WHAT FACTORS SHAPED ITALIAN FOREIGN POLICY?

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was born in 1883 in Northern Italy. His father was a socialist blacksmith, his mother was a Catholic school teacher. 1902 - emigrated to Switzerland to avoid conscription and became involved in the Italian socialist movement. 1910 - had established himself as one of Italy’s most prominent socialists, became editor of the Socialist Party newspaper ‘Avanti!’ in 1911. Mussolini’s political philosophy was an odd mix of socialism and elitism

Mussolini’s Rise to Power 1914 – WWI brought an increase in Italian nationalism Mussolini believed WWI was a chance to complete the process of Risorgimento ( the unification of Italy) and solve Italia Irridenta (the feeling that Italy wouldn’t be complete until all Italians lived in one state) and thought it would promote social revolution across Europe. For his pro-war views, he was expelled from the Italian Socialist Party. This marked his turn towards revolutionary nationalism

Mussolini’s Rise to Power Mussolini joined the war and was promoted to corporal. His career ended in 1917 after being injured by a mortar bomb. He returned to his life as editor of his newspaper ‘Il Popolo d’Italia’ and leader of the Fascists. 1919 - he reformed the party as the ‘Fasci Italiani di Combattimento’ or ‘Italian Combat Squad’ The movement grew quicky - opposed class discrimination, argued for national unity based on notions of the ‘Roman’ past.

Mussolini’s Rise to Power The Fascists were viewed as a new movement – they combined traditionalism with revolutionary thought. A ‘third way’. By 1921, the Fascists had formed armed squads of war veterans called ‘blackshirts’ whose goal was to restore order on the streets. The same year they rebranded themselves as the ‘National Fascist Party’ and Mussolini won his first election to the Chamber of Deputies.

The ‘March on Rome’ October 22-29, 1922 - about 30,000 Blackshirts gathered in Naples and Rome demanding the resignation of PM Luigi Facta and the appointment of Mussolini King Victor Emmanuel III refused to allow the government to declare martial law – the King handed power to Mussolini – elites believed they could use him to restore law and order Between 1922-25, Mussolini as PM slowly extended his control, consolidating his power as ‘Il Duce’ by 1925.

March on Rome – October 22-29, 1922

Italian Foreign Policy Influences Own Aims and Motives Nationalist demands Maintaining power Domestic problems International events Fascist ideology

Italian Foreign Policy Influences Nationalist Demands Risorgimento and Italia Irridenta Populist ideology that called for a strong, self-sufficient Italy (return to the glory of the Roman Empire) Sense of national unity, racial supremacy and international respect Domestic Problems Aftermath of WWI – trauma, financial struggles, sense of resentment and humiliation after peace conference Civil discontent due to aftermath of war – protests, riots, increased support for fascism (in general) and Mussolini’s Blackshirts (in particular) International Events 1882 – Eritrea 1885 – first attempt at Ethiopia 1893-1896 – second attempt at Ethiopia 1912 – creation of Italian East Africa 1914-1918 – WWI 1923- Corfu Incident 1934 – Libya 1935 - Ethiopia 1936 – Withdrew from League

Viewpoints on Foreign Policy Look at a timeline of key events in the development of Mussolini’s foreign policy and you can detect each philosophy present at varying points in his attempts at territorial expansion. Historical opinions can be divided into three competing viewpoints regarding the nature of Italian foreign policy under Mussolini: Imperial Design – had a grand plan to restore Roman glory and reunite Italy, consistent with previous Italian leaders before Mussolini (Intentionist/Determinist) Opportunism – was unprincipled and erratic, shifting between aggression and conciliation with no clear plan (Structuralist) Propaganda – was subservient to domestic concerns and design to strengthen his power and prestige (Intentionist)