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Totalitarianism of the Right?: Interwar Europe, 1918-1939. Rise of Fascism in Italy. WWI spoils disappointed many Italians Russian Revolution inspired many workers and socialists Pope allowed Catholics to go into politics “Two Red Years,” 1919-1920 Great instability
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Rise of Fascism in Italy • WWI spoils disappointed many Italians • Russian Revolution inspired many workers and socialists • Pope allowed Catholics to go into politics • “Two Red Years,” 1919-1920 • Great instability • Workers took over some factories
Benito Mussolini, 1883-1945 Il Duce (The Leader) Black Shirts Fascism: • extreme militaristic nationalism • contempt for electoral democracy and liberalism • natural social hierarchy and the rule of elites • individual interests subordinated to the good of the nation
Mussolini’s rise to power • Two Red Years • Mussolini portrayed himself as the ‘man of order’ • March on Rome (October 1922) • King Victor Emmanuel III (r. 1900-46) forced to make Mussolini Prime Minister
Consolidation of Power • Giacomo Matteotti (socialist leader killed in 1924) • Mussolini used killing to crack down: • changed election law • curbed Parliament’s powers • censored press and academic publications • assumed dual role as PM and ‘Il Duce’
Mussolini’s policies • Lateran Agreement (1929): • Gave Vatican City independence • Financial support • Roman Catholicism as official religion • Pope agreed to urge Italians to support Mussolini and fascists • Corporatism • between socialism and capitalism • Sexism: women as mothers and sexual objects
Totalitarianism • Mussolini: “Everything in the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state.” (1926)State to pervade all aspects of society • The nation mobilized but obedient to THE LEADER • BUT: Fascist Italy was not very totalitarian, compared to USSR and Nazi Germany