Mussolini

1
Mussolinis Italy

• 1922 - 1943

2
Defeat in Victory

• World War One Ambitions
• Treaty of Versailles Setbacks
• National Debt Expanded to pay for War
• Inflation Rampant
• Destroyed Middle Class Savings
• Fixed Salaries hit
• Industry happy as long as war continued
• Post war contracts ended Job cuts
• Labour Militancy
• Demobilisation
• Unemployment soars

3
Polarised Politics

• Newly enfranchised Working Class flock to
  Socialist Party
• Russian Revolution
• Planned overthrow of Liberal State
• Conservatives petrified of Bolshevik style
  takeover
• Liberals - Falling between the Stools
• Seen as caving in to Workers
• Or, as not forcing reform fast enough
• November 1919 elections
• Universal Male Suffrage

4
Mutilated Victory

• Liberals blamed for disastrous Versailles deal
• Fiume regarded as essential for new Yugoslav
  state
• Dalmatia denied
• German colonies denied
• Liberalism and Parliamentary democracy blamed by
  military and Nationalists
• Liberals lumped together with Socialist
  Bolsheviks
• New dynamic Italy required
• DAnnunzio provides prototype
• 2,000 ex-soldiers and nationalists take Fiume by
  force
• Liberal Government does not use force to Prevent
  DAnnunzio

5
Mussolinis Rise

• Socialist Youth
• Libya
• Editor of Avanti
• Aggressive
• Vitriolic
• Attacked Liberal State
• Advocated violent Socialist Revolution
• World War One
• Split with Socialists
• Imperialist war versus speeding up revolution
• Mussolini in favour of war
• Il Popolo DItalia

6
The Shift to the Right

• Mussolinis War Service
• 1915 1917 Corporal
• Wounded in accident
• Il Popolo Editor
• Blames Liberal Government for Caporetto
• Italy needs a Dictator to guide country to
  victory
• Newspaper of Combatants and Producers
• As opposed to parasitic Businessmen/Profiteers,
  Socialist Pacifists and Liberals
• Combat Group Fasci di Combattimento
• March 1919
• 100 anti Liberals (and Anti-Socialist (Class
  Struggle))
• Nationalists, Republicans, Anarchists, Futurists,
  Radical Poets and Painters
• Radical Programme of Immediate Demands
• New Assembly, Abolition of Nobility, Republic,
  Co-operatives
• Use Violence and Intimidation against Opponents

7
November 1919 Elections

• Universal Suffrage and Proportional
  Representation
• Popolari
• 100 Seats
• No single voice or ideological agreement
• Socialists
• 156 seats the largest party
• Northern based
• Irresponsible and uncompromising leadership
• Split over Soviet Opportunities
• Independent Socialists
• 21
• Liberals
• 23 rightists
• 91 Giolitti Centrists
• Radical liberals down to 67
• Fascists
• ZERO Nothing Nada Not one Deputy!
• No overall majority! Radical Liberal Nitti
  soldiers on with Minority government

8
Liberal Suicide

• Nittis government falls over Fiumi
• Giolitti Coalition
• Liberals, Radicals, Popolari and some Socialists
• Economic Chaos
• Strikes, clashes, Lock outs
• Giolitti remains Neutral
• Enrages Industrialists
• Does not satisfy Trade Unionists/Socialists
• Fascists note weakness and offer to fill gap
• Leads to deal with the devil!

9
Fascist Constitutional Engagement?

• Rising tide of Violence
• Local criminals and thugs join in
• Provide Protection to landowners
  Industrialists
• Help against striking socialists
• Bolshevik threat milked
• Mussolinis Perceived authority over Fascist
  Squads
• Through Il Popolo dItalia
• Claims to be able to control Squads
• Convinces squads of benefit of unified leadership

10
Out Foxing the Fox

• Giolitti attempts deal with Mussolini
• To harness Anti-Socialist sentiments
• Confers respectability on Fascist thugs
• Authorities turn blind eye to Fascist excesses
• 100 socialists die
• First Fascist Foothold
• Mussolini himself elected
• PR Lists

11
May 1921 Election Results

• Government bloc (184)
• Extreme Nationalists 10
• Fascists 35
• National Bloc (Giolitti) 139
• opposition (175)
• Radicals (Liberal Democrats) 68
• Popolari 107
• Left opposition (176)
• Reformists 29
• Socialists 123
• Communists 15
• National minorities 9
• Total seats (535)

12
The House of Sand Collapses

• Giolitti Haemorrhaging Support
• Mussolini withdraws immediately
• Foothold achieved
• Avoid blame for upcoming crises
• Popolari withdraw support over tax
• Remaining Liberals distrust each other
• Parliamentary collapse mirrored by law and order
  collapse
• Socialists beaten up at will
• Fascists beat up socialist deputy in Parliament!

13
Fascist Opportunities

• Mussolini converts Fascist movement into a Party
• October 1921
• Becomes official leader November 1921
• Broadens appeal
• Conservatives
• Opposes deals with Unions
• Promises to Restore order
• Catholics
• Opposes Divorces
• Help Peasants Improve their lot
• Promises to settle Vatican situation
• Most of 1919 Left wing promises quietly ditched
• Dual Policy
• Constitutional Engagement
• Political Thuggery

14
Socialist Patience Snaps

• Fed up with Violence directed at them
• Fed up with government inaction
• Fed up with Police Connivance
• Call General Strike
• July 1922
• Plays into Mussolinis hands
• Fascists attempt to carry on functions of
  striking workers / Police / Courts / Judge Jury
• Start negotiations with Liberals over running
  areas of government whilst plotting a Coup Detat
• Fascists claim to be Defenders of Law and Order

15

The March on Rome

• For my part I prefer 50,000 rifles to 5 million
  votes.
• Plan
• 30,000 fascists take over Northern Cities and
  then March on Rome
• Reality
• Mussolini negotiates with Monarch
• King is Commander in Chief of Army
• Cousin Aosta a Fascist sympathiser
• Losing patience with weak Liberal Governments
• Several thousand Fascists camp outside of Rome in
  rain waiting for orders
• Government forces sent to disperse Fascists
  congregating

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The King hands the Pretender the Throne

• Victor Emmanuel changes mind
• As troops are approaching Blackshirts, King
  refuses to agree to Martial Law
• Army frozen
• Government Resigns
• King approaches conservative liberal Salandra
• Liberals cannot agree to support Salandra
  government
• Mussolini invited to become Prime Minister
• October 29th 1922
• Mussolini takes train to Rome
• Blackshirts parade victoriously through Rome

18
Consolidating Power

• Cautious Start by Mussolini
• First Administration
• Only 4 Fascists (out of 14)
• Popolari and Liberals
• Happy to use Fascists to crush Socialists
• Then plan to absorb/discard fascists
• Mussolini builds up tension
• Threat of Socialist violence
• Threat of Bolshevik Revolution
• Most Violence Fascist Inspired
• Demanded a 12 month period to rule by decree
• Until situation stabilises

19
Requesting Power

• With 300,000 young men, fully armed, ready for
  anything and almost religiously prompt to obey
  any command of mine, I could have punished all
  those who have slandered the Fascisti I could
  have shut up Parliament and formed a government
  of Fascisti exclusively. I could have done so,
  but I did not wish to do so, at any rate at the
  moment Before arriving here we were asked on all
  sides for a programme. It is not, alas,
  programmes that are wanting in Italy., but men to
  carry them out.

20
Emperor Mussolini?

• Rule by decree vote
• Liberals and Popolari fall for Temporary
  Dictator Mussolini
• Including Salandra, Giolitti and Facta
• Only Socialists and Communists vote against

21
The Emperor consolidates his power amongst the
Fascists

• Grand Council of Fascism formed
• Proposes all laws to the Government
• Mussolini appoints All Grand Councillors
• Reduces power of Regional Fascist Leaders
• Fascist Squadrismo converted to militia
• 30,000 Private Loyal Army
• Paid for by State
• Used to Intimidate all opponents

22
Divide Conquer

• Industrialists
• Drops Giolittis Tax Evasion clamp down
• Strike Breaking
• Church
• Bans Contraception
• RE compulsory in State Schools
• Pope withdraws support for Popolari

23
Tailoring the Electoral System

• Acerbo Law
• The largest party to receive 2/3rds of seats (as
  long as it secures 25 of vote)
• Guarantees working Majority
• Guarantees end to weak coalitions
• Guarantees Dictatorship!
• Blackshirt intimidation
• of Parliamentarians

24
Constitutional Confirmation of Power1924
Election Results

• Fascist Right Wing Liberal Electoral Pact
• 66 of vote
• Extensive Legal Intimidation
• Extensive Ballot Rigging
• Fascist deputies
• From 35 to 374
• Socialists Communists still receive 2.5 million
  votes

25
The Matteoti MurderMussolini Implicated

• Socialist Giacomo Matteoti presents evidence of
  Fascist intimidation to Parliament
• Fascist thugs abduct Matteoti
• Broad daylight
• Dragged into car
• Stabbed to death
• Mussolini denial of involvement
• Press links Mussolini to murderers
• Haemorrhages public support
• Remaining non-Fascist deputies set up rival
  parliament
• Ask King to dismiss Mussolini
• Giolitti and Salandra prop up weakened Mussolini

26
All or Nothing!

• July 1924 Introduces
• Press Censorship
• Bans Public Meetings by Opposition Parties
• Fascist Ultimatum to Mussolini
• Haemorrhaging Support
• Declare Dictatorship or step aside!
• Kings Position Pivotal
• January 1925 Introduces
• Opposition Political Parties banned
• Free Trade Unions banned
• Press Censorship strengthened
• New Secret Police created
• New Courts to try political crimes
• Mayors nominated rather than elected
• Mussolini could rule by Decree

27
Essay

• The Socialist threat and the belief that Italy
  had suffered a mutilated victory in the first
  world war enabled Fascism to grow and take
  power. How far do you agree with this statement?

28
Increasing Mussolinis Control

• 1925 Last Fascist Party Congress
• Internal arguments banned by Mussolini
• 1926 Cabinet Meetings suspended
• Mussolini takes Foreign, Interior and Defence
  ministeries for himself
• 1926 Parliamentary powers curtailed
• No discussions on policy, no amending of
  legislation, no criticism of government allowed
• 1926 Election law
• Working classes in socialist areas prevented from
  voting
• All candidates to be approved by Fascist party
• 98
• 1928 All Fascist party appointments made from
  Rome Headquarters
• To undercut Ras
• 1939 Parliament dissolves itself
• Chamber of Fasces and Corporations

29
The Lateran Agreement

• Neutralising Catholicism
• 1929
• Pope Recognises
• Italian State
• Papal States
• Rome
• Mussolini Recognises
• Vatican City
• Pays 30 Million compensation to church
• Catholicism as official State religion
• State to pay salaries of clergy
• Clergy prevented from political activity of any
  kind
• Catholic RE compulsory
• 1939 Pope recants

30
The Cult of Personality

• Control of flow of information
• Opposition newspapers suppressed
• Press Office to distribute authorised stories
• State Radio Network established
• Radios given to all schools
• Communal radio centres
• Cinema
• Official films to precede all films
• The public are stupid, dirty, do not work hard
  enough and are content with little cinema shows
• Heroic Portrayal of Il Duce
• All pictures of Mussolini personally vetted
• Man of action, culture, genius, youthfulness
• 20 hours a day stories
• Lights
• Claims all credit, blames all failures
• Militarism encouraged
• Unrelenting stream of propaganda
• Youth Organisations

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The Corporate State

• De Stefani 1922 - 25
• Orthodox Liberal Economics Professor
• Boom period
• Trade Unions and strikes banned
• Reduced State Interference
• 1927 Labour Charter - Corporative System
• Official unions including employees, employers
  and Fascists
• 1927 Battle of the Lire
• Strong currency strong country
• Hits Exports
• Import levies on imports
• Except for steel, ships and armaments
• 1932 World Depression
• Intervention
• Public Works projects
• Bail out of banks
• Cheap loans provided
• 1935 League of nations sanctions
• Autarky

34
Foreign Policy

• 1923 Corfu
• Bombardment and invasion after assassination of
  Italian General
• 1924 Fiume ceded to Italy
• 1924 26 Albania and Yugoslavia
• 1925 Locarno
• 1928 Kellogg-Briand Pact
• 1933 Hitler visit
• 1934 Dolfuss Affair
• 1935 Abyssinia
• 1936 Rome Berlin Axis
• 1936 38 Spanish Civil War
• 1940 Invasion of France

Distraction or Expansion?
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Comparison with Nazi Germany
Similarities Differences
Rise to Power
Consolidating Power
Role of Leader
Propaganda
Foreign Policy
Religion
Economy
Dealing with Rivals
Racial Policies