Life in Fascist Italy

Fascism

Fascism is a form of government involving a one-party dictatorship that is anti-democracy and nationalistic, believing its nation is superior. It centers around a single leader, using propaganda and fear to control the state (totalitarian).

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Fascism in Italy

• Italy lost 600,000 soldiers in World War I and did not receive promised land at the Paris Peace Conference of 1919.
• The country faced high debt, unemployment, and public anger, with five different governments from 1918 to 1922.
• Benito Mussolini founded the Fascist Party in 1919, believing in dictatorship and a one-party state, willing to use violence.
• On 28th October 1922, Mussolini became Prime Minister of Italy.
• The Acerbo Law (1923) ensured the party with the most votes received two-thirds of government seats.
  • Mussolini ruled by decree from 1923, bypassing parliament and becoming known as Il Duce.
  • Mussolini remained in control until overthrown and killed during World War II.

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Support of the Catholic Church

• The Vatican lost land during the Unification of Italy in 1870.
• Mussolini gained support from the 98% Catholic population by compensating the Church.
• The Lateran Treaty of Concordat was agreed with Pope Pius XI.

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Economic Policy

• The Corporate State system established 22 corporations to manage the country, with government officials, employers, and workers involved.
• Independent trade unions and strikes were banned.

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Public Works

Unemployment was addressed through public works:

1. The Battle for Grain increased wheat production.
2. The Autostrada (motorways) was built.
3. The Pontine Marshes were drained for farming.
4. Hydroelectric Power Stations and electric trains were developed.

Propaganda highlighted Fascism's positives, while censorship suppressed negatives.

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Foreign Policy

• Mussolini promised a new Roman Empire.
• He forced Yugoslavia to cede Fiume (Rijeka) and invaded Abyssinia (Ethiopia), actions condemned by the League of Nations.
• Alliances were formed with Francisco Franco in Spain and Adolf Hitler in Germany.
• The Rome-Berlin Axis allied Italy with Germany, leading to Italy's involvement in World War II on Germany's side.

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A Fascist Leader: Benito Mussolini (1883-1945)

Early Life and Career

• Born in 1883 in Romagna, Italy, to a blacksmith and a teacher.
• Mussolini was expelled for stabbing a student and later moved to Switzerland in 1902, becoming involved in socialist politics.
• He returned to Italy in 1904, working as a journalist for the socialist newspaper Avanti but split from socialism over support for Italy in World War I.

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The Fascist Party

• Mussolini founded the Fascist Party in 1919, using the anger of unemployed veterans and nationalists to gain support.
• Supporters, organised into armed squads known as Black Shirts, terrorised opponents.
• In 1921, the Fascist Party joined the coalition government.

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Rise to Power

• In October 1922, amidst political chaos, Mussolini and the Black Shirts marched on Rome.
• King Victor Emmanuel made Mussolini Prime Minister.
• Mussolini dismantled democratic institutions, solidifying power:
  1. Acerbo Law (1923): Ensured the party with the most votes got two-thirds of government seats.
  2. Giacomo Matteotti, an opposition leader, was murdered in 1924.
  3. By 1925, opposition parties were banned, and Mussolini ruled by decree.
  4. Political enemies were imprisoned on the Lipari Islands, and the OVRA secret police silenced opposition.

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Heading Towards War

• In 1935, Mussolini invaded Abyssinia (Ethiopia).
• Provided support to Franco in the Spanish Civil War.
• Allied with Hitler through the Rome-Berlin Axis (1936) and the Pact of Steel (1939).
• Introduced anti-Semitic legislation and declared war on Britain and France in 1940, leading to Italian military defeats.

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World War II

• In July 1943, Allied troops landed in Sicily, Mussolini was overthrown and imprisoned.
• By September, Italy signed an armistice with the Allies.
• The German army occupied Italy, and Mussolini was rescued by German commandos, becoming the leader of a new government with limited power.
• Mussolini fled towards Switzerland but was captured and executed by Italian partisans on 28th April 1945.

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Key Terms

1. Fascism**:** a far-right, authoritarian political ideology that emphasises strong, centralised control, extreme nationalism, and often dictatorial leadership.
2. Il Duce: Il Duce means "The Leader" in Italian and was the title used by Benito Mussolini, the fascist dictator of Italy from 1922 to 1943.
3. Acerbo Law: an Italian electoral law passed in 1923 that granted two-thirds of the seats in parliament to the party with the most votes, helping Mussolini consolidate power.
4. Corporate State: a political system where the economy is controlled by the government through corporatist organisations, as implemented by Mussolini in Fascist Italy.
5. League of Nations: League of Nations was an international organisation founded after World War I to promote peace and cooperation among countries, though it ultimately failed to prevent World War II.
6. Rome-Berlin Axis: a coalition formed in 1936 between Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, establishing their political and military alliance.
7. Black Shirts: paramilitary squads used by Mussolini's National Fascist Party to intimidate, attack, and eliminate political opponents.
8. OVRA: the secret police force of Fascist Italy, responsible for surveillance, repression, and elimination of anti-fascist activities.
9. Pact of Steel: The Pact of Steel was a military and political alliance signed between Italy and Germany in 1939, strengthening their cooperation and commitment to mutual defence.

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Revision Questions

1. What is Fascism?
2. True or False: Mussolini founded the Fascist Party in 1922.**
3. What did the Acerbo Law of 1923 ensure?
4. Fill in the blank: Mussolini was known as _______.**
5. How did Mussolini address unemployment in Italy?
6. True or False: The Lateran Treaty of Concordat was agreed with Pope Pius XI.**
7. What was the Rome-Berlin Axis?
8. Fill in the blank: The secret police under Mussolini was known as the _______.**
9. Who did Mussolini form alliances with during the Spanish Civil War?
10. True or False: Mussolini was captured and executed by German commandos.**

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