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Mussolini's Rise to Power (Who Helped Mussolini's Rise to Power…
Mussolini's Rise to Power
General
always emphasised -
"I am a man of the people. I understand the people because I am one of them."
personality/qualities
disobedient
self-willed
quarrelsome
moody
short temper
restless
ambitious
a dreamer
forceful
authoritative speaker
powerful voice
vigorous gestures
dramatic phrases
cultivated mood and emotion in an audience
boasted of his virility
had many violent relationships
once said to his mother -
"One day I shall astonish the world"
Careers
elementary school teacher for 6 months
1902-1904 fled to Switzerland to escape debt
1904-1906 conscripted into the Italian army
1906-1910 journalist and strike organiser in Italy
Early Life
born July 1883 in Italy
absorbed socialist ideas from his blacksmith Father
his mother was a schoolmistress
went to a Catholic boarding school
often got into fights
achieved top grades
decided to become a teacher
Romantic Life
in 1910, began living with a peasant girl, Rachel Guidi
1915, married her
Political Career
1910, became secretary to the Socialist Party in Forli
1911, led a protest against the Libyan War
led an attack on Forli railway station which blocked troop movement to Libya for 3 days
jailed for 5 months
Appointed as Prime Minister
Appointed in 1922
by King Victor Emmanuel II
a remarkable offer to a man who
was the son of a blacksmith
in 1902 had stolen food in Geneva
had been expelled from Switzerland for trade-union activity
had edited the revolutionary socialist newspaper
in 1913 called Avanti!
whose Fascist movement had failed in the elections of 1919
Mussolini Pre-Fascism
expelled from the Socialist Party for promoting intervention in the war
socialists had been adopting the strategy of
'no support, no sabotage
Founded the Socialist newspaper Il Puopolo d'Italia
supported intervention
he reformed his newspaper away from socialism
it stressed no focus on class
rather than any enemy would be fought so ass to save the nation
August 1915 Mussolini was conscripted into the war
acquitted after a training accident in February 1917
Key Development of Mussolini and Fascism
March 1919, Mussolini set up a
fascio di combattimento
would provide new leadership in a national revolution
it was a movement not a party
attracted a mixed collection of dissatisfied people
the voice of the movement was
It Popolo d'Italia
Mussolini failed in the 1919 election quite badly due to his radicalism
Summer 1920
elite were worried about the Socialist threat
many began expressing their support or donating to Fascist groups
small landowners also supported Fascists
Mussolini saw an opportunity
he put down his left-wing ideas and shifted his programme to appeal more to the Right
Late 1920
Fascism took off
especially in the North and Centre of Italy
local leaders set up their own squads of Fascists
the fear of Socialism had turned Fascism into a mass movement
1921
some Fascists disliked Mussolini but they began to see his paper (
Il Popolo d'Italia)
as a key unifying symbol
Mussolini started to become quite important in the Fascist movement
Prime Minister Giolitti hoped to absorb the Fascist movement
he included some Fascist leaders on the list of the candidates recommended by the government in the May 1921 election
as a result the Fascists gained 35 seats in parliament - Mussolini entered parliament
he offered Mussolini a junior post as part of his plan to control the Fascist movement
Mussolini declined - felt he was destined for more than a junior post
Fascist divisions opened up
some wanted to take power by force
others wanted to take power legally
Mussolini concerned about Fascist violence
undermined his respectable position in parliament
2nd August 1921 - he signed a pact of pacification with the Socialists
November 1921 - Mussolini founded the National Fascist Party
acknowledged the Fascist squads but recognised his as the
Duce
1922
Fascist squads had broken Socialist power in many areas of the North and Centre
often assisted by authorities who were pleased to see the end of the socialists
some
ras
(local Fascist leaders) were pressuring Mussolini to take power
Mussolini himself noted that if Fascism didn't take power, it could easily break up soon - as the Socialists had done
Mussolini hoped to use
ras
pressure on the government to be appointed Prime Minister
tied this with an announcement in September 1922 - expressing his support for the monarchy
Late 1922 - Fascists planning the takeover of local government and a march on Rome
mant elites discussing how Fascism could be made to join the government
Mussolini expressed that he would only accept a position as Prime Minister
29 October - King Victor Emmanuel made Mussolini Prime Minister
Fascists marched on Rome to celebrate their victory and exert an authority
Fascism was not intended as a party - rather a movement
Mussolini possessed no clear political ideology - instead a mix of Nationalism and Socialism that he agreed with, cemented under an authoritarian figure
Who Supported Fascism?
Mussolini's great skill was to exploit the fear of the middle and upper classes during the
Biennio Rosso (1919-1920)
the movement grew as a series of local fasci - led by
Ras
often the ideas of the
ras
were different to the ideas of Mussolini
in some ways Mussolini was fairly unimportant in the growth of Fascism
support from:
university students
students and youths didn't think it was patriotic for workers to demand higher wages
wanted the action of the semi-criminal elements of Fascism and the more violent groups
civil service
bourgeois (middle class)
key support from petite bourgeoise from working and middle class
many ex-military - angry at the government after not receiving rewards post-military service
farmers who owned land or in a good position
Socialist Land Leagues were scary and bullied larger farmers into hiring workers they didn't need
ex-socialist workers
had to join Fascist syndicates - because the socialist unions were smashed up by violent fascists
What did Fascism Offer?
from 1920
Mussolini offered less radical policies
Mussolini asserted that the primary goal of Fascism was to restore Italian power and prestige
September 1922
Republicanism abandoned
followed by:
ending of Anti-Clericalism
ending of demand for women's vote
ending of demand of taxes on war profits
increasing emphasis on nationalism, active foreign policy and a strong state
Mussolini preferred action and violence to any political party
"for my part I prefer 50,000 rifles to 5 million votes"
Fascist Violence
1920-1922
around 2,000 enemies of Fascism had been killed
about 1/10 as many Fascist casualties
By 1922 - Socialist power in the North and Centre had virtually disappeared
the success of Fascist violence was that it was a movement that claimed to be restoring law and order to Italy
people (including members of the government) wanted to get rid of Socialism
therefore, operated with the Fascists or let the Fascists do as they pleased
e.g. Giolitti's inclusion of the Fascists in the Government's recommended candidates
Giolitti wanted to tame the Fascists by bringing them into the government
Cassels -
"By 1922, there was hardly any segment of the Italian establishment not ready to collaborate with Fascism either for nationalist or anti-Bolshevik reasons, or both"
Fascism by 1922
half a million party members
a quarter of a million blackshirts
control over several regions
attracted support from anti-Socialist elites
had been allowed to develop into a threat by the Liberal government
Giolitti withheld support from the anti-Fascist coalition the the Socialists wanted to make with the Liberal government
the coalition collapsed
unemployment, demoralisation and Fascist attack had weakened the Socialists after their 1920 peak
Fascism was a strong force - but not a strong party
Mussolini only had 7% of the Deputies in the parliament in 1922
The Taking of Power for the Fascists
Mussolini was under pressure from the
ras
to take power in 1922
October 1922 - King Emmanuel III offered the role of Prime Minister to Mussolini
because:
the Fascists controlled many local governments
squads had seized power in many towns
there were rumours of a Fascist march on Rome
Mussolini made it clear he wanted a major role or nothing
Prime Minister Facta had resigned
March on Rome
10,000 squad members assembled at 3 points, 20 miles from Rome
less than expected because the train lines had been sabotaged
during the night of 27 October, Fascists in many areas attempted to seize control of local governments
mixed success
Prime Minister Facta resigned
The King had little choice but to ask Mussolini to be Prime Minister
Fascist squads marched through Rome in celebration
Who Helped Mussolini's Rise to Power
The King
disillusioned
family were pro-Fscist
cowardly and pessimist - lack of confidence
Mussolini
wanted over the idea of a march
used a threat of a coup to gain power
rejected offer to make a coalition with Calandra
Facta
led a weak government Feb 1922-Oct
failed to act against Fasicst threat
asked King for martial law - declined - resigned
Salandra
couldn't persuade Mussolini to join him in coalition
suggested Mussolini to be made prime minister - to stop his rival Giolitti
Giolitti
80 year old Italian political maestro
failed to come to Rome during the negotiations of the new government
eventually supported Mussolini's appointment
Liberal Politicians
didn't take action against Fascists
wanted to merge Fascism into the existing government
The Army
some generals sympathised with the Fascists
6 generals were involved in the March on Rome
The Squads
eventually 30,000 gathered for the march
some took over local councils
The Left
socialists did not call a strike in response to Mussolini's appointment
some saw Fascism as the prelude to Socialist Revolution
The Elite
supported Mussolini
Pope Pius XI
friendly with Mussolini
allowed Fascist banners in Church
urged for a peaceful settlement in October 1922
The Press
liberal press justified Fascist violence as the only alternative to anarchy
Intellectuals
sympathised with Fascism as a form of Italian renewal