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Italy and Mussolini (after PM) (Road to dictatorship 1922-1924 (The Acerbo…
Italy and Mussolini (after PM)
Road to dictatorship 1922-1924
the support of elites
M appointed Alberto de Stefani as finance minister -- his early economic policies (reducing government controls on trade and industry, and cutting taxation) pleased industrialists
M worked to gain increased support from Catholic hierarchy and to weaken the position of catholic PPI
Making religious education compulsory, banning contraceptions
Pope Pius XI already a fascist sympathiser
The Acerbo Law and Corfu Incident
AL gives 2/3 of seats in parliament to party that won at least 25% vote
to make sure this law passes, M threatened to abolished parliament and used armed fascists to intimidate deputies
Corfu Incident helped him get the votes he needed
Trigger to CI: Aug 1923, and Italian general murdered on greek soil
M demanded greek pay 50 mill lire and make a full apology, Greeks refused (they weren't even responsible). M ignored criticism from LON and ordered invasion
Greek paid the fine, M was now a national hero, increased popularity
The election of April 1924 and Matteotti crisis
In Jan m set up a secret gang of of things, they unleashed a wave of terror after election was announced and killed over 100 people
fascists voted on behalf of dead people and ballot boxes were stolen in regions the fascists thought they might lose
Result: fascists (and right wing liberals, who'd formed an electoral alliance) won almost 65%
Aims/reason
only 4 fascists in his cabinet as PM, king still had power to dismiss him
needed to win political allies to establish a fascist state and extend his powers
Building the Fascists State 1925-45
Suppressing the opposition
imposed a series laws to control the press
M's position still not secure, king and the Camber of Deputies still existed and so did opposition parties
Oct 1926--all parties other than PNF banned and their deputies expelled, trade unions also outlawed
voting slips (yes or no) were different colours so fascists at polling stations could identify who said what -- fear
Result: M becomes dictator, the chamber contained only fascist deputies and king's power was drastically reduced
May 1928 elections, M changed electoral system so guys over 21 who belonged to fascist syndicates could vote
Controlling the state
M increased his personal power by controlling central and local government
Dec 1925 -- the Legge Fascistissime law made him head of government, Jan 1926 -- he assumed new powers that allowed him to issue decrees without parliamentary approval
The Fascist Party
The authoritarian regime was not a Fascist Party dictatorship - M deliberately made a series of decisions that increasingly restricted the influence of the party
Despite existence of Fascist Grand council, M insisted on having sole power over appointments
Jan 1923, regional fascist squads were formed into national fascist militia -- swore an oath of loyalty to M, not king, existence reduced power of ras