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4: Mussolini Becomes Dictator - Coggle Diagram
4: Mussolini Becomes Dictator
Timeline
November 1922 - Mussolini speech threatens to close the Chamber of Deputies, the Senate votes 306 to 116 granting him emergency powers for a year
December 1922 - Creation of Fascist Grand Council which gives Mussolini more control over fascist members
Jan 1923 - Decree creates fascist militia meaning Mussolini can exert more power over this MVSN than he could the blackshirts
February 1923 - Nationalist Association join fascist party, concessions are made to the Pope, this weakened more extreme policies
April 1923 Popolari Party was dropped from government and concessions to the church which removed opposition
April 1923 - Acerbo Law guarantees 2/3 of seats to largest party, Mussolini gambled with this, it ended weak coalitions
April 1924 - Fascists win 66% of the vote gaining 3/4 of the 535 MPs, the election was violent and brutal with socialists being beaten up
May 1924 - Leading socialist Matteoti does an anti-fascist speech then 14 days later he is kidnapped and killed which leads to the Aventine Succession where socialists withdrew
July 1924 - introduced press censorship
August 1924 - all meetings of political opposition banned
December 1924 - Testimony published demonstrating Mussolini's involvement in the murder of Matteoti so 33 leading fascists demand that Mussolini establishes a dictatorship
January 1925 - Mussolini gives a speech accepting responsibility for Matteoti and announces a dictatorship
December 1925 - Legge Fascitissme which were laws banning all political opposition parties
December 1925/ January 1926 - Laws established supremacy of executive powers and subordination of all ministers and parliament to Mussolini
January 1926 - Mussolini could rule by decree
Gaining control of Parliament
Acerbo Law was Supported by Liberal and Nationalists
Creation of the Grand fascist council
November 1922 speech threaten to close parliament if not granted powers
April 1924 election opposition parties still gained 2.5 million votes
April 1924 election fascist seats grew from 35 to 374
Mistakes made by opponents
Opposition forces (PCI, PSI, PPI and Liberals) refused to work together eg Giolitti with Catholics so there was no united opposition against the acerbo law
Mussolini's confidence floundered over the Matteoti crisis but this changed when it became clear the King wouldn't remove him
Aventine Succession convinced the King and the elites that Mussolini was better than the alternatives due to internal disagreements, no threat
Prominent Liberals included themselves on the 1924 election list (Orlando and Salandra) splitting votes
Compromising with the elites
After Mateotti crisis hands inferior and justice ministers to nationalists Federzoni and Alfredo Roco
1923 ANI absorbed into the PNF
Increases clerical pay, crucifixes in schools and PPI member Carazzoni as Minister (decline after this)
Appointment of orthodox economist De Stafani
Support from industrialists with Palazzo Vidoni Pact in 1925
Gained military support by appointing Pietro Badoglio to one of the general staff in 1925
Gaining control of the PNF
Made MVSN in 1923 to control the squadristi as they had to swear an oath to Mussolini
Creation of the Fascist Grand Council
Growth of the PNF from 300,000 to 783,000 by the end of 1923 helped dilute radical elements
After Mateotti crisis there was the creation of the position of Podestra which was to take precedence of the Ras
Policy of 'normalisation' as he stated to disagree with radical Ras, those who supported violence were sent to the Somaliland
After Matteoti
January 1926 Mussolini could rule by decree
Special Tribunal for the Defence of State was set up for anti-fascist protection
October 1926 all opposition parties banned, 100,000 antifascists left in Italy
February 1926 elected Mayor were replaced by the Podestra
1925 Palazzo Vidoni Act and December 1925 Legge Factissme
December 1925 all journalists had to have their names on a official register controlled by the fascists
December 1925 Mussolini was known as il Duce not PM