Italy 1914 to 1945

Interventalists

• Opportunity to make Italy great again
• Chance to gain land, colonies and power > Good deal with Triple Entente
• Fight for 'king and country' > Patrotism 
• Afraid to miss out on something

Neutralists

• Weak economy > cannot afford a war
• Military not strong enough > Bad weapons > Mediocre army
• Bad deal with the Triple Alliance (Germany and Austria-Hungary)
• No desire for a war within the church, king and people

• 148 billion lire spent on war
• Foreign loans = sky high
• Government print money: inflation – 1 lire worth 25%
• War created jobs (Fiat & Alsondo)
• Debt: 1914 = 16 billion|1919 = 85 billion
• 75 hour working week – low wages
• Bosses take advantage of weak government and abuse employee’s rights
• Increase in strikes (lead to production being lost) Bankruptcy and unemployment apparent within business

• Uneducated and poor go into war
• 5 million conscripted; 1 million injured; 600,000 killed
• 295,000 runaways; 290,000 court martialled; 720 shot; 4000 sentanced to death
• General Cadorna = Stubborn
• Vittorio Veneto > Big Victory
• Caperetto > Large defeat > retreat of 90 miles
• Tensions at home with people that went to fight and stayed to work
• Was never a desire for a war

• PM = Salandra
• Parliament = 'Rubber Stamp'
• PM; doesn't let parlaiment meet
• Public confidence weakened
• Huge loss at Caperetto
• Promises made for social reform
• Unelected military leaders grow in power
• At a time of crisis the parliament can't work together
• War created more pressure for democratic reform

• Bread riots; 50 killed 1917
• More people were joining trade unions
• Strikes up x3
• Price of goods x4 
• 75 hour working weeks; Wages fall 25%
• Workers can't pay debts
• Food shortages and military style discipline at work
• Peasents take over land in 1918
• More women employed
• Low morale and mass hatred within Italy

Battle of Caporetto:

• Occured in 1917 
• Austrian amry beat the Italian army
• Many Italian soldiers gave up
• 11,000 dead and 25,000 were taken prisoner

Battle of Vittorio Veneto:

• Occured in 1918
• Most successful Italian battle
• Caused many Italians to feel they had a right to the land promised in the Treaty of London

• Term orginited from d'Annunzio > nationalist poet
• Treaty of St. Germain/Paris peace settlement > disappointing > GOT South Tyrol, Trentino, Istria, German reparations money and terriotory in Atlantic sea > REFUSED Dalmatia, Fiume and overseas colonies
• Demobilised soldiers felt cheated
• Italian governement blamed for abondoning national interests
• Entente had failed to deliver for their own selfish needs
• Britain and France sent in extra troops to aid Italy
• Italian Prime Minister Orlando was no match for British and French negotiators 

• 2000 soldier led by d'Annunzio sieze power in Fiume
• Citizens in Fiume welcomed occupiers as 'liberators' 
• d'Annunzio seen as a hero and rallies were organised to celebrate
• Fiume is declared a republic by d'Annunzio
• Shows that violence works if you want something > the army cannot be trusted now
• New style of politics was now formed > Facists right wing style
• Depicts the anger within Italy about the mutilated victory > direct action works
• d'Annunzio seen as a hero
• Orlando resigns as Prime Minister in June 1919
• Giolitti is PM again June 1920

In favour of:

• National greatness > a strong country
• Autarky
• A powerful leader/dictator > IL Duce
• Strong law and order > through camps and secret police
• Paramilitary organisations > Blackshirts
• Support on war and action

Opposed to:

• Communism
• Liberal democracy
• Trade unions

• Formed in 1919 > Squadristi or 'blackshirts' > Demobilised soldiers
• Modelled on the armys elite troops
• Funded by big businesses and landowners > they fought communism
• The violence against socialism was decribed 'guerilla war' by Mussolini

Fasci di Combattimento > their manifesto contained:

• Italy to take Fiume and Dalmatia
• 8 hour working day
• Universal sufferage
• Abolition on monarchy

Mussolini's pact with Giolitti:

• An alliance > stops blackshirts being a threat to him > useful against socialism
• May 1921 elections fascists gain: 35 seats
• After the elections Mussolini cuts off the alliance with Giolitti > Giolitti resigns as PM June 1921

16th October 1922 > March on Rome > King afraid > Mussolini is PM on 30th October 1922

The Catholic Church

• Fear of communism/socialism > don't believe in religion
• Mussolini becoming respectable > church allowed to support him > makes him accepted in society 
• Promised to provide the Vatican with money/finance
• Pope Pius XI blessed fascist banners

The King

• Disillusioned with weak government 
• Mussolini is the only person powerful enough to create a strong government
• Mussolini is the least worst option
• Needs a strong leadership to get money

• Increase on strikes, land siezure and trade unions becoming powerful
• Fear of a socialist/communist revolution or coup takeover > 1917 Russian revolution inspired
• Military, Political, Economic and Social problems
• War encouraged tougher action > strike and protest

Socialism fails to come to power

• Not well enoug organised > too many small groups
• Never a socialist revolution
• Mussolini's strike breaking tactics (beating and shooting)
• Fascist street fighters beat up socialists
• Authorities turn a blind eye on Mussolini

• Paris Peace Settlement > Mutilated victory > No Fiume, Dalmatia or Colonies > Direct action
• Fiume > direct action works > shows weakness in governmenta poet could take over
• Military > demobilised soldiers angry 'mutilated victory' > 600,000 death rate > 1million injured
• Economic > Large war debt 160million lire > didn't get what they wanted > 1/4 valued lire
• Political > Orlando 1919 > Nitti 1919 > Giolitti 1920 > Weak government
• Social > poor/hingry > strikes x3 > fear of socialist takeover
• Weak Government > PR - weak > Disillusioned w/ weak gov > weak economy > extreme times
• Bienno Rosso > 1918-1920 > socialist conflict > followed by blackshirts violence
• Reasons to support Fascism > wide appeal > got Fiume > Strong propaganda > stopped strikes
• 1921 Election > Mussolini pact w/ Giolitti > Mussolini gets more popular > Wins 35 seats > drops Giolitti
• Role of the King and Church > Fear communinsm > Pope Pius blessed Fascist banners > support of catholic schools and hospitals > King needs strong gov to make money
• March on Rome > scare king to give him PM > King believes Mussolini easy to control > Least worst optioin

• Many problems facing Mussolini: political parties, trade unions, civil rights, democratic elections and his weak posistion as he only came to power with the March On Rome
• Mussolini appoints key fascists to jobs in government; Emilio De Bono- Head of Police and Alberto De Stefani Finance Minister etc.
• Creation of Grand Council of Fascists 1922: brings all fascists together and extends his control > also creation of MSVN (300,000 member swore an oath to Mussolini) brings control over Blackshirts
• The Acerbo Law of November 1923 > Most popular party gets 2/3s of seats
• April 1924 Elections > Mussolini wins 2/3 of seats > Widespread rigging in south > Increased socialist attacks by MSVN in the North 100s injured and 1 killed
• The matteotti Crisis > Matteotti speaks out on socialist violence > Gets kidnapped and murdered > leads to the AVENTINE SECESSION > Liberals and Conservatives become openly critical and threat of general strike.
• Increase censorship of anti-fascist eiditors of popular newspapers like 'La Stampa'
• 1925 > Join 'Association of Fascist Journalists' to publish newspapers > 1926 > Opposistion papers all closed
• Legge Fascistissime Laws > banned political parties & trade unions, tight press censorship, political police force OVRA, impossible to sack Mussolini, perm rule w/ decree > December 1925 establishment of a personal ditatorship > Il Duce

• Aim for respect, prestige and an international statesman > make italy a great power
• Goals to dominate the Mediterranean, expand into the Balkans and create an empire in Africa
• Have a role to play in the League of Nations > increase italy's sphere of influence and spread Fascism.
• No 'Master Plan'
• Signing the Locarno Pact in 1925 > prestige and respect
• Singing of Kellogg-Briand Pact 1928 > 54 nations to negotiate rather than go to war > adapt a pro British approach in foreign policy
• Italian General murdered in Corfu (Greece) > Mussolini demanded 50 million lire compensation > Greece refuse to pay > Italian army occupy > Army forced to leave and Greece agree to compensate

• Four Power Pact 1933 > Germany, Britain, France and Italy > Good propaganda > all for show

• Stresa Front 1935 > Britain, France and Italy > Against Hitler > B&F on side > No one prepared to invade Germany

Abyssinia 1935

• Desire for revenge (Ethiopia 1896) > Prove superiority of Fascism
• Used to distract the people from economic crisis
• Victory hoped to make Mussolini more popular and increase prestige
• Strong propanda > huge success > Mussolini more popular BUT poorly organised and never gets full control > over confident Mussolini

Spanish Civil War - July 1936 (3 years)

• Winning side, helped a Fascist > Got nothing from it > Soured B&F Relations > 8bil Lire > 40% equipment left behind
• Strain on Italain military and economy