Fascism and Mussolini

1. Fascism and Mussolini Ms Leslie History 12

2. Fascism - what is it? • applied mostly to the movement spawned from Benito Mussolini in Italy from 1919-1943. • Fascism Rejects the Major philosophical trends of the last two centuries that stress individual liberty and equality of all men and races. • embraces social Darwinism. • The Italian slogan was ‘To believe, to obey to combat.’

3. Main Characteristics • Unquestioning acceptance of rule by dictator • Ultra-nationalistic beliefs. Autarchy. • An emphasis on military virtues and the experience of a nation at total war. • Use of violence to further party and national aims • Creation of national myths and great reliance on pageantry and symbolism • Commitment to all-important collective goals. (over coming external and internal enemies)

4. All about Benito • born in Varano di Costa in Romagna, Italy. • His father was a blacksmith and socialist. • Full name: Benito Amilcare Andrea after the left-wing Mexican revolutionary Benito Juarez • His mother was a deeply religious school teacher. • He spent the days fighting with other boys or hunting.

5. At 9 parents sent him to boarding school due to his bad behaviour • Benito hated school rules • Hated how much parents had to spend on tuition • Got in a lot of fights • Stabed another boy with a pen knife

6. At 10 he was sent to another school which he liked better • He worked hard and became well known for his powerful speeches, most of which had socialist leanings. • In July, 1901, Mussolini received an elementary teacher's diploma.

8. Taught for a year before moving to switzerland • He was avoiding Italy’s conscription • Mussolini's life in Switzerland was one of vagrancy. • He begged for change and lived on the streets. • Learned about Marx, Nietzsche and Buddhism

9. Eventually deported due to violent ways • Went to France to teach, but when back to switzerland • Became an established Socialist • 1904 Itallian King announced a pardon to all deserters

10. Benito returns to Italy to enlist for military duty • Conscripted for WWI but was exempt due to a grenade training injury • So he looked for a different way to make a name for himself.

11. How benito came to power • Italy devistated after WWI • Little success in battle • Peace disn’t come with all that was promiced • Itallians resented allied powers • Wilson would not give Italians the territory they wanted at the PPC at there were no Italians in them

12. Society after the war • Inflation • Rise of socialist activities • Extreme poverty in the south - peasants start occupying land • In the North prices rose 560% and unemployment increased.

14. Post war elections • Failed to produce stable governments • 5 different governments 1919-22 • Proportional representation to blame (5% of vote means 5% of seats) • No one could get a majority, lots of coalitions

15. Bolsheviks in Milan • Bolsheviks in Milan began to organize a take over of the country. • There were several massive strikes. • Big industries like Fiat looked desperately for someone to crush this threat.

16. Benito makes his move • A Fascist Movement begins in Milan in 1919. • Mussolini saw his opportunity in protecting landowners and industrialists from the socialists factory and land seizures.

17. Mussolini lead his group of Fascists against Socialists and Trade Unions; bringing him the support of industrialists who were afraid of a left-wing seizure of power. • The fascists were supplied with arms and transport and promises of immunity of punishment.

18. Mussolini called his gang ‘Combat Squads’ and unleashed them on peasants and workers. • They would club their victims to death and torture others. • There was huge pay out from landowners, industrialists and banks…. In the Millions of pounds.

19. Things get legit • In 1921 The Fascist Party was asked to join the National Block Coalition with the Liberals, democrats and nationalists. • This was Mussolini’s first step to take over. • Mussolini began to gain support from the wealthy and won 35 seats in the election.

20. He new to gain more support he would have to change his ways and stopped making anti-catholic and anti-monarchy speeches. • This gave him the support of the Pope, Pius XI, and the King.

21. Enter the Blackshirts • In 1922 Mussolini’s party had a membership of 360,000 of which 50,000 were a member of Combat Squads, now given the nickname ‘The Blackshirts’. • Mussolini uses his private army to show his might

23. March on Rome • On October 28, 1922, Mussolini puts the word out that he is going to march into Rome with his 50,000 Blackshirts. • The King decided to make Mussolini the new Prime minister rather than risk civil war by sending in the troops. • So on Oct 29, Mussolini became prime minister of Italy

24. It is important to note the March on Rome was only a threat. • Mussolini arrived in Rome on a train after the King invited him. • After He was made Prime Minister about 20,000 poorly armed, shoddily dressed and apprehensive Blackshirts marched into Rome

25. The first years • First government is a coalition of 14, 4 of which are fascists • Mussolini gets to control the police • The other 3 facsists are Minister of Justice, Liberated territories and Finance • He played it cool • Kept up external apparences

26. Important events • The Corfu Incident. An Italian General and their officers were assassinated while on Greek territory in August of 1923. Mussolini bombarded and occupied the Island until the Greeks paid indemnity and apologized.

27. The Acerbo Election Law of 1923. Who ever got the largest number of votes (as long as it was 25% or more) would automatically get 2/3 of the seats in the lower house of parliament. The rest of the seats would be divvied up proportionally. This allowed Mussolini to gain 374 out of 535 seats in April 1924.

28. Murder of Giacomo Matteolli. Matteolli was an outspoken opponent of Mussolini and on June 10, 1924, 5 fascists thugs on the party payroll killed him. There is no proof that Mussolini ordered this murder. People protested the murder and Mussolini feared losing his power.

29. He adopted the title ‘Il Duce’

30. Things heat up • After the Matteolli Murder, Mussolini knew he had to assume total power or loose it all. • Support for Fascism was fading fast and Mussolini had to act. • He refused to apologize for Matteolli’s death. • On January 3, 1925 Mussolini declared total Dictatorship.

31. By the end of 1925 freedom of the press was gone and political parties are banned (except for Mussolini’s of course). • In 1926 he reinstated the death penalty. • In 1927 he set up his secret police the OVRA (no meaning) to harass political opponents.

32. Local government autonomy was eliminated and strikes were banned. • Trade unions were replaced with ‘corporations’, which were run by fascists to settle disputes; interests of bosses usually won out and the living standards of workers fell.

33. The economy • Fascism believes in a self-sufficient state. • launched the ‘Battle for Wheat’ with the goal of increasing production and decreasing imports. • From 1925-1935 wheat production went up 75%. • He tried to do the same with a ‘battle of births’ but was unable to get the population to comply. • Unemployment reached 1.1 million in 1932

34. It’s all Benito’s fault • He fired the competent Finance minister to give his friend a job • He raised the value of Italian currency, the lira, to 90 to the pound instead of 150, making Italian exports more expensive; thus demand for Italian goods abroad fell sharply. • Wasted money Helping Franco out in Spain

35. But what about the good things Mussolini did? • Road infrastructure increased. • Archeology was pushed to the forefront and tourist was boosted because of the new artifacts discovered. • Iron ore and steel production increased as well as hydro electric power.

36. The Lateran Treaty/Agreements. • Between the Pope and Mussolini • Traditionally Pope forbids Catholics from participating in politics • The Pope agrees to recognize the kingdom of Italy and give up claims on territory • In exchange Mussolini compensates church for lost land • Vatican becomes independent

37. Lateran problems • Mussolini would become bothered that catholic youth groups would become more popular than his youth organization, Ballila. • In 1938 he created anti-Semitic laws for a closer relationship with Nazi Germany • These laws were mostly ignored and in fact during WWII Italian solders would refuse to hand over 240,000 Jews in Greece and Southern France.

40. Foreign Policy • 1934 he guaranteed Austria’s Independence against German Threats. • In 1935 Hitler attempted to invade Austria and murdered the Austrian Chancellor Dollfuss, to which Mussolini reacted instantly. • Mussolini could not risk Hitler taking over Austria for the safety of Italy. • He sent three tank divisions to the Austrian border. Hitler was out-bluffed and out bullied and backed down.

41. Stresafront Agreement • Mussolini declares his stand against Hitler in the Stresafront Agreement of 1935. • In this agreement Italy, France and Britain condemned Germany’s re-armament.

43. Abyssinia • In October of 1935 Mussolini invaded Abyssinia (Ethiopia) and was successful due to the new inventions of flamethrowers and poison gas. • The League of Nations applied sanctions on Italy • Only Germany offered to trade with Italy normally and an alliance between the two nations was forged.

44. Hitler dominated this alliance and the Italian people were against it as Germany was a traditional enemy. • The May 22, 1939 Pact of Steel solidified the link between Germany and Italy in an offensive and defensive alliance. • Based on the assumption war would probably start in 3 years • end