A-LEVEL HISTORY: P4 (9489)- THEME 1: MUSSOLINI ITALY, 1919-41
EUROPEAN OPTION, DEPTH STUDY 1: EUROPEAN HISTORY IN THE INTERWAR YEARS, 1919-41
1.1 Why did Mussolini gain power in 1922?
→ Italy’s post WW1 problems
● Dissatisfaction with peace settlement (“Mutilated Victory”)
Expected gains promised under Treaty of London, 1915 (ie. Fiume, Dalmatia, Trentino,
Trieste)
■ US refused to give Fiume; vital to economy of new Yugoslav state
■ Denied Dalmatia; too few Italians live there
■ Gained no African territories
○ Seizure of Fiume, Sep 1919
■ Nationalist Gabriele D’Annunzio led 2000 armed men & occupied Fiume
● Against Italian govt
● D’Annunzio showed the way to achieve results was to act decisively
& not be afraid to use force (became public hero)
■ PM Nitti refused to interfere
○ Italian PM Vittorio Orlando felt ignored by Big Three
○ Nationalists blamed Liberal weakness (middle class)
○ Increased nationalism
■ New nation; only united in 1871
○ Austria’s defeat = Italy dominant power in Adriatic
● Economic & Social
○ Inflation & war debts = post-war economic crisis
■ Trade balance & BoP is large deficit; devalued exchange rate
● 1919: Exports covered 36% of imports
■ 1918-19: Italy’s expenditure was triple the amount of income
■ 1919: National debt 85 billion lira (borrowed from US/Brit)
● Cost 148 million lire over the 3 years (2x the amount for unification)
■ Price rose by 250% between 1914-18 & doubled between 1914-18
■ Keynes: Italian situation a “hopeless case” & advised Brit to not grant new
loans
■ 25% fall in real wages and middle class’ savings destroyed
○ WW1: 5 million conscripted, 600,000+ dead, 450,000 permanently disabled, 500,000
seriously wounded, 2.5 million+ soldiers demobilised
○ Landowners relied on rent; state employees wages didn’t keep up with inflation
○ 1915-18 growth of industrial producing geared directly to war effort
■ Inflation increased = raised their prices
■ Govt desperate for military victory continued to buy
● Eg. Fiat expanded until it became the largest commercial vehicle
manufacturer in 1918 Europe
■ Couldn’t be maintained post-war
● Profits fell when govt reduced spending
○ Widened North-South divide
■ N. suffered collapse of wartime industries
■ S. experienced poverty & agricultural problems
○ Labour militancy
■ Wartime discipline relaxed
■ 1919: 1 million+ workers took part in strikes
■ Membership of Socialist trade unions: ¼ million in 1918 to 2 million in 1920
○ Soldiers returned from war = rising unemployment
■ Industries with falling profits weren’t employing anyone
■ 1919: 2 million unemployed
Sonia A. Sanjay Notes
EUROPEAN OPTION, DEPTH STUDY 1: EUROPEAN HISTORY IN THE INTERWAR YEARS, 1919-41
1.1 Why did Mussolini gain power in 1922?
→ Italy’s post WW1 problems
● Dissatisfaction with peace settlement (“Mutilated Victory”)
Expected gains promised under Treaty of London, 1915 (ie. Fiume, Dalmatia, Trentino,
Trieste)
■ US refused to give Fiume; vital to economy of new Yugoslav state
■ Denied Dalmatia; too few Italians live there
■ Gained no African territories
○ Seizure of Fiume, Sep 1919
■ Nationalist Gabriele D’Annunzio led 2000 armed men & occupied Fiume
● Against Italian govt
● D’Annunzio showed the way to achieve results was to act decisively
& not be afraid to use force (became public hero)
■ PM Nitti refused to interfere
○ Italian PM Vittorio Orlando felt ignored by Big Three
○ Nationalists blamed Liberal weakness (middle class)
○ Increased nationalism
■ New nation; only united in 1871
○ Austria’s defeat = Italy dominant power in Adriatic
● Economic & Social
○ Inflation & war debts = post-war economic crisis
■ Trade balance & BoP is large deficit; devalued exchange rate
● 1919: Exports covered 36% of imports
■ 1918-19: Italy’s expenditure was triple the amount of income
■ 1919: National debt 85 billion lira (borrowed from US/Brit)
● Cost 148 million lire over the 3 years (2x the amount for unification)
■ Price rose by 250% between 1914-18 & doubled between 1914-18
■ Keynes: Italian situation a “hopeless case” & advised Brit to not grant new
loans
■ 25% fall in real wages and middle class’ savings destroyed
○ WW1: 5 million conscripted, 600,000+ dead, 450,000 permanently disabled, 500,000
seriously wounded, 2.5 million+ soldiers demobilised
○ Landowners relied on rent; state employees wages didn’t keep up with inflation
○ 1915-18 growth of industrial producing geared directly to war effort
■ Inflation increased = raised their prices
■ Govt desperate for military victory continued to buy
● Eg. Fiat expanded until it became the largest commercial vehicle
manufacturer in 1918 Europe
■ Couldn’t be maintained post-war
● Profits fell when govt reduced spending
○ Widened North-South divide
■ N. suffered collapse of wartime industries
■ S. experienced poverty & agricultural problems
○ Labour militancy
■ Wartime discipline relaxed
■ 1919: 1 million+ workers took part in strikes
■ Membership of Socialist trade unions: ¼ million in 1918 to 2 million in 1920
○ Soldiers returned from war = rising unemployment
■ Industries with falling profits weren’t employing anyone
■ 1919: 2 million unemployed
Sonia A. Sanjay Notes
