Unit 2G.1 - The rise and fall of fascism in Italy, c1911-46
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Summary - Unit 2G.1 - The rise and fall of fascism in Italy, c1911-46
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Unit 2G.1 - The rise and fall of fascism in Italy, c1911-46
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comprehensive essays on Italy to help you revise. they detail the liberal state as well as this rise of fascism and Mussolini. I received 18/20 on most, with some 20/20
Unit 2G.1 - The rise and fall of fascism in Italy, c1911-46
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The appeal of fascism was the main reason for Mussolini becoming Prime Minister in 1922.’ How
far do you agree?
In October 1922, King Victor Emmanuel III, backed by what was left of the Liberal government,
invited Mussolini to become Italy’s Prime Minister. The support of the Liberal government in this
decision highlights their acknowledgement that their government was incapable of providing Italy
with effective leadership, thereby making it the most significant factor in why Mussolini became
Prime Minister in 1922. The strong appeal of Mussolini's fascist ideas, the role of the King, and the
fear of socialism were all supporting factors in Mussolini’s rise to power.
Firstly, Mussolini’s rise to power in 1922 can be accredited to how he made fascism appealing to the
Italian public. One way he did so was by advocating for the fascist’s aims for expansionism. The
Italians felt left out of the pre-war race for colonies and faced humiliating defeats in East Africa.
Moreover, a main reason for Italy joining WW1 was to gain territories abroad. Once again, they
failed to do so because they didn’t receive the ‘hoped-for’ territories that they believed were
promised to them in the Treaty of London (1915), instead achieving a ‘mutilated victory’. Thus, any
party that advocated for successful expansionism and a return to the glory days of the Roman
Empire was popular. This was previously demonstrated by D’Annunzio’s popularity with his
adventure in Trieste. Hence, by making fascism more appealing, Mussolini was able to gain support
from the Italian public and prove that Italy under him would be successful in its expansionist
endeavours.
Fascism was also appealing to the Italians as it was staunchly anti-communist. This was popular with
the Roman Catholic Church, the Southern aristocracy, landowners, northern manufacturers, and the
middle class; all of which feared the strength of trade unionism, communism & a socialist takeover.
The 1920 climax of ‘Biennio Rosso’ and increasing left-wing action made such a takeover a real
possibility. The impact of a communist revolution could be seen in Russia whose revolution was in
1917. Their anti-religion policies made the Church in particular fear that a similar fate could take
place in Italy. This would restrict (and possibly eliminate) the Church’s role in society in both a civil
and political capacity. Hence, Mussolini's declaration that "Fascism neither practises nor preaches
anti-clericalism" and was willing to accept that the Catholic Church would play a significant role in
society provided great comfort to the Church and Italian conservatives. As a result, fascism gained
supporters in the Catholic Church and the middle class, allowing for this support to be given to
Mussolini.
Although fascism was very popular, it only achieved 7% of the seats in the Chamber of Deputies
meaning that it did not have enough seats in parliament to gain power. Yet, Mussolini became the
Prime Minister at the insistence of the King. King Victor Emmanuel III feared a challenge to his power
from Fascist sympathisers such as his cousin, the Duke of Aosta. The monarch not only feared a
potential civil war that could lead to his abdication but also feared that a socialist takeover would
threaten his power. King Victor saw Mussolini and fascism as a way of combating the rise of
socialism & consolidating his own rule in Italy. This was largely due to the fact that the King had little
confidence in the Liberal government and the army. This was demonstrated when Facta, the Prime
Minister at the time, asked the King to invoke martial law & use the army to restrain the Fascists
during their March on Rome (Oct 1922). The King doubted that his army could defy the fascists and
instead asked Mussolini to form a government and assume the role of Prime Minister. Because of
this, the King’s attitude proved to be an influential factor in Mussolini becoming Prime Minister in
1922.
The rise (and fear) of socialism is another factor for Mussolini’s appointment as Prime Minister. The
post-WW1 rise in support for the socialists made many Italians wary. This was demonstrated in the
, November 1919 elections where the Socialists secured 32.4% of the national votes & won 156 seats
in the Chamber of Deputies. Many Italians (mainly those from the elite & the upper middle classes)
feared a socialist revolution as they knew what was happening in Russia and were worried about the
possible consequences of such a takeover in Italy, namely the loss of land and wealth. The Biennio
Rosso made it clear that with the socialist’s success, a revolution was on the horizon. Between the
crumbling Liberal government and a potential socialist takeover, the fascists and Mussolini seemed
like the only alternative. Mussolini emphasised the fear that already existed; portraying only fascism,
not the Liberal government, as the only ones that could stop socialism. Thus, by portraying the
fascists as Italy’s only chance to prevent socialism & provide a stable government, Mussolini was
able to become Prime Minister.
Another factor is the incompetence of Liberal government in providing effective leadership to Italy.
This is because the political & economic failure of the liberal state caused the crisis that Mussolini
exploited in 1922. Since 1917, Italy had 5 different Prime Ministers who amassed a post-war debt of
85 million lira, and achieved a ‘mutilated victory’ at the Paris Peace Settlement. These governments
also failed to tackle the social and economic issues plaguing Italy at the time such as the increasing
north/south divide, falling real wages (factory worker’s purchasing power falling by 25% during
1915-18), high unemployment and high inflation. Moreover, the Liberal government tolerated the
alarming fascist violence and even invited the fascists to form a coalition government which
convinced Mussolini that violence and intimidation would work. The Liberal government's failure to
stop the Socialist General Strike (July 1922) further emphasised their weakness. Mussolini used this
opportunity to stop the strike and present the Fascists as sole defenders of law & order, proving to
Italians that Fascists could be trusted. Thus, the weakness of the Liberal government is an underlying
cause in Mussolini becoming Prime Minister as the ineffective government allowed Mussolini to
capitalise on their weakness and make it seem that the Liberals had failed and only he, Mussolini,
could rescue him.
Overall, the appeal of fascism was not the main reason for Mussolini becoming Prime Minister in
1922. This is because despite fascism being appealing and garnering popularity, Fascists only
achieved 7% of the seats in the Chamber of Deputies. This implies that the Fascists lacked the
necessary seats in Parliament to win power, meaning that other factors had to have played a bigger
role. Thus, the factor most significant in Mussolini achieving power is the weaknesses of the Liberal
government. For instance, the failure of the Liberal government to confront the growing Socialist
threat caused the Italian public & the King to seek for an alternative government. In this case it was
Mussolini. The crisis they precipitated created opportunities for Mussolini to exploit by tailoring his
vague fascist ideologies to what the Italian people desired in a government. As a result, Mussolini
was able to become Prime Minister of Italy in 1922.
How far did Mussolini change Italy?
After rising to power in 1922, Mussolini set out to make changes in Italy whilst also consolidating his
regime and establishing himself as a dictator. During his tenure as Prime Minister, Mussolini
implemented a variety of economic, political, social, and foreign policies, with varying degrees of
success and little long-term impact. For the most part, Mussolini did change Italy throughout his
time in power, with his most significant change being made to Italy’s political scene.
One of the most obvious long-term changes Mussolini made to Italy was the way it was governed.
Prior to Mussolini’s reforms, Italy had a liberal, democratic, and weak government. Once securely in
power, Mussolini dismantled the institutions of democratic government, made himself dictator in
1925, and established a one-party state. Mussolini’s fascist government stressed nationalism and
placed the interests of the state above those of individuals. To minimize inter-government
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