Italian Fascism

1
Italian Fascism

• Section 20.103

2
Differences between Dictatorship and
Totalitarianism

• Dictatorship
• Older only a theory of government
• Expedient
• Designed for emergencies
• Believed to be temporary

• Totalitarianism
• Created after WWI
• Not just a government but theory of life and
  human nature
• Permanent form of society and civilization
• An everlasting emergency

3
The Birth of Fascimo

• Advancement of Democracy still held in 1920
• Russia, Turkey, Chinas failure to develop
  liberal institutions didnt count as they were
  backwards nations
• But democracy was jolted when Italy (major force
  in European history and parliamentary since 1861)
  became fascist in 1922
• Mussolini
• Born in 1883
• Son of a blacksmith
• Followed the career of professional revolutionary
• Influenced by Sorels Reflections on Violence,
  Nietzsche
• Became intensely nationalist during WWI
• Wanted Italy to join the Allies and wanted
  Austrian territory of Italia irredenta
  (unredeemed Italy)
• Only reached rank of corporal during war

4
Fascio di combattimento

• March 1919 organized his first fascio di
  combattimento
• Fighting band of ex-soldiers
• Fascio bunch or bundle (or rods)
• Carried by the lectors (ancient Rome) as a symbol
  of state power and meant to conjure up ancient
  glories
• Italy went to the treaty negotiations believing
  they would receive ample compensation for the
  600,000 lives they lost in WWI
• Had been promised territory in secret treaty of
  London in 1915
• Received some of the Austrian territories they
  wanted
• Received none of the Turkish territories they
  wanted

5
Social Unrest

• After WWI depression and unemployment led to
  social unrest
• Tenant farmers seized land and refused to pay
  rents
• Peasants burned crops, killed livestock
• Workers staged sit down strikes
• Communist (Left wing socialists) of the Comintern
  (after the 3rd International) spread
  discontentment
•  Blackshirts or Fascists fell into conflict with
  the communists
• Brawling in the streets and other acts of
  violence persisted
• 1919 election the Catholic Popular (Christian
  Socialist) party had impressive showing
• 1921 elections Mussolinis Fascists won 35 seats
  out of 500
• Fascists ranks were growing

6
Mussolini Upholding Order Property

• At first encouraged factory seizures and seemed
  anti capitalistic
• Although there was not a real threat of
  Bolshevik style revolution, the propertied
  interests felt threatened
• Mussolini tossed out idealism and pledged to
  uphold law and order
• IE to protect propertied class
• Gave financial support to Mussolini
• Nationalists, unemployed and discouraged (from
  unionism) lower middle classes joined
• Blackshirts abused Communists and Socialists in
  various ways to stifle their movements
• Forced feedings of castor oil
• Moved against labor unions as well
• Squadristi (vigilante fascists squadrons) broke
  up strikes, committed arson, murder
• Reinforced his claim as paladin of law and church
• A few years earlier he was republican and
  anticlerical

7
March on Rome

• Blackshirts marched on Rome from various
  directions (October 1922)
• Mussolini waited in Milan
• Coalition government (liberal dem) had allowed
  fascism to exist (as it rid nation of leftist
  troublemakers)
• Tried to enforce martial law but king backed down
• Forced the cabinet to resign
• Under the Kings authority Mussolini (Premier) and
  his coalition were granted emergency powers to
  restore order in Italy for 1 year
• Before the year was up Muss forced through
  Parliament a law
• Party that wins the most votes in an election
  receives 2/3 of the seats in the Parliament
• This was his solution to the instability of
  coalitions
• Fascists won 3/5 of the seats anyway (Why?)
• His gov. controlled the political machinery
• His cronies (Squadristi) greeted voters at the
  polls

8
Matteottis Murder

• Well respected Socialist deputy Matteotti exposed
  hundreds of cases of the heavy handed tactics
  (fraud, violence) of the Fascists
• was murdered
• Italian press called for Mussolinis resignation
• At first Muss said he would punish the
  perpetrators but later took responsibility
• refused to resign and began to centralize his
  power
• Reduced the Italian parliament to a nonentity
• Put the press under censorship
• Destroyed the labor unions
• Deprived labor of the right to strike
• Abolished all political parties

9
El Duce

• Criticized democracy as factional
• Out of date government that only accentuated
  class struggle
• Led to selfishness, futility, empty talk
• Preached the need of vigorous action under a
  strong leader
• El Duce (The Leader)
• Denounced liberalism, free trade, laissez-faire
  capitalism, Marxism, materialism, socialism, and
  class consciousness
• Said these were evil offspring of capitalism and
  liberalism
• Preached national solidarity and state managed
  economy
• Brought a certain efficiency to Italy that was
  missing (trains always on time)

10
The Cooperative State

• Mussolini began what had been contemplated by
  Left and Right since lat 1800s
• Left wing syndical organization called for labor
  to control sectors of the economy
• Conservative syndical organization called for
  state control of sectors of the economy
• Supported by Catholic Church after the Lateran
  accord (1929)
• Seemed a revival of the guild system
• Except Mussolinis state controlled virtually
  everything
• Similar to a corporate board of directors
• Divided all economic life into 22 major sectors
• Each had its own corporation
• Division leaders (made up of labor, employers,
  and government) were to direct the activities
  within their sector
• directed labor, Organized the employers,
  Monitored working conditions
• Determined wages, prices, and policies

11
State Control of Economic Life

• National council of division leaders were to plan
  the economic activities of the nation
• Focus on self-sufficiency
• Said that the state should be organized around
  the nations economic occupations
• IE. State determined all answers to economic
  questions (What to produce, Who makes it, gets
  it, at what price, ?) but allowed private
  enterprise (profit) to exist
• Mussolini called it a dictatorship of the state
  over many classes cooperating

12
Depression

• Mussolini blamed the world for the depression
• Called for self sufficiency
• Started public works projects
• Hydroelectric power
• Battle of wheat proclaimed to increase wheat
  production
• Little reform was made between the social
  extremes of wealth and poverty
• Fascism failed to provide economic security or
  material well being for those it demanded so much
  sacrifice of individual freedom
• Spirit of recapturing the past glories of Rome
  was enough distraction for the population that it
  was less critical of Fascism
• Imperialist adventures gave a sense of greatness
  distracted the Italians

13
The Appeal of Fascism

• A possible alternative to democratic or
  parliamentary government
• Communists, socialists, labor leaders, and
  liberals hated fascism
• Wealthier or established people liked it because
  it reduced the threat of Bolshevism
• Tentative democracies in Eastern Europe that
  struggled under the concepts of majority vote
  were attracted to fascism
• Mussolini said fascism was born of the need for
  action

Mussolini 1933 by Diego Riverafrom DR Museum