1. The Rise of Fascism in Italy
Mr. Rakochy
IBDP History
http://img.rtve.es/v/2332596/

2. Italy – The Birthplace of Fascism
• Reaction to liberalism and humanism
(enlightenment ideals)
• Extreme Nationalism
• Broken promises after WWI
• Anxiety over industrialization and
modernization
• Slide an adaptation from Richard Thurlow’s Fascism p. 13

3. The Risorgimento
• Name given to period of time when Italy unified
1815-1871 commonly accepted
• Focused mainly on the North
• Poor “backward South” not as Nationalistic
– No real understanding of “Italy”
• Most Italians’ lives did not improve
• Most expelling of foreign troops by foreigners
– French and Prussians expelled Austrians
• Austria kept South Tyrol in the North

4. Reaction to
Enlightenment
Fascism
Anxiety over
industrialism
and
modernization
Extreme
Nationalism
Disappointed
Aspirations

5. Impact of World War One
• 1915 Italy joins Triple Entente (Treaty of
London)
• War goes poorly for Italy
– Loans from U.S. and Britain
– Inflation
– Government spending cuts after war
– WWI performance propaganda nightmare

6. Paris Peace Treaties
• Italians received much of land promised
– Asked for more
– Did not get Northern Dalmatia or German
Colonies
– Called a “Mutilated Victory” by Gabriele
D’Annunzio
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5
/5a/Big_four.jpg

7. http://www.jugoslavologija.eu/wp-content/
uploads/2014/05/London-Treaty-1915-Articolo-
1.jpg

8. Treaty of Versailles “mutilated victory”
Italy promised at 1915 Treaty of London (which convinced Italy to join Allies):
1. South Tyrol
2. Trentino
3. Istria
4. Dalmatia
5. Some Colonies
Italy received:
1. South Tyrol
2. Trentino
3. Istria
Resentment over
1. Dalmatia
2. Colonies
3. Fiume (largely Italian although not promised by 1915 Treaty of London –taken
briefly by Gabriele d’Annunzio 1919-1921 later put under LON supervision by
Italian government before Muss took over in Dec 1923 . . .now known as Rijeka,
Croatia)

9. Liberalism destabilized
• Liberal Orlando Government blamed for
problems
• Growing dissatisfaction among nationalists
• 5 Prime Ministers Oct 1917-1922
– Orlando, Nitti, Giolitti, Bonomi, Facta

10. Socialist Threat
• PSI (Italian Socialist Party) – considered major
threat
• Strikes, Protests, Land Occupations from 1919-
1920 (Biennio Rosso)
– Create fear of communist revolution
– Socialist/communist party ranks grow from 250,000 in
early 1919 to 2 million by years end.
• Giolitti lead government tries to appease workers
and unions frustrating wealthy and middle class

11. Strikes, protest and appeasement
• August-September 1920 over 300 factories occupied by
unions and workers organizations
• 1919-1920 soldiers returning from war occupied
uncultivated lands and privately owned lands.
– Occupation of land legalized by government.
– 1918-1921 over 1 million hectares of land transferred to
peasants.
– Emilia-Romagna (just north of Bologna) powerful agricultural
union formed (Federterra). Chamber of Labour also developed.
• Large number of agricultural strikes in 1919-1920 forces
better working conditions.
– 1919 alone over 500,000 agricultural workers involved in strikes

12. Benito Mussolini
and the “Third Way”
• Started off as a socialist newspaper editor – Avanti
• Advocated violence against State until outbreak of
WWI
• Fired from Avanti for being pro-war and a nationalist
• Conscripted in 1915
– Medically discharged 1917
• Set up Il popolo d’Italia a newspaper financed by
industrialists i.e. Fiat
– Advocated war to benefit country and businesses he
represented

13. Benito Mussolini
and the “Third Way”
• July 1918 Mussolini renounces socialism
• Calls for a 3rd way between the two (Socialism
and Capitalism)
• Much support by conservatives and military
veterans
– Black Shirts formed to physically attack socialists and
unions and use newspapers to spread propaganda
(based on the arditi or daring ones of WWI)
– March 23, 1919 Fascio di Comattimento formed from
a coalition of nationalist and socialists to express
hatred of liberal state
• Why is this a good example of Mussolini’s flexible ideology?

14. Gabriele D’Annunzio
• Seizes control of Fiume from March 1919-
January 1921 (with a group of 2,000 men –
many former arditi)
– Source of concern and inspiration for Mussolini
• Concerned with fragmented nature of fascist groups
• Even so - Mussolini admired style of D’Annunzio
– Uniformity, discipline, drama
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/common
s/4/40/Fiume_cheering_D%27Annunzio.jpg

15. Election bid fails in 1919
• Mussolini turns to action squads controlled by
various ras leaders
– Benefited and financed by rich landowners and
industrialists
– Campaign of terror and violence against socialists
and unions
– Supported by middle class who feared socialism
– Squads made up of former military
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe
dia/en/archive/6/67/201203222008
03!Mussolini_biografia.jpg
http://www.roads.co/upl
oads/blog/Benito-
Mussolini.jpg

16. Socialist political victories
• Lead to more support of Mussolini and action
squads by fearful middle-class, elite and
nationalists
• Leads to more violence by ras leaders of other
fascist factions
• Rebellions and strikes decline – violence and
terror increase
• 1919-1922 violent clashes between socialists
and fascists result in 2000 deaths

17. Election Results
• National
– 1913 PSI (Socialists) 52 Seats (out of 479) – relatively
liberal state
– No fascist party
– 1919 PSI 156 seats (out of 508)
– No fascist party on ticket
– 1921 PSI 123 seats (out of 535) “other socialists” 24 seats
– Fascists 35 seats approx 7%
• Local
– 1920 PSI won control in 2162 of 8059 communes and 25 of
69 provinces in Northern and Central Italy.

18. Mussolini wants to consolidate power of fascists in
himself and gain seat in Parliament 1921 elections
• How to gain support?
1. Exploit fears – socialism, fear of
land/property loss, etc.
2. Offer a solution
I. Fascists will not seek revolution
II. Fascists will work within the system but maintain
violence against socialists
III. Promise to work with liberals and forms
coalition

19. Election of 1921
• Making the Fasci a national movement
– Fascist violence a necessary part against
communist threat
• Giolitti and liberals create coalition for upcoming
election with fascists who claim to have a common
enemy
• Fascist take 7 percent of the vote
– Won 35 seats
– Mussolini wins a seat on parliament
– Mussolini rescinds offer to work with liberals

20. Problems
• Fascists still fragmented and ras maintain
significant control
– Some ras lead violence made elite nervous

21. Solutions?
• Mussolini signs a “pact of pacification” in
summer of 1921 with socialist and union
groups as a strategic move
• As expected – angers ras and Mussolini
resigns as head of Fasci Italiani di
Combattimento (not yet a “party”)
• Loss of Mussolini as head problematic for ras

22. PNF
• Mussolini forms PNF (National Fascist Party) 9
Nov 1921
– elected head in return for ending pact with socialists
– Strategically consolidated more power in himself
– Able to streamline control over many action squads
(although many were still in different ras hands)
– Ras leaders retained major power -had to accept
Mussolini as symbolic face of fascism
– Mussolini was the undisputed head of the PNF and
fascism in Italy

23. Spreading Fascism
• Mussolini’s dual policy (violence and law)
• Local Ras still controlled masses
– Two ras leaders: Roberto Farinacci and Italo Balbo
continued to spread control of fascism through
armed struggle
• Took over several provinces in Italy through violence
and terror
• Forced public works programs
• Broke strikes
• Fought in streets with socialists

24. Response
• General strike called by socialists for July 31,
1922
– Strike put down by fascists within one day and
totally snuffed out by August 3rd
• Put Mussolini and fascist movement into a position of
power
• Former liberal leaders scrambled to gain
Mussolini into a coalition government
– Mussolini seemed willing when he recognized the
monarchy

25. March on Rome – October 1922
• Ras leaders pressure Mussolini to move on
Rome
• Go ahead given (Mussolini hides in Milan in
case of failure)
• Number of tactical maneuvers results in King
Emmanuel III declaring Mussolini P.M.
– Kings motivations?
• Anti-communism? Self-preservation? Mother’s
influence?

27. Consolidation of Power 1922-1925
• Goal is to create a one-party fascist state
– Speech Nov 16, 1922
• Mussolini intimidates government to give him
“emergency powers” for one year
– Threats of violence openly used – although could be
presumed he was using threats toward left
• Cuts taxes on industrialists and corporations (tax
evasion encouraged)
– Gains support from industrialist groups and
nationalist party

28. Fascist Grand Council
• Established December 1922 by Mussolini
– Decides on all government actions
– All members appointed by Mussolini
– Fascist action squads turned into national militia
(MVSN)
• Their loyalty is to Mussolini not king
• Reduces power of ras greatly
• Group of 30,000 federally funded fascists

29. The Catholic Church
• PPI (Italian Popular Party) – conservatives and
Catholics
• Gained support from Catholic Church
– Banned contraception, swearing and with anti
atheistic rhetoric
– Pope conspires with Mussolini to do away with PPI
leadership

30. The Acerbo Law – Nov 1923
• Reform of electoral process
– Winners get 2/3 of positions as long as they had 25%
of vote losers share remaining seats proportionally
– FOR EXAMPLE IF:
– Gives Fascists
Legal control
– Mussolini
uses intimidation
and coercion to
get his way again.
Fascists
Other Party 1
Other Party 2
Other Party 3
Other Party 4
Other Party 5

31. The Corfu Incident
• Murder of Italian General on Greek soil
– Mussolini sends in Italian troops to island of Corfu
– L.O.N. forces Mussolini to withdraw
• Still a huge propaganda victory for Mussolini
• Greeks pay 50 million lire

32. April 1924 Election
• Mussolini sets up Ceka (group of thugs) to
harass, terrorize and intimidate anti-fascists
before the election
– Over 100 people killed
– Fascists cheated, stuffed ballot boxes and won
65% of votes (socialists and communists still won
2.5 million votes)
– Acerbo Law not really needed as 2/3 achieved
anyway

33. Matteotti Crisis – June 1924
• Socialist leader Matteotti killed after providing
evidence of fascist corruption during election
– Dumini (local ras leader) jailed by Mussolini
• scapegoat
– More evidence comes out implicating Mussolini, but
ignored by king
• Socialist leaders boycott parliament (Aventine Secession)
• Pope Pius XI again sides with Mussolini in hopes of gaining some
influence in his administration
• Mussolini declares: "I declare….in front of the Italian
people……that I alone assume the political, moral and historic
responsibility for everything that has happened. Italy wants peace
and quiet, work and calm. I will give these things with love if
possible and with force if necessary.“
– Dictatorship established January 1925

34. Censorship
• Censorship of the press resulted in the
shutting of anti-fascist newspapers starting in
July 1925 (supported by church)
• December 1925 all journalists must be
registered with the fascist party.
• Violence from the left increases
• Angered Ras demand a harder line by
Mussolini or his exit from government

35. Government
• August 1925 - Muss fired all elected officials and
replaced them with podesta (appointed fascist
officials)
– Podesta were mainly wealthy landowning
conservative fascist party members
• This move insured more militant fascists who might threaten
Muss were not in real power positions
• August 1925 - All opposition party meetings were
banned
• 24 December – Muss assigned himself to “head
of government”

36. The Dictatorship Established
• Dictatorship officially claimed in Jan 1925
• January 1926 – increased powers so that he
could issue decisions by decree without
parliamentary approval (only answerable to
King).
– Law also required King to consult with Muss on
any minister appointments
– Effectively forms a dictatorship

37. OVRA
• Survives 6 Assassination attempts in 1926
• As a result of assassination attempts new state
controlled security force created 1926