1. Benito Mussolini
And Italian Fascism

2. Italy during the Interwar Period
ESSENTIAL QUESTION:
How did Mussolini rise as a fascist dictator in Italy?
OBJECTIVE:
To understand how Mussolini created a fascist state in Italy, and to contrast this with Hitler’s rise in Germany
HOMEWORK:
Finish interwar media projects if not done!

3. The Kingdom of Italy Unification complete in 1871 (Risorgimento)
Constitutional monarchy – Victor Emmanuel III
On winning side of WWI
Problems after the war:
Unemployment
Strikes and workers taking over businesses
Clashes between left-wing and right-wing militias
Political gridlock in parliament
Risorgimento([risordʒiˈmento], meaning the Resurgence or renaissance or rebirth or revival), was the political and social movement that consolidated different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of the Kingdom of Italy in the 19th century. 

4. Mussolini Italian Socialist Party
Editor of Avanti! newspaper
Kicked out of party for pushing for Italy to join WWI
Formed Fasci di Combattimento in 1919
Army veterans  blackshirts
Edited Il Popolo d’Italia newspaper
Shift to the right
Support for Catholic Church, monarchy
Partito Nazionale Fascista in 1921
A fasces (below) can be related to fascism because the sticks act as individuals who come together with feelings of pride and loyalty and the axe could show the fortitude of the commanding leader and the forceful impact they create together.
Benito Mussolini coined the term fascism from the Latin word fasces. This was a highly esteemed symbol of superiority in ancient Roman times.

5. Taking power March on Rome (1922) 30,000 fascists
Victor Emmanuel III decided not to fight
Preferred Mussolini to anti-Monarchist socialists
Named Mussolini Prime Minister

6. Consolidating Power Acerbo law  fascist control of parliament (1923)
Giacomo Matteotti, socialist leader, assassinated  socialist walkout
1924 elections – voters intimidated
In the late 1920s, laws passed making Mussolini responsible only to the King and Grand Council of Fascism, not parliament
Other parties outlawed (1926)
Giacomo Matteotti 
On 30 May 1924, he openly spoke in the Italian Parliament alleging the Fascists committed fraud in the recently held elections, and denounced the violence they used to gain votes. Eleven days later he was kidnapped and killed by Fascists.

7. Creating a fascist state
Outlawed:
Non-fascist political parties
You needed a fascist party card to work for the government, teach, publish a newspaper, etc.
Opposition newspapers
Labor unions and strikes
Police state
OVRA – secret police (Organization for Vigilance and Repression of Antifascism)

8. Culture and society Alliance with the Catholic Church Education
Official state religion (1929)
Vatican independence (1929)
Anti-abortion and divorce
Paid salaries to bishops, priests, etc.
Education
Combat illiteracy
Focus on loyalty to the state and fascism
Italian nationalism – Rome, Risorgimento
Physical fitness
Dopolavoro
Extremely popular recreation program for adults – sports, arts

9. Men and women Men Women “Battle for births”
Macho fascist aesthetic – “virilist”
Women
“Nuova Italiana”
Domestic training
Colonial wives for the empire
Cooking to decrease dependence on imports
“Battle for births”
Large families got tax benefits
Celibate men taxed to pay for child welfare

10. Economics and Development
“Third way” between capitalism and socialism
Corporatism
Unions and employer associations organized into state-managed “corporations”
Attempt to unify workers and employers in the service of the state
Advances in technology and transportation
Italo Balbo’s flight to Chicago

11. Ideology
“New man” – done with individualism, completely dedicated to the state
Discuss: “Fascist Doctrines”

12. Propaganda and cult of personality
Il Duce ( the leader) cultivated a masculine “everyman” image
Passionate public speeches
Focus on reclaiming ancient Rome’s glory
Strict censorship of newspapers and media – Mussolini was personally involved

13. Propaganda and cult of personality
Film footage:
Mussolini wrestling a lion cub, in Africa after assassination attempt
Mussolini speaking, threshing wheat, breeding horses, draining Pontine marshes

14. Imperialism in Africa Italy had colonies in Somalia and Eritrea
Failed to conquer Ethiopia in
Defeated at Battle of Adwa
Mussolini launched a new campaign to conquer Ethiopia in 1935
League of Nations didn’t intervene
Took over country until WWII
Gas attacks covered up

15. Mussolini and Hitler Hitler admired Mussolini and fascism
Germany became a much greater military power than Italy
Assassinated Engelbert Dollfuss, chancellor of Austria, Italy’s ally
Mussolini adopted anti-Semitic policies to satisfy Hitler
Pact of Steel (1939)

16. Exit ticket
What parallels do you see between Mussolini's rise to power and Hitler’s?
Recall that Mussolini came to power first, about 10 years before. What about his rise and consolidation of power do you think Hitler might have admired, or copied?