These notes act as a summarised form of the entire sub-unit course and also includes highlights for the key categories of 1. Dates, 2. Key figures and 3. Battles to help with identifying useful facts and figures.
The Liberal State- 1911-18
1.1 Italy in the early 20th century
Po valley in the North = fertile and centre of agriculture
Most industry focused around ‘Industrial Triangle’ – Milan, Genoa
and Turin
1911 = 60% of population in agri (vs 15% in UK)
No raw materials- coal, oil and steel
Only 3% of people spoke Italian (Florence)
People of the South = alienated by a civil war (1861-64) – resented
the Gov
1911 = 65% of S were illiterate vs 11% in the N- needed to be
literate to vote
0.01% of population owned 50% of the land in the S
Income was ½ of N
90% of S had no roads
Was a Parliamentary Gov – MPs were elected
PM needed support of the Chamber of Deputies and local councils
were elected
Parliament was dominated by the elite
In 1911- only 25% could vote
King did not need to refer to parliament and oversaw the army
Governments were built on bargaining and favours =
Transformismo
, 1874 Pope denounced the new state - Catholics were not to vote
in elections
GDP grew at 2.8% each year (more than UK and France)
Trade expanded and gov expenditure on infra increased industrial
production- Fiat and Pirelli expanded
Balanced the budget
Wanted to gain unredeemed lands ‘Italia Irredente’
o Trentino, S. Tyrol, Fiume and Trieste
Some objected to Triple Alliance- Austria = natural enemy
Italian army was defeated at the Battle of Adowa in 1896 - 5000
deaths and the gov was blamed
o Only European power to have lost a colonial battle
1.2 Giolitti’s Government in 1911
Gio = dominant liberal politician of the period (1900-1914 = PM 4x)
V. pragmatic – wanted to make Ita more united and secure =
moderate policies (willing to make concessions to win over as
many groups as possible)
To win over socialists-
o spending on public works increased by 50%
o Real wages increased by 40% 1900-1914
o Abolished child labour
o Legalisation of strikes and trade unions
Church was an influential force- youth and sports organisations
‘Catholic Action’
Relaxed restrictions on Church influence in schools
Convinced pope in 1909 to let Catholics vote in election
Many socialists and radical liberals were anti-clericalists (didn’t like
concessions to the Church)
, Marinetti of the Futurists- glorified violence and condemned the
comfortable life
Wanted an aggressive foreign policy- Italia Irredente and colonies
More influential in 1910 – ANI (nationalist party) was established
Wanted an authoritarian government – condemned the liberals for
compromising with the socialists
Mostly middle-class support
Invasion of Libya (1911)
o Turkey was busy with a war in the Balkans
o Reversed the shame of the battle of Adowa
1.3 Growing instability 1912-14
Invasion of Libya (1911-12)
o Italian control restricted to the coastal areas
o Nationalists claimed the war was due to their pressure, but
the PSI condemned it as imperialistic and a waste of money
that could be spent on welfare
o 3,000 Italian soldiers killed
1912 = franchise (who was able to vote) expanded
o All men who had completed military service
o All literate men over 21
o All men over 30
o Increased from 3 to 8 million
Election of 1913 - liberals = 318 of 511 seats- split between
Radicals and Catholics
Socialists = 41 to 69 seats
Nationalists = 3 seats
Giolitti resigned 1914 - needed to make a deal with the Catholics
to oppose divorce and support religious education- radicals
withdrew support
1914 = Salandra PM
, Had the support of the nationalists and wanted more aggressive
foreign policy
PSI = national strike June 1914
Radical trade unions seized factories and government buildings –
‘Red Week’
Hundreds of casualties
Troops were called in and it was crushed- lacked real organisation
PSI was less willing to work in the parliamentary system
Mussolini = editor of socialist newspaper ‘Avanti’
o Increased its circulation 4x 1912-1914
Aug 1914 – announcement of WWI – Italy declared neutrality
despite Triple Alliance
Claimed to not have been consulted by Austrians about invasion of
Serbia
Most Italians supported neutrality- little to gain, much to lose
1.4 Impact of WWI
Treaty of London - Apr 1915 = receive S. Tyrol, Trentino, Istria,
German Colonies etc
Germany = producing 20x as much steel as Italy
Socialists condemned war as capitalist conflict
Catholics were opposed to fighting other Catholics – Pope
condemned
But others thought neutrality would confirm 2 nd class status in
Europe- achieve Italia Irredente
300 Deputies supported Giolitti for neutrality- became PM
King threatened to abdicate – Enters the war 1915
Salandra resigned as PM and was replaced by Boselli 1916
Fighting was in the Alpine region
5 million men conscripted
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