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Theme 2 Italy: The rise of Mussolini and the creation of a fascist dictatorship, 1919-26

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This document includes revision notes regarding Theme 2 of the rise and fall of fascism module for History A Level. The well-organised notes include the rise of Mussolini and the creation of a fascist dictatorship in Italy throughout 1919-26, from a consistent grade A student. The concise notes can...

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Uploaded on June 27, 2023
Number of pages 8
Written in 2022/2023
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benito mussolini
first world war
elections
political changes
prime minister
socialism
catholicism
fiume
socio economic discontent
dual policy
march on rome
matteotti crisis

HOW EFFECTIVE WAS THE GOVERNMENT IN DEALING WITH ITALY’S PROBLEMS
FOLLOWING THE FIRST WORLD WAR?

MUTILATED VICTORY

- Italy’s victory was mutilated = didn’t receive anything they were promised in the 1915 Treaty of London:
- Italy was to gain their African colonies  irredente lands  Britain + France took these for
themselves = no consideration for Italy’s demands.
- Did not receive Fiume.
- Attitudes from Britain, France + USA at Paris Peace Conference Jan. 1919 = hostile = didn’t think
Italy were deserving of a ‘great power’ status = couldn’t justify Italy’s territorial claims.
- Italy did acquire Trent, Trieste, Istria + Northern Dalmatia officially in 1920.
- Aggravated Italian anger = Gabriele d’Annunzio called it a national shame.
- War not worth the 600,000 lives lost = weak liberal gov. = inferior to other European Powers.
- War damage = still had to pay loans to recover from debt.
- Hindered aims for Italian unity = divide between returning soldiers + those exempt from military service to
maintain industries for war effort = soldiers viewed the workers as cowards for not joining war.
- Actions of Francesco Nitti exacerbated situation = he down played Italy’s demands to not jeapordise Italy’s
relations with Britain + France + USA.
Italy = already weak economy = needed coal + money = only Allies could provide = he had no choice.
- Mussolini advantage = stated Italy needed stronger government that would not back down like the weak
liberals = instead would fight to regain Italy’s former glory = ensure such humiliation wouldn’t occur again.

THE OCCUPATION OF FIUME

- Nationalist right-wing groups = young men + returned soldiers = talks of rebellion in Rome = overthrow
liberal government.
- Gabriele d’Annunzio = prominent right-wing leader = was for Italian intervention into WW1.
- Failure of war angered him = he believed a victory could rejuvenate Italy + help reclaim its glorious past.
- 12th September 1919 = led protest of 2000 men = ex-soldiers, Futurists, students, patriots = seized port of
Fiume.
= simply taking back what was rightfully theirs.
- Fiume = symbol of Italy’s humiliating treatment at the Paris Peace Conference = presented as redemption
for the 600,000 dead soldiers.
- Overcoming shame of mutilated victory.
- Mussolini advantage = d’Annunzio’s actions helped masses realise liberal government was weak = showed
what could be achieved through violence + decisive action = Mussolini also learned the power that assertive
nationalism has over Italians.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC DISCONTENT

- Italy’s economy needed coal + money = only Allies could provide.
- Millions of soldiers were demobilised = flooded the job market = November 1919 unemployment = 2
million.
- Inflation = high = lira collapsed in value.
- Middle class Italians savings were wiped out.
- State employees’ wages + pensions declined.
- Major companies = Fiat + Ansaldo = benefitted from war production = now struggled to stay afloat.
- Biennio Rosso = period of political turmoil = 1919-20 = labour militancy + strikes.
- Largest army strike = Sept. 1920 = over 400,000 workers took over factories + flew flags of communism over
buildings for weeks.
- Countryside mirrored social + economic discontent = gov. couldn’t act on their promises of reform for
peasants who fought in WW1 = many demanding land for farming.
- Mussolini advantage = upper + middle classes looked towards right-wing organisations to provide an
alternative for the weak liberal gov. = one that would confront + destroy left-wing organisations pushing
Italy towards revolution.

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