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Mussolini's Consolidation of Power (Summary (How did Mussolini…
Mussolini's Consolidation of Power
Stage 1: Consolidation
1922
1923
1923
February
January
Decree creates Fascist Militia - incorporates the Fascist squads
Nationalist Association joins Fascist Party - concessions to the Pope
Economic recovery continued
April
July
August
Foreign policy success in Corfu
Acerbo Law guarantees 2/3 of the seats in Parliament to the largest party
Catholic Popolari Party dropped from the government
1924
April
In election, Fascists win 66% of the vote
January
Italy gains long-claimed port of Fiume
Stage 2: Dictatorship
1924
1925
1926
1927
2 more items...
July
2 more items...
October
2 more items...
May
January
2 more items...
Dopolavoro, mass leisure organisation, created
October
December
1 more item...
Battle for Grain launched to increase grain production
June
Socialist leader Matteotti murdered
opposition minsters walk out of Parliament
July
Press censorship introduced
Opposition parties' meetings baned
October
Mussolini appointed as Prime Minister
November
December
Fascist Grand Council created - controlled by Mussolini
Parliament passes vote of confidence in new government by 306 to 116
Mussolini granted emergency powers for 1 year
Problems Facing Mussolini
he was one of the only 4 Fascists in the Cabinet
only 35 Fascists in the 535 member chamber of deputies
Fascism had won the support of only 7% of the voters
and had achieved such partly through threats and violence
historically
previous Italian government had lasted on average under 2 years
Mussolini's government faced the same problems that previous ones had failed to solve
Mussolini had no detailed programme of policies and little experience running anything except a newspaper
Mussolini's supporters were divided
radicals
moderates
How did Mussolini Initially Consolidate his Power?
his first parliamentary speech indicated that his rule would be a mix of legality and intimidation
in the same way that he came to power
chosen by the king
marching on Rome
Mussolini realised that the support of the elite was more important for his chances of staying in power than that of the radical Fascists
In order to deal with the country's problems
(politically)
November 1922, Parliament granted him emergency powers for 1 year
immediately used his power to move towards authoritarianism
made concessions to the church and passed measures favourable to industrialists and agrarians
he took credit for the recovering economy
even though Europe was under a general recovery
he argued that the government needed to be stronger
replaced the proportional representation system with a plebiscite system
the Acerb Law
chamber intimidated into passing it by a number of blackshirts
asserted that any party obtaining 25% of the vote would gain 2/3 of the seats
Violence
for the 1924 elections
a socialist candidate was killed
meetings were stopped
hotel voters were intimidated
the
ras
intimidated opponents in small towns
although not in larger ones where there was a small presence of worker's unions
some Fascist voters were allowed to vote multiple times
Lyttleton in the Seizure of Power
the use of violence, police repression and electoral fraud was on such a large scale that the expression of popular will was radically falsified
Fascists gained 2/3 of the seats in the chamber of deputies
Socialist and Catholic seats had been reduced
Why did Mussolini have Popular Support?
seemed capable of removing the anarchy and socialism from Italy
had support from the Pope
seen as uniting Italy
Italy hadn't had much success with democracy
therefore, they welcome the promise of a dictatorship
Violence: The Matteotti Crisis
30 May 1924
he denounced the violence of the Fascists called for the cancellation of the fraudulent elections results
initially Fascists continually tried to interrupt
Matteotti kept going, for 2 hours
as Matteotti left the chamber that day, he said to a friend:
"now you can prepare my funeral oration"
11 days later, Fascist ex-squad members bundled him into a car and began stabbing him
the car was traced and belonged to a leading Fascist
investigation tracked down a member of the Cheka
2 months later he was found in a grave 23 km from Rome
People widely believed that Mussolini had ordered him to be killed
How did Mussolini Respond
Mussolini was at a turning point
he could follow on from the violent beginnings of the Matteotti crisis
or he could condemn the attack and follow the legal path
Mussolini's first response was to combine repression and concession
the militia was mobilised and higher controls were put on the press
the militia was integrated into the armed forces and made a new oath of loyalty to the King
suspects in the Matteotti crisis, Rossi and Chief of Police "de Bono" were sacked
the conservative Federzoni replaced Mussolini as Interior Minister
emerging evidence tied Mussolini to Fascist violence
e.g. 27th December, Rossi published a testimony which stated that Mussolini was at the head of Fascist murders
3rd January 1925, Mussolini addressed the Chamber of Deputies
took responsibility for the Fascist violence
but not directly for the murder of Matteotti
he announced that he would set up a dictatorship within 48 hours
following the speech there was a wave of arrests
Across 1925-1926
Mussolini took authoritarian control through a series of repressive policies
Mussolini given power to issue decrees
power given to government to strike out against critics
new secret police (OVRA) established
other parties banned
elected councils dropped in favour of appointed officials
government no longer a ministry but more a regime
Mussolini appointed radicals into important party positions
significant because it stimulated Mussolini to take actions and enforce his rule
Summary
How did Mussolini Consolidate his Dictatorship
October 1922: Mussolini appointed Prime Minister of new 'National Government' with 3 other Fascists
November 1922: Government easily wins vote of confidence in Parliament, and is voted emergency powers to reform the administration and tax system
December - January: Fascist Grand Council and Militia set up
February 1923: Nationalists join Fascist party
July 1923: Acerb Election Law
April 1924: New elections. Government wins 66% of the votes
June 1924: Matteotti murdered. Major crisis about the nature of Fascist rue. Was it thugs in charge?
3 January 1925: Mussolini addresses parliament and takes responsibility for violence. Series of arrests. Most MPs withdraw in opposition. Mussolini under attack from all sides. Major crisis
December 1925: Law on powers of Head of Government; Mussolini granted great executive powers. Greater control of press, followed by purge of civil service. Pedestal replace mayors
November 1926 - January 1927. Exceptional Decrees increase repression with new Special Tribunal and secret police (OVRA)
Government/Parliament Policies
cabinet initially included representatives of every party except PSI and PCI
by mid-1923, most had left
Mussolini given great powers; could legislate by decree
responsible to King not parliament
parliament lost power to initiate laws
% of MP Fascists increased
1922, 7%
April 1924, 66%
by 1925: All-Fascist cabinet
Administration/Local Government
Immediate purge of opponents in civil service but no major change
local socialist councils replaced
Mussolini proclaimed the perfect supreme over the local party
judges, civil servants, teachers purged
elected municipal councils eliminated
7,000 government appointed Podestas replaced mayors
powers of prefects extended
Judiciary/Repression
existing court system used
hostile press, politicians intimidated
judiciary lost independence
special Tribunal for political crimes
Law for Defence of State
administrative powers widely used (a government official could order an arrest without justification)
secret police OVRA created
Trade Unions
tolerated but intimidated
number of strikes fell
1926 Law on Corporations
Fascist Unions recognised as sole representatives of workers
strikes/lockouts illegal
The Fascists
Fascist militia, MVSN, set up from squads
paid for by state and took oath of loyalty to Mussolini
Fascist Grand Council set up as rival to cabinet
merged with Nationalists
Mussolini centralised the Party
Other Parties
Mussolini exploited tension between PPI and Pope to weaken them
1923, PPI left the cabinet
PSI, PCI were tolerated but their activities were liable to disruption
all non-Fascist parties suppressed
Church
concessions to Catholic church
Economy
from 1922, economic recovery
Laissez faire politiques fabouring industrialists
Foreigh Policy
intimidated Greece by invading Corfu in 1923
Gained Fiume in 1924