Totalitarianism of the Right?: Interwar Europe,

Rise of Fascism in Italy WWI spoils disappointed many Italians Russian Revolution inspired many workers and socialists Pope allowed Catholics to go into politics “Two Red Years,”  Great instability  Workers took over some factories

Benito Mussolini, Il Duce (The Leader) Black Shirts Fascism: extreme militaristic nationalism contempt for electoral democracy and liberalism natural social hierarchy and the rule of elites individual interests subordinated to the good of the nation

Fasces = strength in unity

Mussolini’s rise to power Two Red Years Mussolini portrayed himself as the ‘man of order’ March on Rome (October 1922) King Victor Emmanuel III (r ) forced to make Mussolini Prime Minister

Consolidation of Power Giacomo Matteotti (socialist leader killed in 1924) Mussolini used killing to crack down:  changed election law  curbed Parliament’s powers  censored press and academic publications  assumed dual role as PM and ‘Il Duce’

Mussolini’s policies Lateran Agreement (1929): Gave Vatican City independence Financial support Roman Catholicism as official religion Pope agreed to urge Italians to support Mussolini and fascists Corporatism  between socialism and capitalism Sexism: women as mothers and sexual objects

Totalitarianism Mussolini: “Everything in the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state.” (1926)State to pervade all aspects of society The nation mobilized but obedient to THE LEADER BUT: Fascist Italy was not very totalitarian, compared to USSR and Nazi Germany