1. Fascist Italy 700k dead, cost 148B lire
Post WWI
700k dead, cost 148B lire
gained Trieste but NOT Fiume and Dalmatia
unemployment, dissatisfied vets
Benito Mussonlini
Started as an elementary sch. Teacher
took adv of econ turmoil, political disorder, insecurity, and fear
1919, started new political movement/group called Fascio di Combattimento (League of Combat)
Not being given those two: cheated of just rewards
Mussolini actually started out as an elementary school teacher, then editor of socialist newspaper, expelled from socialist party when he advocated joining WWI

2. Fascist Italy 1919 Parliament had too many parties, none with majority
industrial/agricultural strikes lead to class warfare and constant violence
Muss shifted from left to right:
supported by m-class industrialists/landowners
said Italy cheated by Treaty of Versailles
anti-communism, anti-strike activity, nationalist rhetoric
brute force would get him what he wants
M class industrialists and landowners were against the strikes
Get him what he wants but what he couldn’t get in regular elections

3. Fascist Italy 1920-1921 Muss allied with liberals and PM Giolitti
Squadristi: armed bands of Fascists
attacked socialist organizations
broke up strikes
unrestrained violence
largely WWI vets, students
1921, there’s 200k of them, regular part of life
motto: me ne frego (I do not give a damn)
Muss allied with liberals and PM Giolitti
PM believes the Muss’ force would crush socialism
this gives Muss more freedom/“respectability”
Fascism gets 35 parl seats by 1921
Squadristi were known as “black shirts”... One favoured way of making people conform was to tie a ‘troublemaker’ to a tree, force a pint or two of castor oil down the victim’s throat and force him to eat a live toad/frog etc. This punishment was enough to ensure people kept their thoughts to themselves.
Muss believed terrorist tactics would eventually bring him pols victory

5. Fascist Italy
Deliberately created disorder but advertised themselves as party of order
Mussolini plans a march on Rome to seize power
“either we are allowed to govern or we will seize power by marching on Rome to take the throat of the miserable political class that governs us”
Oct 1922, Italian king makes Muss PM--Il Duce
black shirts still marched to make people think power taken via armed insurrection…why?
fascists: most support from middle/upper-class, white collar, students, landowners, merchants, all who feared socialism/communism
March on rome supposed to be a bluff so that liberals just give fascists power, it WORKED!!!!
Iron/strong leader who’s always right

7. Mussolini’s Fascism Muss had to move slowly to keep power
still a minority in Parliament
1923, Acerbo Law
any party that wins 25%+ votes in next election automatically gets 2/3 Parl seats
1924, Fascism victorious w/ 65% of votes
374 of 535 Parl seats
elections via Fascist fraud, force, intimidation

8. Mussolini’s Fascism censorship PM is head of govt, can issue decrees
1926, dictatorship in full force:
censorship
PM is head of govt, can issue decrees
police law allowed police to arrest and hold people withOUT due process
non-Fascist parties outlawed
controlled radio/cinema/print for propaganda
secret police OVRA
not as repressive, efficient, or savage as Nazi secret police
Censorship against fascists, monarchy , and even against catholic church

9. Mussolini’s Fascism
Wanted to mold citizens into single-minded community: fascist education for youth groups
Young Fascists
insisted on militarization
Family is pillar of state
women foundation of family
should be keeping the house and raising babies
Keeping women out of workforce kept jobs open for men, hopefully reduced unemployment hopefully increased Mussolini’s popularity

12. italian on left, “western” on right…propaganda showing how much better off italian women are/should be

13. Mussolini’s Fascism
1930s, laws encourage large families (target was 5 kids)
additional pay, easier to get loans, tax cuts
extra fertile mothers got gold medals
Wanted Italian population to reach 60 M by 1950
Power/totalitarian limitations:
never really destroyed old power structure
did not absorb armed forces and monarchy
Lateran Accords, 1929, recognized sovgty of Vatican City, made Catholicism state religion
WANTED LARGE FAMILIES BECAUSE WANTED ITALIAN POPULATION TO REACH 60 M BY (more ppl=more powerful italy...it was 37 mill in 1920
In 1933, Mussolini met 93 mothers at the Palazzo Venezia who had produced over 1300 children - an average of 13 each!…mussolini made Dec 24 Mother and Child holiday