What is Fascism?

March 1919 Meeting: conception fo fascism in Italy

March on Rome

COMBAT GROUP Fascio Italian di Combattimento squadristi Ithaca College

First violent fascist attack: socialist newspaper Avanti headquarters. Mussolini defended the acts but did not get directly involved.

Fascio Italiano di Combattimento (Italian Combat Group) -> title of the fascists.

Political weakness in Italy at a climax

Fascist private army: Arditi; use of force, respectability, and political maneuvering continued until 1926.

Increase in magnitude and intensity of Fascist violence throughout Italy

FIVE PILLARS: Key Features of Fascism

NATIONALISM

SOCIAL DARWINISM

MILITARISM

Started in Milan, quickly spread to northern villages and towns; made up of ex-servicemen and unhappy students.

Appeal: ideas of the movement, stressing of national identity, desirability of national strength/glory, revolutionary social and economic changes. Appealed to ex-servicemen who were unhappy with anti-war politicians and the "mutilated victory".

Occupation of towns and provinces by Fascists

May - Italy Balbo and 50,000 unemployed men seized Ferrara and forced the council to give them work by setting up public works schemes

Move to rural fascism -> 1920's, groups of young fascists (squadristi), went to the countryside and violently attacked socialist Labour Leagues. Rural farmers and landowners viewed the squadristi as their allies.

"Gangs" became a major and enduring feature of fascism.

July - Roberto Farinacci launched attacks on the leaders' of Cremona's lives and property

SOCIAL UNITY

AUTHORITARIANISM

June - Italo Balbo along with the squadristi evicted Cesare Mori out of the city of Bologna

Fascists seen as anti-socialist saviors. Given arms by the police and army, who were anti-socialist. Landlords and industrialists paid them to protect them from the socialist threat.

"Tolerated right-wing violence". Liberals applauded the violence of the fascists as they were seen as the defenders of Italy from the threat of a left-wing takeover.

LEGACY OF POST_WWI

Mussolini didn't directly involve himself in the early activities of the squadristi, but once they started attracting financial support and rural recruits he took credit for their actions.

ECONOMIC PROBLEMS

Mid-1921: socialists defeated and the squadristi had control of large areas of the countryside.

POLITICAL PROBLEMS

GROWTH OF SOCIALISM

"MUTILATED VICTORY"

Seizure of FIUME

1919 Elections

September - squadristi seizes the German speaking towns in South Tyrol from Venice and forced out the legal admnistration

INFLATION

UNEMPLOYMENT

STRIKES

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Issues with squadristi leaders (ras). Each had their own local power base and controlled THEIR men. They were much more socially and politically radical than Mussolini.

1921: Pact of Pacification between the fascists and the socialist trade unions; rejected by many of the ras which led them to urge D'Annunzio to replace Mussolini as fascist leader. Avoided problems when Mussolini abandoned the pact

Split growing between Mussolini and the movement, which was very hard to control.

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Birth of Fascism

Mussolini - editor of Il Popolo d'Italia

Fascism Changing Program, 1919 - 1922

1921- Strengthening the Fascism Ideology

Fascist programs became more conservative, violent, and open to all.

Opened up more to anyone who owned little property or received slightly more than an urban worker's wage.

Became more just about anti-communism, patriotism, and strike-breaking.

Became attractive to those who felt attracted to the idea of a Liberal State.

During the 1920s, it needed to remain diverse and attract more conservative attention.

It also made sure to clarify its simmer ideas to the church such as making strong commitment to family values.

shared D'Annunzio's views on his contempt for Liberalism and hatred for Socialism

1921- Mussolini Election

Claimed that his newspaper was for combatants and producers and against parasites in Italy's economy

Mussolini began to focus on the government election to try to make fascim more acceptable.

He selected specific candidates that would ensure fascism standards.

At that time fascism had been able to grow and succeed through violent threats.

However this would not be able to integrate fascism into the government.

Producers: soldiers, farmers and factory workers

Parasitic groups: businessmen who were rich from war contracts, Socialists who opposed war and Liberal politicians

1921 & 1922 - The Beginning of the Facist Party

October 1921, the Fascist Party was nationally established.

1922 its main ideals were set in stone.

Fascism's main elements are anti-socialism, patriotism, and emphasis on Mussolini's leadership.

Translation from rhetoric to action