This document includes revision notes regarding Theme 1 of the rise and fall of fascism in Italy module for History A Level. The well-organised notes include information about the liberal state throughout 1911-18, from a consistent grade A student. The concise notes can be used as a good revision t...
WHAT WERE THE KEY PROBLEMS FACING ITALY IN HE EARLY PART OF THE 20 TH CENTURY?
ITALIAN DIALECT
- Italy fully unified in 1870 = problems for Italy = leaders struggled to create an identity for the new country
that could unite its citizens + encourage shared patriotism.
- Linguistic divisions between the North + South = 99% of Italians spoke regional dialects + couldn’t
understand Italians from other areas of Italy.
King Victor Emmanuel II spoke in Piedmont dialect = Italians outside Piedmont couldn’t understand him.
- ‘Italian’ = was the dialect spoken in Florence = not even well-educated Italians outside of Florence could
understand it.
- Illiteracy rates 1911:
- (North) Piedmont = 11% WHEREAS (South) Sicily = 58%.
POLITICAL SYSTEM
- Politicians = Northern, middle-class + professional = only represented interests of their own class.
- Political development hindered by the ‘Roman Question’ = Catholic Church refused to recognise the
legitimacy of Italy as a unified state due to its lost lands/ papal states + power in central Italy.
Pope Pius IX didn’t let Catholics vote OR run in elections.
Prevented creation of a national conservative party based on Catholic views = no threat from a potential
Catholic party.
Overall = questioned Italy’s legitimacy as a unified state + robbed them of a unifying symbol = religion.
- Politicians feared that challenging the Church would further alienate the population = Roman Question on-
going issue.
- Politicians shared the same liberal view.
- Governments = short-lived as politicians could withdraw their support for the PM if offered a better deal by
another deputy = success for politicians was not based on amount of votes gained through campaigns +
policies BUT skill in forming political alliances = trasformismo = corrupt political manoeuvring.
- Trasformismo enabled 29 changes of prime minister between 1870-1922.
- 25% of men had right to vote = no parliamentary challenge to liberals.
- Inability of Italians to voice their anger at politicians through the ballot box = fuelled popular protest +
growing strength of extreme revolutionary ideologies = anarchism.
ECONOMIC + SOCIAL PROBLEMS
- 1899-1914 = considerable economic expansion + industrialisation in the North.
- Iron + steel industries grew.
- Chemical + mechanical + electrical industries grew = Italian car industry was successful = Alfa Romeo + Fiat
established.
- Problems with industrialisation:
Didn’t provide benefits to the wider population = living standards of industrial + rural workers was low.
Protests against unemployment + food shortages + high taxation = 1901-1911 = 1500 strikes involving
350,000 workers.
Worsened the North-South divide = major barrier in creating a unified Italy.
GEOGRAPHICAL DIVISONS
- Questione meridionale = ‘Southern question’ = attempt to understand why the South had fallen into such
poverty vs. the much wealthier North + what could be done to alleviate it.
- Reasons for the divide = South’s poor economic structure = geographical location = its history = poor
treatment by the richer North.
- South characterised by its agriculturally based economy + poverty.
- North characterised by economic expansion + industrialisation.
- Problem was overlooked by leaders = no Italian prime minister visited the South until 32 years after
unification.
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