Post-War Italy

and the
Rise of Mussolini
The Italian Claim to
Fiume
 At the end of World War I, there were
three pivotal factors that developed in
Italy. They were:

 The Italian people felt cheated by

Woodrow Wilson because they did
not get Fiume. Gabriel D’Annunzio
hired a private army and led it into
Fiume and took the port. He then
proceeded to give it to his county,
Italy, as a gift. This event indicated
to the rest of Europe that
nationalism was not dead. If a
country pushes nationalistic feelings
forward, the people will support
country.
 Mass Unemployment
 As soon as the war ended, the Italian government demobilized
the army. The cities became inundated with a large
unemployed population, in particular in the north.
 Redistribution of Land
 During the war, the Italian government
promised the peasants that when the
war was over, the government would buy
land from the upper class and give it to
the peasants. The government decided
to back down on this promise. In
response, the peasants decided to take
the land themselves. Hence, Italy was
experiencing the beginning of a
revolution.
 Looking to Mussolini for Help
 Benito Mussolini was brought up in a socialist family. During World
War I, Mussolini was a front-line soldier. It was this experience that
provided him with proper training for political combat on the national
stage. Another key development for Mussolini at this time is that he
became a nationalist.

 In 1919, he went to Milan and bought a newspaper to push the idea of

nationalism. The ex-soldiers began to read his paper and asked him
to become their leader (duce). Mussolini agreed and formed the
young men into sqaudristi. They are better known by the color of
their shirts (black). He sent the “Black Shirts” out on punitive
(disciplinary) expeditions. They would harass and attack factory
workers and peasants believed to have been Bolsheviks.

 It appeared that Mussolini was the sole obstacle between Italy and the
nation falling to communism.
The Formation of Combat
Groups
 Both the church and the middle
class loved Mussolini. To
achieve his goal of
overthrowing the existing
parliamentary government,
Mussolini organized a new type
of combat party, the “Fasci di
combattimento” (Groups of
Combat). From this phrase
comes the word “fascism.” The
party glorified war and combat
as the true test of man and of a
nation. Mussolini’s key
supporters were…
Mussolini Supporters

 Veterans of World War I who were seeking revenge

from the war and attempting to bring back Italian
honor and glory.

 Large donations from the nationalists who became

captivated by Mussolini’s imagination of creating a
greater Italy.

 Italian businessmen frightened by the rise of

revolutionary social protests and worker insurrection.
 Still Needing More Support

• Even with support coming from different

groups, Mussolini’s Fascists never won over
15 percent of the vote in free elections.
 Mussolini’s Ideology
 There are three basic ideologies behind Mussolini’s
fascism:

 Mussolini promised an aggressive form of nationalism.

He wanted to expand Italy’s boundaries.

 The Fascists (and Italians) are on a crusade to save the

world from communism. Because of his, Mussolini
frowned upon liberty and promoted “discipline” for the
Italian state.

 Mussolini vowed to get rid of the existing political elites.

He would replace them with a sense of unity within the
government. He is not promising to make everyone
equal but rather that the government will all work
together.
Not So…Good to be King
 In 1922, Mussolini made a series of
deals with various political and
social groups in Italy. However, out
of all of this networking, the most
important agreement Mussolini
made was with King Victor
Emmanuel III of Italy. The two men
agreed to the following:

 If the king supported Mussolini,

Mussolini would agree to let the king
stay on as a monarch. If the king did
not support Mussolini, he ran the
risks of being overthrown in a coup
d’etat.
The March on Rome
 To bring forth a change within the government,
Mussolini organized the “March on Rome.” During
this demonstration, the Black Shirts marched down
from the north and forced the king to “agree” to
appoint Mussolini as the Italian Prime Minister.
 A Corrupt Election
 For nearly two years, Mussolini remained
politically idle. His party’s main concern
was to rid the nation of any potential
political threats. Elections were held for
the last time in 1924, but this election was
so manipulated that Mussolini was
guaranteed to remain in office.
 The Revolution Begins
► However, by 1924, Mussolini began to feel
tensions increasing within his party. His
own men said that they would remove him
from office if he did not begin to bring forth
his revolution. A year later (1925), the
Mussolini’s revolution began. First, labor
unions were placed under the direct control
of the state and strikes were outlawed.
Political parties were banned and the
concept of free press ended.
Mussolini’s Policies
• Mussolini became a totalitarian
leader by:
– Creating a single party system.

– Establishing a secret police force.

– Banishing his political enemies

into concentration camps.

– Spreading propaganda and

censoring the media.

– Establishing youth groups.

– Creates organizations which

control leisure time. They are
called “After Work” organizations.
It was provided by the party. The
organization created gyms, pools,
movies, and vacation resorts.
People became very grateful for
the work of this organization.
 Reforming the Italian System

• While leading Italy through the post-World War I

years, he creates three policies. They were:
– Foreign Policy
– Handling of the Church
– Economic Policy
The Foreign Policy
• Foreign Policy:
– Mussolini wanted to “create
the second Roman Empire.”
The first empire was around
the Mediterranean Sea. “We
will take the Mediterranean
Sea and convert it into an
Italian lake.” Because of this
glorious idea, Mussolini was
referred to as the “divine
Caesar” by his loyal followers
and was seen as the “sublime
[inspiring] redeemer in the
Roman heavens.”
 Foreign Policy (continued)
 By saying this, he is
threatening England
because they owned and
controlled the Suez
Canal and the Strait of
Gibraltar.

 In 1923, Mussolini
invaded the island of
Corfu. The Greeks easily
defeated the Italians.
From this point forward,
Mussolini talked about
military involvement in
different regions, but
took no actions.
The Power of the Church in Italy
The Church:
In 1929, Mussolini signed the Latin Accords
with the Vatican. The Accords agreed to:
Give sovereignty to the Vatican and Vatican City.
Mussolini gave the Church a large sum of money.
Mussolini adopted the Church’s policy on marriage
and divorce.
Students had to attend religious instruction in school.
Catholic Action was established. It was a group of
men who had newspapers promoting the Church’s
activities. Mussolini agreed not to ban this paper.
Mussolini’s Economic Policy
 Economic Policy:
 Mussolini established an economic policy
called Corporative State. He divided Italy’s
economy into sections. Each corporation
would make their own decisions. Each
corporation was comprised of three groups:
 The government.
 The owners.
 The unions.

 Each of the groups had a 1/3 vote. It

was an attempt by Mussolini to trick the
unions. The unions did not know that the
government would routinely side with the
owners.