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The Creation of a Fascist dictatorship 1922-1926 - Coggle Diagram
The Creation of a Fascist dictatorship 1922-1926
1922
The March on Rome, October 1922
Mussolini orchestrated a 'Coup de theatre' attempt with around a thousand blackshirts marching towards Rome.
Fearing civil unrest, war or a crisis of succession, Victor Emmanuel III refused to declare martial law
29th October, Mussolini appointed PM
The Granting of Emergency powers to Mussolini, November 1922
Mussolini quickly took emergency powers from the parliament of Italy, which were given for one year
Passed in the senate bu 196 votes to 16
Enabled Mussolini to begin to bypass democratic institutions and consolidate his power
1923
The formation of the militia, the MSVN, January 1923
In January 1923, Mussolini created the fascist militia, the MSVN
Made up of 300,000 blackshirts paid by the state
Led by army officers, 200 ras expelled from the party
Directly loyal to Mussolini and to his authority, not the king or Italy.
Led to an atmosphere of institutionalised violence in Italy.
The Acerbo law, 1923
Any party with 25% of the vote would win 2.3 of the seats
Supported by fascists and liberals (Giolitti, Salandra and Orlando all supported).
Designed to guarentee a fascist majority in parliamernt
Due to fascist control of local authorities, Mussolini confident of having a consistent majority in the Chamber.
1924
Rigged elections, April 1924
Mussolini's National bloc of Fascists and right-wing liberals won 65% of the vote.
Violence, intimidatiin used
Socialist candidate, Piniccini murdered by the MSVN
Enabled Mussolini to continue his undermining of democracy with backing from the parliament of Italy.
The Matteotti crisis June- December 1924
Socialist leader, Matteotti murdered in June
Two months for the body to be found
Linked to Mussolini via his press secretary
Had the potential to undermine him, he was initially unsure as to how to act
Aventine succession occured in the Summer of 1924, many believed that Mussolini would be removed from power
Mussolini tightened press censorship and repression by the MSVN but renamed his position as Interior Minister to Federzoni and new chiefs of police were appointed
Article in December 1924 denounced Mussolini as a 'fascist murderer'.
King refused to force Mussolini to resign and he maintained his position as PM.
1925-1926
Mussolini's shift to authoritarianism, January 1925
Following the Matteotti crisis, Mussolini was forced into action by his Ras in December 1924.
Accepted responsibility for the actions of fascism
Declared his intention to set up a dictatorship within 48 hours
Laws on the Head of Government, late 1925
Mussolini's dictatorship formalised
He officially became 'Duce'
Only accountable to the king
Parliament became a rubber stamp.
Banning of opposition parties, mid 1926
By mid 1926, all opposition political parties were banned
Newspapers critical of fascism were closed
Suppression of dissent by the MSVN and police
Deputies of the Aventine succession were not allowed to return to parliament, securing its subordinate position to Mussolini
Special tribunal for the Defence of the state, November 1926
Mussolini established the Special Tribunal to try political opponents and enemies of the state
Enforced harsh penalties, including imprisonment and exile
Tribunal combined with the OVRA ensured that the power of the regime became functionally absolute
Actions after 1926
Repression and surveillance 1926-1927
Mussolini intensified repression
Created the OVRA
114,000 OVRA files opened 1922-1943.