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The Liberal State 1911-18 (Italy in the early twentieth century)…
The Liberal State 1911-18 (Italy in the early twentieth century)
Government
Italy became a nation in 1861 and fully unified in 1870
There was no sense of national identity, the Italians were not even unified by language, 99% of Italians speaking a regional dialect.
Italy's political development was also hampered by the attitude of the Catholic church and the Roman Question.
Until 1912 only 25% of Italian men had the vote
The King of Italy could:
-Appoint and dismiss government ministers and senators, including prime minister.
-Control foreign policy
The Prime Minister was the head of the Government, he needed the support of parliament to keep his position and to propose laws.
The system of coalition-building became known as Transformismo. It meant that Italian political life was very unstable, because coalitions fell apart quickly.
Parliament was dominated by the northern, professional, middle class
Economic growth and social problems
The iron and steel industries grew significantly
Industrialisation focused in the North of the country -Italian car industry was a great success with companies such as Fiat, Alfa Romeo and Lancia established
Despite Italy's developing economic expansion, industrialisation did not provide benefits to the wider population and the living standards of both industrial and rural workers remained low.
Protests against unemployment,food shortages and high taxation were common - between 1901 and 1911 there were over 1,500 strikes involving nearly 350,000 workers.
The economic and social divisions between the wealthier North and the poorer South was a serious problem in Italy.
No Italian prime minister visited the South until 32 years after unification.
Industrialisation of Northern cities such as Milan, Turin, Genoa and Bologna contrasted to the stagnated southern agricultural economy.
The Southern peasant population suffered from poor diet, malnutrition, a lack of clean drinking water and high rates of infant mortality.
Between 1910 and 1911 25,000 people died in Naples due to an epidemic of cholera caused by poor drinking water
Between 1901 and 1913 around 200,000 Southern Italians left Italy every year. Three out of every four Italians who migrated to the USA came from the South. 1912-13 1.5 million Italian people left Italy.
More than half the population of the south were illiterate
Italy as a 'great power'
In 1911 Italy invaded Libya because Giolitti hoped that a successful Libyan War would weaken Nationalist support and they wanted to claim colonies in North Africa. The war cost Giolitti 3,500 Italian deaths but it gained him support.
The Nationalists took credit for the Libyan war and had increased support for the ANI. They blamed the liberals for the number of lives lost. The war also lost Giolitti his support with the PSI
In 1884 Italy attempted to gain Abyssinia but was defeated at the Battle of Dogali where 500 Italian soldiers died
Italian foreign policy goals focused on Irredentism - Italy should reclaim the areas of Istria and South Tyrol
Giolitti's government tried to solve the social problems by:
-Sickness, accident and pension schemes
Raising minimum working age to 12
Setting maximum number of working hours
Reducing food taxes to make food more affordable
Giolitti's government
Giolitti and the Socialists (PSI) - Giolitti thought he could 'absorb' the socialist deputy by offering reforms such as compulsory accident insurance in industrial work and the introduction of a maternity fund.
Giolitti managed to win over the moderate socialists (Turati) with these reforms but the maximalists (Mussolini) wanted revolution.
Giolitti and the Catholic Church - In 1904 he allowed for the divorce bill to disappear and promoted Catholic interests in education. However Giolitti was not prepared to solve the 'Roman Question' and made dealing with socialism his priority.
Giolitti and the Nationalists (ANI) -The Nationalists were antisocialist and antiliberal and they wanted an agrressive foreign policy to expand Italy's land in Africa, claim the irredente lands and become a world power.
Giolitti's resignation 1914
Giolitti was facing opposition from all sides. Radicals withdrew support from his coalition government in February 1914 because of the concessions to the Catholics.This meant the collapse of the coalition.
In 1914 the PSI proclaimed a National strike. Hundreds were killed by the authorities. 'Red week' ended after trade unions agreed to call off the strike.
1914 war broke out in Europe and Italy declared it would stay neutral.