THE LIBERAL STATE 1911 –1918: ROUTE 2G.1 - A – LEVEL HISTORY:
Italy became a nation in 1861 and fully unified in 1870.
There were problems with unification and identity issues. Campanilismo is the pride one
feels for their country and in their national identity. There was a lack of this. The
Risorgimento has failed. 99% of the population were speaking in different dialects to their
regions. King Victor Emmanuel II spoke Piedmont dialect from Florence and so was out of
touch with the people. No singular dialect spoken by all. Religion seemed to be the only
unifying symbol.
The last time Italy was unified was in the Middle Ages. Rome and its states were previously
ruled by the Austrian – Hungarian Empire, French – Spanish Bourbon royal family and the
Pope.
NO united vision for the nation.
Italian politician – Massimo Azeglio said that we have made Italy now we must make Italians.
Parliament was mainly made up of middle class, privileged, North predominantly. Normally
only represented their own views of their class only. Lack of opposition in parliament and
misrepresentation.
The Roman Question is the split between the Italian government and the Church. The Pope
said that the Papal States had been wrongfully annexed and should be returned to them, so
that the Pope’s temporal powers could be enacted again as God’s representative on Earth.
The Italian government did not make such concessions.
In 1886, Pope Leo XIII forbade Catholics from voting or running for office in national
elections.
Because Catholics could not run or vote in national elections, this made it harder for the
Italian government.
1.) This destroyed any hope of setting up a new party based on conservative and Catholic
values, which many conservative politicians wanted.
2.) Lack of opposition in parliament because of misrepresentation. Less than 25% of men in
the population could vote.
3.) Politicians feared that opposing the Church would further alienate the voting population
as religion was the only unifying symbol.
4.) Questioned the legitimacy of the unification of the country.
Governments formed by trasformismo – corrupt and an inability to pass legislations.
Those running for PM would ask for support from their parliamentary members – deputies –
but if they were sold a better deal or had better views, they switched their support over.
1870 – 1922 – there were 29 PMS.
Evidence of economic growth 1899 – 1914: Industrialisation was also improving agriculture
outputs with more modernised techniques being involved. The industrial triangle was
created in Milan, Turin and Genoa. Car production was also exponentially increasing in
companies e.g - Alfa Romeo and Fiat.
Mechanical, electrical and chemical industries were also delivering high outputs.
Social problems 1899 – 1914: industrialisation did not provide benefits to the wider
population. Protests unemployment, food shortages and high taxation. 1901 – 1911 – over
, 1, 500 strikes with 350,000 workers. Industrialisation accentuated problems with the
North/South divide. Wealthier north and impoverished south concerned politicians and one
of the barriers for creating a unified nation.
The South was poor because of its geography – cut off from the north by the mountains,
making communication harder. North’s treatment of the South.
The North tended to ignore the South as no PM had visited there for 32 years after
unification.
The North/ South divide worsened in 1911 because of the increasing industrialisation in the
North. The industrial triangle in Milan, Turin and Genoa. The South became more
impoverished because their income was mainly based on agricultural produce – stagnating
the economy and increasing rural poverty. In a survey 1911, over half of Italy’s industrial
workers of 2.2 million were employed in the north in Lombardy and Liguria.
Life in the South was impoverished with a lot of rural poverty. Malnutrition and lack of
drinking water and food shortages were common. In 1910 – 1911, 25,000 died from cholera
epidemic and the lack of drinking water. Over half of the population in the South was
illiterate and this was x5 more than the rate in Piedmont. The income in 1911, was double
per capita head in the North than the South.
Questione Meridonale – Southern Question was not solved. Politicians urged key
industrialists to invest in the Southern provinces, but not much improvement had been
enacted after politicians noticed the problem more.
Many in the South emigrated to the US as a result. From 1901 – 1913 – nearly 200,000
Southerns left every year and out of 3.5 million Sicilians, 1 million had left.
By 1910, there were 600,000 Italians living in New York.
Put strain on other countries because Italy was becoming heavily reliant on other countries
taking these Southerners into their borders on a mass scale/ influx of unskilled workers.
Italy’s foreign policy mainly concentrated on irredentism and claiming colonies in Africa.
Triple Alliance – May 1882. Italy, Germany and Austria – Hungary. People not happy, most of
the irredente lands which the Italians believe were under Austria’s possession and now they
have given their support to them, making it harder to oppose them and gain the irredente
lands.
1884 Britain agreed that Italy should expand and invade Abyssinia. Battle of Dogali 1887 –
failure – 500 Italian soldiers dead by the Ethiopian army. Battle of Adwa – 1896 – 5000
Italian troops dead. Absolute embarrassment and instead of trying to set up a strong colony
base in Africa and make invasion a unifying force for Italy, it ended in Italian embarrassment
and no pride.
Giolitti had been PM 4 times before 1911. He used the tactic trasformismo. He was a
conservative and had 3 main opposition parties – socialists, nationalists and the Catholics. A
liberal state.
PSI formed in 1882. In the 1913 elections, they gained ¼ of the votes cast and 79 deputies
took their seats. Mostly attracted the rural poor and stressed that they needed an education
to fight back against the political order. Spoke at public meetings and debates. Led by Turati.
By 1902, they had 250,000 industrial workers joining the PSI.
Italy became a nation in 1861 and fully unified in 1870.
There were problems with unification and identity issues. Campanilismo is the pride one
feels for their country and in their national identity. There was a lack of this. The
Risorgimento has failed. 99% of the population were speaking in different dialects to their
regions. King Victor Emmanuel II spoke Piedmont dialect from Florence and so was out of
touch with the people. No singular dialect spoken by all. Religion seemed to be the only
unifying symbol.
The last time Italy was unified was in the Middle Ages. Rome and its states were previously
ruled by the Austrian – Hungarian Empire, French – Spanish Bourbon royal family and the
Pope.
NO united vision for the nation.
Italian politician – Massimo Azeglio said that we have made Italy now we must make Italians.
Parliament was mainly made up of middle class, privileged, North predominantly. Normally
only represented their own views of their class only. Lack of opposition in parliament and
misrepresentation.
The Roman Question is the split between the Italian government and the Church. The Pope
said that the Papal States had been wrongfully annexed and should be returned to them, so
that the Pope’s temporal powers could be enacted again as God’s representative on Earth.
The Italian government did not make such concessions.
In 1886, Pope Leo XIII forbade Catholics from voting or running for office in national
elections.
Because Catholics could not run or vote in national elections, this made it harder for the
Italian government.
1.) This destroyed any hope of setting up a new party based on conservative and Catholic
values, which many conservative politicians wanted.
2.) Lack of opposition in parliament because of misrepresentation. Less than 25% of men in
the population could vote.
3.) Politicians feared that opposing the Church would further alienate the voting population
as religion was the only unifying symbol.
4.) Questioned the legitimacy of the unification of the country.
Governments formed by trasformismo – corrupt and an inability to pass legislations.
Those running for PM would ask for support from their parliamentary members – deputies –
but if they were sold a better deal or had better views, they switched their support over.
1870 – 1922 – there were 29 PMS.
Evidence of economic growth 1899 – 1914: Industrialisation was also improving agriculture
outputs with more modernised techniques being involved. The industrial triangle was
created in Milan, Turin and Genoa. Car production was also exponentially increasing in
companies e.g - Alfa Romeo and Fiat.
Mechanical, electrical and chemical industries were also delivering high outputs.
Social problems 1899 – 1914: industrialisation did not provide benefits to the wider
population. Protests unemployment, food shortages and high taxation. 1901 – 1911 – over
, 1, 500 strikes with 350,000 workers. Industrialisation accentuated problems with the
North/South divide. Wealthier north and impoverished south concerned politicians and one
of the barriers for creating a unified nation.
The South was poor because of its geography – cut off from the north by the mountains,
making communication harder. North’s treatment of the South.
The North tended to ignore the South as no PM had visited there for 32 years after
unification.
The North/ South divide worsened in 1911 because of the increasing industrialisation in the
North. The industrial triangle in Milan, Turin and Genoa. The South became more
impoverished because their income was mainly based on agricultural produce – stagnating
the economy and increasing rural poverty. In a survey 1911, over half of Italy’s industrial
workers of 2.2 million were employed in the north in Lombardy and Liguria.
Life in the South was impoverished with a lot of rural poverty. Malnutrition and lack of
drinking water and food shortages were common. In 1910 – 1911, 25,000 died from cholera
epidemic and the lack of drinking water. Over half of the population in the South was
illiterate and this was x5 more than the rate in Piedmont. The income in 1911, was double
per capita head in the North than the South.
Questione Meridonale – Southern Question was not solved. Politicians urged key
industrialists to invest in the Southern provinces, but not much improvement had been
enacted after politicians noticed the problem more.
Many in the South emigrated to the US as a result. From 1901 – 1913 – nearly 200,000
Southerns left every year and out of 3.5 million Sicilians, 1 million had left.
By 1910, there were 600,000 Italians living in New York.
Put strain on other countries because Italy was becoming heavily reliant on other countries
taking these Southerners into their borders on a mass scale/ influx of unskilled workers.
Italy’s foreign policy mainly concentrated on irredentism and claiming colonies in Africa.
Triple Alliance – May 1882. Italy, Germany and Austria – Hungary. People not happy, most of
the irredente lands which the Italians believe were under Austria’s possession and now they
have given their support to them, making it harder to oppose them and gain the irredente
lands.
1884 Britain agreed that Italy should expand and invade Abyssinia. Battle of Dogali 1887 –
failure – 500 Italian soldiers dead by the Ethiopian army. Battle of Adwa – 1896 – 5000
Italian troops dead. Absolute embarrassment and instead of trying to set up a strong colony
base in Africa and make invasion a unifying force for Italy, it ended in Italian embarrassment
and no pride.
Giolitti had been PM 4 times before 1911. He used the tactic trasformismo. He was a
conservative and had 3 main opposition parties – socialists, nationalists and the Catholics. A
liberal state.
PSI formed in 1882. In the 1913 elections, they gained ¼ of the votes cast and 79 deputies
took their seats. Mostly attracted the rural poor and stressed that they needed an education
to fight back against the political order. Spoke at public meetings and debates. Led by Turati.
By 1902, they had 250,000 industrial workers joining the PSI.
