Thursday 4/21/11

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Thursday 4/21/11

• Today Please get a wksht and a partner.
• Hmwk Read pgs. 238-253 in Pink/Purple bk
• Complete the Task on pg. 255 for a quiz grade.
  Hmwk is DUE Monday 4/25

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Totalitarianism

• A government that aims to control the political,
  economic, social, intellectual and cultural lives
  of its citizens.
• New form of dictatorship in 20th century

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Fascism in Italy

• Fascism- a political philosophy that glorifies
  the state above the individual by emphasizing the
  need for a strong central government led by a
  doctorial leader.
• People are controlled by the govt and any
  opposition is suppressed.

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Italy after WWI

• Mass male population loss
• Out 6 million conscripted-2 million dead,
  captured wounded/disabled
• Severe inflation
• Industrial and agricultural workers strike
  demanding creation of factory councils
  through which they could bargain with employers
• Land Occupations
• Returning soldiers and peasants seized control of
  barren land /uncultivated and forced landlords to
  sell at cheap prices

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Fascist Movement is Born

• Employers/Landlords blamed revolutionary demands
  on Russian Revolution influence and demanded
  govt take suppressive action
• When govt didnt take action then,
  employers/landlords gathered tenant farmers,
  veteran soldiers and urban middle class to use
  violence to submit and suppress these new
  socialists

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Fascisms Birthday-March 1919

• Fascio Combattimento (Combat Group) by former
  school teacher, Benito Mussolini.
• Grew into an anti-socialist force combatting
  socialist unions and Catholic peasant leagues.
• Soon Mussolinis movement was joined by the
  support of Employers/Landlords looking to fight
  against socialist.

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Benito Mussolini 1883-1945

• Founder of first fascist movement
• Unruly child-expelled for stabbing fellow pupil
• Elementary school teacher
• Prior socialist party member, but expelled

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Growth of Fascism

• Parliament elections May 1921
• Using Nationalistic ideals, fascists won 35 seats
• November 1921-declared itself political party
• Partito Nazionale Fascista (PNF)
• Supported monarchy and free tade
• By 1922- Employers/Landowners (middle class)
  feared socialism and communism.
• People were angry they received so little land in
  WWI peace treaty agreement.

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Prime Minister Mussolini

• August 1922-fascist group had plans to overthrow
  govt and install new regime in Rome
• Against other opinion-King Emmanuel III does NOT
  counter any fascist march and the Prime Minister
  resigns in protest
• October 29, 1922-Mussolini appointed Prime
  Minister

• King Emmanuel III

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Consolidation of Power

• 1923- Mussolini creates a national fascist
  militia and Fascist Grand Council
• July 1923- Acerbo Law
• Gives leading party at general election 2/3 seats
  in parliament
• Summer 1924-socialist deputy, Giacomo Matteotti
  is stabbed to death by fascists
• 1925- Mussolini intends to dictate a more
  autocratic govt
• 1926-Mussolini acknowledged as head of fascist
  partyonly answered to the king

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Fascist Italy

• 1926- outlawed other political parties
• Established secret police- OVRA to watch citizens
  and enforce poilicies
• Control mass media- newspapers, radio, films and
  spread simple propaganda (Mussolini is always
  right.)
• 1939-Fascist youth groups formed to promote
  military activities and values
• Women seen as foundation of family and state
• Overall NOT as severe as Stalin or HitlerKing
  Emmanuel III always stayed in power

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Domestic Policies

• The Lateran Accords, 1929- improved relations
  with the papacy
• Recognized Vatican City
• The Corporate State, 1930s- formation of several
  levels of corporations set to regulate economic
  activity
• Benefited employers and the state
• System suffered under depression period
• Modernization of Italian Economy
• Changed exchange rate, provided loans, increased
  wheat production, land reclamation and
  improvement

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The Lateran Accords
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Foreign Policies

• The Corfu crisis- Italian official murdered in
  Greece
• Mussolini demands Greek island, Corfu and
• Mussolini wanted dispute settled by the
  Conference of Ambassadors NOT League of Nations
• Britain opposed Italys action and only agreed to
  COA settling dispute if Italy returned Corfu to
  Greece
• Italy realized the need to be on Britains good
  side

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Foreign Policies

• Due to struggling economy during depression
  period and relatively small military power-
  Mussolini sought expansion in cheap ways
• Accumulation of Yugoslav territory of Fiume
• Protectorate of Albania
• Africa territory (limited)
• Abyssinia treaty 1929

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Foreign Policies

• The Abyssinian crisis
• Hitler admired Mussolini
• Hitler first met him 1934
• Caused concern for Britain and France
• Mussolini wanted Italian expansion in Africa for
  help to suppress Hitler Germany
• League turns a blind eye to Italian troops
  forced take-over of Abyssinia in Africa

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Foreign Policies

• Spanish Civil War-
• July 1936 thru 1939
• Mussolini backed the rebels led by General Franco
• Attempt to expand Italian influence overshadowed
  by Nazi Germany
• The Rome-Berlin Axis-
• October 1936 first agreement
• Mussolini joins forces with Hitler
• Italy struggles economically and politically
• Mussolini killed 1945 by Italian Resistance and
  hung

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Mussolini was Hitlers Role Model
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Tomorrow

• Bring BOTH textbooks with you!!!