order(due to squadrisimo) attacking the socialist and trade unions

July 1922, general strike by socialists demanding government stop Fasciti violence

Fasciti break up general strike Oct 27th Fasciti march on Rome

GROWING SUPPORT FOR FASCISM:

1919 - 22

Mussolini and the formation of the Fascist Party

March 1919: first meeting of Fascists 100 attended, programme agreed Oct 1921 Fascist Party established (PNF) Support grew:

Nov. 1919 – 4,000 End 1921 – 200,000

Supporters: small farmers, shopkeepers, clerical workers, sharecroppers and students

Younger generation: 25% below voting age

PNF: aims and organisation

Authoritarian nationalism Supports restoration of ‘Italia Irredenta’ Mussolini as dictator Totalitarian state: abolish monarchy and

government Electoral: respectable political party Violence: Squadrisimo physically attacked

opposition (mainly socialists) Party organised and run by fascists loyal

to Mussolini from Milan

Fascist activities 1919 - 22

March 1919: First meeting, 100 attended November 1919: election = 0 seats November 1920: fascist squadrisimo active, to

smash socialist factory occupations May 1921: election = 35 seats November 1921: gains Catholic support

(anti-divorce) July 1922: increased violence, crushing general

strike Gains support from conservative industrialists,

middle-classes and land owners at crushing socialist strike

March on Rome

Ras wanted a Coup d’tat after crushing general strike

Mussolini manages to hold them off Uses threat of violence as blackmail October 27th 1922: March on Rome Facta wanted to fight fascists, but King

feared civil war and refused: Facta resigns October 28th

October 29th 1922: King appoints Mussolini as PM

THE FOUNDING OF THE FASCIST STATE UNDER MUSSOLINI

Mussolini consolidates power

Set up coalition government (4/14 Fascists) November 1922: rule by degree (12 months) December 1922: Grand Council of Fascism January 1923: Fascist squads national militia July 1923: Acerbo law, majority votes = 2/3 seats April 1924: election – Fascist majority June 1924: Murder of Matteotti dictatorship July 1924: Press censorship introduced

Consolidation of power c’td

1925 Fascist Party Congress December 1925: Vidoni Palace Pact -opposition parties and free T.U. banned January 1926: Mussolini make laws at will Parliament no longer debate laws Press censorship tightened: opponents

newspapers suppressed Cult of personality Fascist Party appointments made in Rome

HQ

DOMESTIC POLICIES AND LIFE IN FASCIST ITALY

Lateran pact

Mussolini realised Catholics were too powerful to abolish

Lateran Pact to secure the Pope’s support The Lateran Pact

State pay clergy wages State recognised pope ownership of Vatican city State pay 30 million in compensation for lost land Pope accept government control of ‘Kingdom of Italy’ Recognise Mussolini as ‘Duce’ Catholic teaching compulsory in all schools Clergy’s were not allowed to join any political party Divorce and birth control made illegal

Economic policies

Corporate states Fascist control of each aspect of industry

Battle for lira Italy’s economic boom near end, 150 lira = £1,

Mussolini changes it back to original 90 lira = £1 Battle for Grain (Autarky)

To make Italy self-sufficient in a war, to help produce more food for the soldiers and public at home

Land Reclamation Marshlands were drained and used for farming Helped kill mosquitoes and boost public morale

Corporate State - Theory

The corporate state Would control every aspect of industry Each branch of industry would have a separate

corporation Fascist trade unions for the workers Each corporation organise pay, production and

working conditions Employer and employee not agree, go to labourer

court Fascist regime claimed, workers employers

cooperating, maximum efficiency No disputes or strikes, harmony in instead Entrepreneurs to help businesses off the ground

Corporate State - Reality

Ministry of Corporations 20 corporations in all, covering all areas by 1934

Confindustria employers organisation Disliked trade unions

Workers Sick pay and paid national holidays Employers allowed to change working hours without

consulting the worker Fascist trade unions tended to favour the employer’s

best interest not the employee’s 1939 Chamber of Fasces and Corporations

Replaced parliament, just as powerless

Battle for Grain

Launched in 1925 Mussolini’s aim was to make Italy self-

sufficient, ‘Autarky’ Farmers given state grants to:

Buy modern machinery Improve framing techniques Buy mores seeds to produce more grains

Successful pre-war Grain harvest rose from 5 million to 7.5 million

tons Grain imports decreased by 75%

Battle for Grain - failures

During WW2 The farms chosen to produce grain instead of

original produces, had climates not suited for grain

Farmers suffered heavy wage cuts, compared to industrial workers

Grain harvest decreased because the farm labourers had been conscripted into the army

Ended in total disaster as hunger gripped Italy Government refused to ration food supplies,

shopkeepers raised their prices This meant that only the middle-class could

afford food

Battle for Lira

Economic boom 1922 -25 De Stefano appointed Treasury Minister

Vidoni Palace Pact 1925, banning of trade unions Limited government spending, helped to limit inflation Privatised the telephone network Cancelled post war taxes on industries

Cars textiles and agriculture exports doubled Economic boom coming to an end in Italy

D’stefano sacked 150 Lira = £1 Exports decrease and import decrease Mussolini atificialy restored the value of lira 90 lira = £1

Result, exports more expensive (causing exporters depress) 1926-28 unemployment trebled High tariffs on many imports

Wall Street crash-Italy impact

Many companies collapsed Car production fell by 50% Unemployed half million 1928 – 2 million in 1933 Government didn’t aid failing industries Government introduced work schemes

Unemployed improve infrastructure, roads buildings Helped to circulated money to boost economy, created jobs

Fascist governments bailed out the banks in debt to investors IRI created Jan 1933, took control of banks shares in companies

This meant state became largest shareholder in Italy Also took over lending from banks The IRI and work schemes meant that Italy was hardly affected

by the Wall street crash, Roosevelt copied Mussolini ‘New plan’

Land Reclamation

Marsh lands were drained and made suitable for farming

This provided more grain The mosquitoes that lived in marshes

died Boosted public morale Pontine marches 50 kilo metres south of

Rome, were centre of press These farms were owned by ex-

servicemen

Domestic policies

Education Male youths taught how to fight Female youths taught how to mother Female and male write essay how they love the ‘Duce’

Health GUF - set up to control student leisure time

How to fight, strategy and fitness ONB - Fascist youth, to control youth leisure time

How to fight (toy guns), strategy and fitness

Labour scheme unemployed would build roads and buildings to help Italy’s

infrastructure helped the unemployed back into the employment Boosted economy, more lira circulating

Battle of Births 1927

Battle for births Women encouraged to have 5 babies each 12 children per family rough ideal Women discouraged from doing work

Women represent 36% of work force factories, hospitals, schools, civil service encouraged to hire unemployed

fathers, fire all females Women encouraged to stay at home (house wife)

Cooking, mothering, house cleaning Increase the Italian population from 40 million to 60 million by 1950 Wanted to reduce workforce to 2% Female cleaners and waitresses exempt from sacking

Failures By 1939 the population had only increased from 40 million to 47.5

million, instead of planned 55 million by that year Mussolini calculated 15 divisions lost, he blamed the women for a ‘lack

of patriotic Italian mothers’ Only 3% decrease of women in work force, now 33% by 1939

Fascist Teachers association

Fascist teachers association (to control teachers) Teach

How Mussolini was the saviour of Italy, how he is a genius and a god

How they should all love the ‘Duce’ (students had to write essay every day)

Made to Swear allegiance to Fascism and The ‘Duce’ Hang a picture of the ‘Duce’ on every classroom

Reasons for firing If suspected of teaching anti fascist, would be kicked out of

FTO and not allowed to teach again in any other school

Control of the youth

Opera Nazionale Balilla (ONB) created 1926 Organise youth movements 1930’s membership made compulsory from age 8 1937, 7 million members Activities

Military training Military fitness Fascist ideoligy Sport Parades Summer camps

Girls: sewing, singing, childcare

GUF (university) Fascist ideas, sport and military training

Controlling the public

Dopolavoro (leisure activities for workers) Created in 1925 Controlled in 1930’s

All soccer clubs, 1350 theatres, 2000 drama societies, 3000 brass bands, 8000 libraries

Membership 4 million members in 1939 at its peak Many joined without need to persuade

Very little Fascist propaganda 1937 fascist salute replaces handshake 1938 ‘lei’ replaced by formal ‘voi’ Fashion, make up and trousers condemned for

women

Foreign policy

Key concern for Mussolini: Great power 1923 Corfu incident 1924 Pact of Rome 1925 Locarno Treaties 1926 Treaty of Friendship 1933-4 Austrian conflict 1935 Ethiopian invasion 1936 troops Spain to support Franco 1936 Rome-Berlin Axis formed 1939 Italian invasion of Albania 1939 Pact of Steel 1940 June Italy enter WW2

THE IMPACT OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR ON ITALY

Italy in WW2

Mussolini knew that Italy was not ready for ww2 Sent two letters to Hitler requesting 3 more years and Italy

would be ready, one in 1938, and the other in 1939 Italy had spent 11.8 billion lira on rearmament

Most was spent on outdated weapons The other half spent on officers quarters (lavished)

1500 armoured cars and tanks This was very little compared to Germany

Commanders weren’t properly trained Lead to many defeats

Autarky failed The two campaigns failed in Greece and Northern Italy

Italy were pushed back and requested aid from Germany This embarrassed Mussolini

Effects of war on home front

Italian morale was low prices soared petrol, food clothing to a point when they were

unobtainable Military defeats shattered dream of quick cheap

victory Political parties started to regroup and emerge

Not fully organised Fascist support decreased Industries went out of business Strikes took place

Further reduced pay and longer working hours

Growth of opposition

The socialist and communist parties began to re-emerge in 1942

They weren’t as organised as before Anti-fascist newspapers were reproduced

‘Down with the War, Down with Mussolini’ Fascist politicians now turned against

Mussolini Opened negotiations with the allies

behind Mussolini’s back

German occupation

Mussolini sacked by king Power restored to government Mussolini imprisoned German paratroopers rescue Mussolini Italian Social Republic, puppet of

Germany Mussolini made dictator German forces occupy northern Italy Local partisans use guerrilla tactics to

attack German occupiers

Puppet ruler

Mussolini now the puppet dictator of ISR 7100 Italian Jews sent to concentration

camps Anti-Semitic German policies now carried

out Mussolini ruled by Hitler’s orders Had no support from public in ISR Italy was close to complete annexation Allies would not accept Mussolini as ruler

The end of Mussolini

Mussolini flees with his SS bodyguard Claims he still has 8,000 Blackshirts ready to

continue fight against allies Only 8 Mussolini and family don German uniforms and flee

with German convoy Is stopped by Italian partisans, recognised Mussolini Take to a local barnyard A partisan drives him 1 mile stops the car and

shoots Mussolini and his family They are later hung by their feet in the centre of

Rome for all to mock