Unit 2G.1 - The rise and fall of fascism in Italy, c1911-46
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Summary The impact of Mussolini's relationship with the Catholic Church
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Unit 2G.1 - The rise and fall of fascism in Italy, c1911-46
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A detailed summary describing the extent to which Mussolini's relationship with the Catholic Church impacted his fascist dictatorship. This includes the move away from anticlerical views, Pope Pius XI. The impact of the Lateran Pacts, Church support for the regime and Church-state tensions in the 1...
Unit 2G.1 - The rise and fall of fascism in Italy, c1911-46
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How far did Mussolini’s relationship with the Catholic Church impact his
fascist dictatorship?
The move away from anticlerical views
The original fascist movement had been largely anticlerical
Mussolini had published a book, The Cardinal’s Mistress, which portrayed the
Church as a place of hypocrisy, violence and sexual activity
Mussolini’s anger towards the Church had been furthered by the events of the First
World War
Pope Benedict XV’s attempts to end the war through the Peace Note had drawn
the anger of Mussolini who believed it had helped spread paci sm and defeatism
The rst programme of the Fasci di Combattimento in 1919 had called for the
con scation of all church property
However, as the movement developed, it was clear that radical anticlericalism was
not conductive to taking power in a strongly Catholic country
As part of fascism’s general move to the right, Mussolini dropped his anticlerical
rhetoric along with his anticapitalism and antimonarchism
At the fascist congress of May 1920, when the new programme was set out,
Mussolini declared that Catholicism could be used as a political force that would
drive Italian unity and nationalism
While some of the original fascists were angered by Mussolini’s new attitude to the
Church, most of the leadership understood that dropping anticlericalism and
nding an understanding with the Catholic Church could help them in their quest
for power
Pope Pius XI
Mussolini’s relations with the Church were helped by the death of Benedict XV in
1922 and his replacement by Pope Pius XI
His policy towards the fascists di ered considerably from his predecessor
Pope Pius XI was predominantly concerned with the communist threat and
believed that fascism would save Italy from a left-wing revolution
Mussolini responded to the pope’s positive attitude through a range of policies that
were favourable to the Church
Religious education was reintroduced into secondary schools, cruci xes were
restored to public buildings and priests had an increase in their pay
The Vatican was close to bankruptcy due to the Bank of Rome being on the brink
of collapse
Mussolini guaranteed that his government would bail out the bank, thereby saving
the Vatican
Mussolini banned freemasonry and anticlerical journals and policies to tax church
property
He made the gesture of having his children baptised into the Catholic Church and
marrying his wife in a church ceremony
This close relationship with the church helped to undermine the PPI, as Pius XI put
his support behind the PNF at the expense of the traditional Catholic party
During the Matteotti crisis, the pope strongly backed Mussolini
The impact of the Lateran Pacts
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