The Rise of Mussolini and the Creation of a Fascist Dictatorship 1919 - 26:
Problems faced after the First World War: national debt of 84.9 billion lire, failed Austrian
offensives were expensive and had been funded by printing more money and foreign loans.
This led to debt and inflation.
South felt betrayed by the government and the land reform and the social welfare they
were promised they would receive in 1917 December after Caporetto was non-existent.
Took land by force from landowners, seizing hectares. Deeper north and south divides –
1911 – 1921 industrialisation increased by 20% in the North.
Tension for those who came back from the war looking for a job and those who were
exempted from work as deemed essential for the running of was production.
Paris Peace Conference at Versailles. Orlando fought for the terms of the Treaty of London
and power over the port of Fiume. This was denied as well as their claim over the
Dodecanese Islands and the Balkans. Orlando pleaded with Clemenceau and Lloyd George
that if they could not negotiate, he would have riots in the streets and the government. They
said because of their neutral stance, they were not worthy of claiming any territory. Orlando
backed out in April, people supported this because their mutilated victory and the
bloodshed needed to be meant for something/ establishing Italy’s pride. When Orlando
came back in May, Britain and France had already assigned land. Italy was given Trentino,
Trieste, North Dalmatia and Istria but only legislated to them in 1920. No Fiume and no
claims to African colonies that once belonged to Germany.
Orlando was replaced by Nitti. Nitti made the Versailles situation worse by reducing military
spending and giving amnesty to those who had deserted during the war and was called a
Cagoia – an abject coward.
He allowed Yugoslavia Dalmatia and Fiume so that they could be deemed as neutral city and
be protected by the League of Nations.
Economically weak but asked for no help and downplayed their problems to Britain and
France as not to jeopardize their relationship with them.
D’Annunzio was a right-wing leader. In September 1919, 2000 soldiers and Futurists took
hold of the contested port of Fiume. D’Annunzio said that his reasoning was because of the
dead soldiers who sacrificed their lives for this outcome and their embarrassing treatment at
Versailles. Italian government failed to act after 15 months and were removed on Christmas
Day 1920.
The occupation of Fiume showed how Italy’s glory could be created by being assertive,
decisive and through justified violence. It undermined the liberal’s power and showed them
to be too weak. Improved Mussolini’s standing.
Post-war economic crisis: 1919 2 million were unemployed. Lira collapsed – Nitti's actions
made things worse. Car companies struggled to stay afloat, with Fiat only making 25,000
cars by the end of 1918. Two munition factories had shut down – Ansaldo and Ilva, but two
major banks were closely tied to them and so a banking crisis appeared, adding pressure to
the economy further.
Bienno Rosso – Two Red years. Socialists took over the telegraph services, postal services,
riots, protests, strikes in factories and railways. 1919 – 1920. Socialist membership went up
from 250,000 in 1918 to 2 million in 1920.
, 400,000 workers partook in strikes and riots. Flags waved for communism (red) and
anarchism (black) over buildings for 4 weeks – Italy had descended into chaos.
Landowners felt threatened by the socialist militancy and how they were taking absolute
control and were not being contained by the government.
Political reforms the government used to ease some anger were: introduced proportional
representation – more democratic freedom, extended the vote to all men over the age of 21
and men who had served on the front, 11 million more now able to vote.
The PPI was created 1919 by Luigi Sturzo. Did not push for the contention over the Roman
Question. Wanted land reform for the peasantry especially, this agitation for land reform
made them a powerful political force.
PSI won ¼ of the votes cast and 79 deputies won seats in the 1913 elections. But in the 1919,
they won 156 deputies and 32% of the vote. PPI was the next biggest party with 110
deputies. But none of the parties wanted to work together in a coalition and so the old
liberals continued to rule. Missed opportunity to show the rest of Italy that they could work
together democratically.
The Fasci di Combattimento was created in 1919.
Trincerocrazia – war consciousness. Mussolini’s beleif of the system of trench warfare that
the unity found in fighting will bring all of Italy together. The soldiers who returned from
fighting were the ones who had the ability, strength and character to rule Italy. Not ruled by
economic or geographical divisions but by those who went to war and stayed at home.
Trincerocrazia would breed patriotism and how the Fasci di Combattimento was built on
this.
June 1919 new programme by the Fascists. 3000 members, anticlerical, antiliberal,
antimonarchist, all profits are taken away from the big businesses that profited from the war
massively. Nationalise the industry and armament sector, 8hr working day and abolish the
senate.
Fascists aka the blackshirts.
Squadrismo were military squads for the fascists. In a socialist demonstration on 15th April
1919, near the offices of Milan Avanti! - 200 – 300 squads shot 3 socialists and 1 fascist
during the violent demonstration against them.
Police and government seemed to tolerate the actions of the squadrismo 15 th April 1919 and
took no action to fight back, possibly because they felt more threatened by socialist
influence.
1919 elections the fascist won no seats and earned less than 5000 votes and people mocked
Mussolini’s political career in the streets.
Squad violence became more frequent and organised with a ras heading up each squad.
They wore black shirts, revolver and a manganello and supported by the army/police who
supplied them weapons. This increase in violence happened after the election and after the
violence in Milan. The socialists were brutally targeted.
The squad/ fascist movement was popular in the countryside by wealthy landowners as they
were happy to see the socialist agenda of them wanting land reform for the peasantry, be
crushed and opposed.
Fascism earned political legitimacy as the liberal politicians believed that they were getting
rid of the socialist threat that they too also shared a hatred for and were restoring law and
Problems faced after the First World War: national debt of 84.9 billion lire, failed Austrian
offensives were expensive and had been funded by printing more money and foreign loans.
This led to debt and inflation.
South felt betrayed by the government and the land reform and the social welfare they
were promised they would receive in 1917 December after Caporetto was non-existent.
Took land by force from landowners, seizing hectares. Deeper north and south divides –
1911 – 1921 industrialisation increased by 20% in the North.
Tension for those who came back from the war looking for a job and those who were
exempted from work as deemed essential for the running of was production.
Paris Peace Conference at Versailles. Orlando fought for the terms of the Treaty of London
and power over the port of Fiume. This was denied as well as their claim over the
Dodecanese Islands and the Balkans. Orlando pleaded with Clemenceau and Lloyd George
that if they could not negotiate, he would have riots in the streets and the government. They
said because of their neutral stance, they were not worthy of claiming any territory. Orlando
backed out in April, people supported this because their mutilated victory and the
bloodshed needed to be meant for something/ establishing Italy’s pride. When Orlando
came back in May, Britain and France had already assigned land. Italy was given Trentino,
Trieste, North Dalmatia and Istria but only legislated to them in 1920. No Fiume and no
claims to African colonies that once belonged to Germany.
Orlando was replaced by Nitti. Nitti made the Versailles situation worse by reducing military
spending and giving amnesty to those who had deserted during the war and was called a
Cagoia – an abject coward.
He allowed Yugoslavia Dalmatia and Fiume so that they could be deemed as neutral city and
be protected by the League of Nations.
Economically weak but asked for no help and downplayed their problems to Britain and
France as not to jeopardize their relationship with them.
D’Annunzio was a right-wing leader. In September 1919, 2000 soldiers and Futurists took
hold of the contested port of Fiume. D’Annunzio said that his reasoning was because of the
dead soldiers who sacrificed their lives for this outcome and their embarrassing treatment at
Versailles. Italian government failed to act after 15 months and were removed on Christmas
Day 1920.
The occupation of Fiume showed how Italy’s glory could be created by being assertive,
decisive and through justified violence. It undermined the liberal’s power and showed them
to be too weak. Improved Mussolini’s standing.
Post-war economic crisis: 1919 2 million were unemployed. Lira collapsed – Nitti's actions
made things worse. Car companies struggled to stay afloat, with Fiat only making 25,000
cars by the end of 1918. Two munition factories had shut down – Ansaldo and Ilva, but two
major banks were closely tied to them and so a banking crisis appeared, adding pressure to
the economy further.
Bienno Rosso – Two Red years. Socialists took over the telegraph services, postal services,
riots, protests, strikes in factories and railways. 1919 – 1920. Socialist membership went up
from 250,000 in 1918 to 2 million in 1920.
, 400,000 workers partook in strikes and riots. Flags waved for communism (red) and
anarchism (black) over buildings for 4 weeks – Italy had descended into chaos.
Landowners felt threatened by the socialist militancy and how they were taking absolute
control and were not being contained by the government.
Political reforms the government used to ease some anger were: introduced proportional
representation – more democratic freedom, extended the vote to all men over the age of 21
and men who had served on the front, 11 million more now able to vote.
The PPI was created 1919 by Luigi Sturzo. Did not push for the contention over the Roman
Question. Wanted land reform for the peasantry especially, this agitation for land reform
made them a powerful political force.
PSI won ¼ of the votes cast and 79 deputies won seats in the 1913 elections. But in the 1919,
they won 156 deputies and 32% of the vote. PPI was the next biggest party with 110
deputies. But none of the parties wanted to work together in a coalition and so the old
liberals continued to rule. Missed opportunity to show the rest of Italy that they could work
together democratically.
The Fasci di Combattimento was created in 1919.
Trincerocrazia – war consciousness. Mussolini’s beleif of the system of trench warfare that
the unity found in fighting will bring all of Italy together. The soldiers who returned from
fighting were the ones who had the ability, strength and character to rule Italy. Not ruled by
economic or geographical divisions but by those who went to war and stayed at home.
Trincerocrazia would breed patriotism and how the Fasci di Combattimento was built on
this.
June 1919 new programme by the Fascists. 3000 members, anticlerical, antiliberal,
antimonarchist, all profits are taken away from the big businesses that profited from the war
massively. Nationalise the industry and armament sector, 8hr working day and abolish the
senate.
Fascists aka the blackshirts.
Squadrismo were military squads for the fascists. In a socialist demonstration on 15th April
1919, near the offices of Milan Avanti! - 200 – 300 squads shot 3 socialists and 1 fascist
during the violent demonstration against them.
Police and government seemed to tolerate the actions of the squadrismo 15 th April 1919 and
took no action to fight back, possibly because they felt more threatened by socialist
influence.
1919 elections the fascist won no seats and earned less than 5000 votes and people mocked
Mussolini’s political career in the streets.
Squad violence became more frequent and organised with a ras heading up each squad.
They wore black shirts, revolver and a manganello and supported by the army/police who
supplied them weapons. This increase in violence happened after the election and after the
violence in Milan. The socialists were brutally targeted.
The squad/ fascist movement was popular in the countryside by wealthy landowners as they
were happy to see the socialist agenda of them wanting land reform for the peasantry, be
crushed and opposed.
Fascism earned political legitimacy as the liberal politicians believed that they were getting
rid of the socialist threat that they too also shared a hatred for and were restoring law and
