Ch. 26—Political Experiments in the 1920’s

 “Misery Party” of Italy and Germany  Opposed to Communism (even though it was very similar to it in many ways)  No exact ideology (unlike Marxism)  Glorified war and violence (for the benefit of the strength of the state)  Right-wing dictatorship

 Upset at the Paris Peace Treaties  High unemployment, inflation, and workers’ strikes  Upper classes feared a communist revolution  These issues gave rise to Benito Mussolini and the Fascists (“Black Shirts”)

 1921—Italy’s first election of universal male suffrage—Fascists win a few seats, far behind the Catholic Popular and Socialist parties  October 1922—Mussolini and the Black Shirts march on Rome  King Victor Emmanuel invites Mussolini to become Prime Minister

 1920’s—Fascists gain control of the government, eliminate opposition through terror, expand the laws to allow Mussolini to rule as dictator  Creation of a “Cult of Personality” around Il Duce

 Moved to industrialize Italy and make it self- sufficient  Massive public works programs—also battled unemployment  Lateran Agreement (1929)—recognized the independence of Vatican City with the Pope in charge