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Mussolini potential threats + actions taken to resolve - Coggle Diagram
Mussolini potential threats + actions taken to resolve
Revised electoral system
Acerbo Law
New arrangements to the system were made by Giacomo Acerbo:
An election would be conducted under the existing arrangements + each party had their list of constituency candidates
The votes across the constituencies would be totalled and the party list with the most votes would receive 2/3 of the seats in the chamber
The remaining third of the seats would be allocated to the other lists in proportion to the votes gained
Support for and opposition to Acerbo's proposals:
Prominent liberals believed that it would end the chronic political instability
Many liberals felt that the new arrangements would damage the electoral prospect of the left-wing parties who would have difficulties in attaching themselves to wider party groupings
The
Popolari
were divided about what to do --> abstained
Giolitti, Salandra and Orlando voted in favour
Communists and socialists opposed
The 1924 election
The way in which the Acerbo Law worked in Mussolini's advantage was shown in the election:
For electoral purposes the fascists formed a party grouping with leading liberals, former nationalists and a few
Popolari
members
Those selected were placed on a common list of government-sponsored candidates
This list, representing the centre and the right of Italian politics, enjoyed a sweeping electoral success in 1924, obtaining exactly 2/3 of the votes obtaining 2/3 of the seats
Fewer than 2/3 of the government's electoral bloc members could truly described as fascists but the existence of the Acerbo Law had drawn the other candidates into an alliance with them and these deputies were now committed to supporting Mussolini's government
Their opponents, socialists, communists, Catholics and unreconciled liberals, divided in the election and could only provide token opposition
After the 1924 election to the Chamber of Deputies the seats held by each party were:
374 government supporters
39
Popolari
46 socialists (split in two rival parties)
19 communists
The south
The fascists did well in the south as a result of the old political leaders of the region, seeing where power and so state patronage were going to lie, joining the government list of candidates
Fascism did not take over the south - the old southern elites took over fascism for their own purpouses
This meant that the old social and economic patterns of the region were safe from any fascist desire to introduce radical reforms
Violence
Mussolini had not entirely abandoned direct action for the election as it had been marked by systematic violence and intimidation of opponents
Terror remained a favoured fascist weapon and, as
John Whittam
commented in 'Fascist Italy' (1995), given the violent circumstances, the surprising feature of the election was that 2.5 million people voted for opposition candidates
The Matteotti Crisis, 1924
Put Mussolini's political future at risk as if it could be proved that he was involved in the attack, could be put on trial -> would lead to total anarchy
Confrontation with extremists
Ras disappointed with compromises as they still wanted a true fascist state
Mussolini faced a problem of holding together extremists and moderates
30 dec: liberals in govt seemed to be on point of resigning
31 dec: 33 of ras demanded the creation of a fully fascist regime - same day: riots in Florence
THEREFORE
: Mussolini had to choose between continuing to keep peace with non fascists and satisfying requests of his fascist followers
Action taken:
MUSSOLINI'S SPEECH - 3 JAN 1925
Mussolini made a decision and addressed the chamber
stated that he would provide Italy with a strong govt
Wouldn’t tolerate slanderous attacks from disloyal politicians
Abandoned constitutional duty
promised to hold back fascist militia and to work through normal govt institutions
ACCEPTED SOLE RESPONSIBILITY FOR FASCISM
reassured the Ras that Mussolini did not intend to abandom them in pursuit of agreement with parliament
chamber and king continued to support him + people wanted to pass a vote of censure on Mussolini, rejected by his supporters
Compromise: (mussolini trying to remove risks and wanting to re-assure respectable opinion of fascism in Italy)
Men who were seen as plotters removed from govt
Mussolini gave up his post as interior minister (which had given him control of police force)
Issued decree to have fascist militia joined with the army - no more
squadristi
leaders + army had to swear an oath of allegiance to the King, not Mussolini
Promised to introduce new electoral arrangements
Changed govt - liberals brought it, nationalists given security posts
MUSSOLINI MADE ENOUGH CONCESSIONS TO QUIETEN OPPOSITION and acted with his speech
Specific groups:
The elite
funded Mussolini
not very happy with him but believed he was removing socialists well
The King:
Had the power to remove Mussolini from power BUT
was unwilling to act
thought it was safer to keep Mussolini in power as he had learned his lesson from Matteotti Crisis
ARMY would obey the King
The Church:
AND population - believed Mussolini had saved Italy from socialism
The Ras:
wanted to set up a fascist dictatorship so not too bothered by Mussolini
believed violence would solve all issues
Italian Democracy
if there is democracy there is no authoritarian state
THEREFORE dismantled the institution
The press
Persistent newspaper criticism of Mussolini's actions were his greatest danger during Matteotti Crisis, therefore:
○ Censorship tightened, copies of newspapers confiscated
○ December 1925, Press Law required journalists had to be on an official register before allowed to work
Fascists controlled the register, press effectively silenced
Opposition parties