Mussolini PPT. Project
#1 Pre-conditions for the Single Party State in Italy (Pages 115 – 123)
1. Chronic weaknesses of Liberal Italy
a. Long Term Problems
1. Lack of nationalist spirit in Italy
2. Masses have no role in Gov’t
3. Church State Rift
4. Gov’t Corruption
5. Working Class unrest after 1890
a. Econ. Changes, capitalist farming, Industrialization, Unions, PSI
6. Liberals fail to reform
7. P.M. Giolitti’s successes and failures
8. Foreign policy setbacks (Eritrea, Somalia, “Unredeemed Italy”)
2. Medium/Sort term Problems
a. Intervention Crisis WWI
b. Impact of WWI
c. Post-war crisis
1. Expansion of electorate, PPI, PSI, Mutilated Victory, Inflation
d. The Biennio Rosso and the failure of the “Left”
#2 Mussolini’s Rise to Power/Ideology (pp.123 – 132)
Phase 1
1. Socialist Roots and Expulsion from PSI
2. Il Popoli Italia
a. Fasci di Combattimento
3. Early Ideological views
4. Moves Fascism to the Right 1920-21
a. Opposition of the Ras
5. Right Wing Ideology
6. Events of 1922
a. Gen’l strike, Ras push for dictatorship, March on Rome
b. Why does he succeed?
Phase 2
1. Removal of Communists
2. Acerbo Law (1924 Election)
3. Controlling Fascisti Squads
4. Outmanuevers Lib. And Conserv. Parties
5. Matteotti Crisis (Impact on Parliament)
6 Consolidates Middle and Upper Classes
7. Controls Lower Chamber of Parl.
Phase 3 The Single Party State
1. Ban Socialists (why is this so easy?) and all other parties
2. Censorship, unelected officials
3. Secret Police formed
4. Tames the PNF
5. Rise of Statism
#3. Methods of Rule/Structure of the State pp. 132-134
I. Corporatist Philosophy
a. Define the Fascist Ideal of corporate society
b. Fascist concept of corporations as opposed to parliament (representative democracy)
II. Mussolini’s conflicting loyalties
a. Needs upper and middle class support
b. has to appease revolutionary Fascists
III. Evolution of Mussolini’s state (1922-1939) (Note: Hitler achieved dictatorship in 6 months.)
a. 1925 Vidoni Palace Pact
b. 1926 A. Rocco = Labor and strike laws, control of contract negotiations, special tribunals
c. 1927- Charter of Labor
d. 1928 – Weakening of syndicates
e. 1930 – Council of Corporations
f. 1934 – 22 Corporations Created (Note: The fascist concept of the corporation is very different than the business corporation)
g. Chamber of Fasce’s
#4 Economic Policy pp. 134-139
I. Corporatism overwhelmed by big business and large land owners
a. Goal of Autarky
b. “Will power”
c. Laissez Faire Phase (1922-25)
II. Post 1925
a. Balance of payments crisis
b. Battle for Grain
c. Battle for the Lira
III. Agrarian Policy
a. North v. south
b. Land Reclamation
c. 1928 Mussolini Laws
IV. Great Depression Policies
a. Bank crisis
b. IMI
c. IRI
V. Successes and Failure
#5 Social Policy
I. Not truly Totalitarian
a. Some political and economic and social institutions retain independence
II. Church/State Relations
a. Lateran Treaty
b. Concordat (Cultivates relations with the papacy)
c. Catholic Organizations survive
III. Control of Media and the Arts
a. Newspapers
b. Radios
c. Cult of “Il Duce”
d. Propaganda
e. Arts
f. Sports
IV. Battle for Births (Women)
a. Tactics
b. Why does it fail?
V. Anti-Semitic Laws 1938
a. motives
b. Why does it fail?
VI. Youth Policy
a. organizations
b. ONB, Young Fascists, GIL
c. Success and Failure
VII. Education
a. 1923 Educaion Act
b. Ministry of Public Instruction 1929
1. texts, phys. Ed., School Charter system
2. Success/Failures in primary schools and Universities
3. OND 1925
#6 Opposition Movements
I. Socialists
a. Biennio Rosso
b. Southern peasant Leagues
c. trade unions (Catholics too!)
II. Fascist Milltants
a. Ras: local fascist party bosses
1. anti-clerical, corporatist, authoritarian
2. Force Mussolini to: March on Rome 1922, force shift to Single Party State in 1925
b. Fascist “squads” (Combattimento)
III. Political parties
a. Communists, PPI (Catholic), PSI (Socialists) Ban of parties
IV. Civil Service/Officials
V. Upper class land owners, Generals, Industrialists
VI. Catholic Church
a. PPI
b. Youth and Adult Organizations
VII. Unions
VIII. Agrarian Peasant leagues and land seizures