• Mussolini's Rise to Power

  The new state of Italy was far from being a great success in the years before 1914; the strain of the First World War on her precarious economy and the bitter disappointment at her treatment by the Versailles Treaty caused growing discontent. Between 1919 and 1922 there were five different governments, all of which were incapable of taking decisive action that the situation demanded. In 1919 Benito Mussolini founded the Fascist party which won 35 seats in the 1921 elections. At the same time there seemed to be a real danger of a left-wing seizure of power; in an atmosphere of strikes and riots, the fascists staged a 'March on Rome' which culminated in King Emmanuel III inviting Mussolini to form a government in October 1922. Mussolini remained in effective power until July 1943.

• Fascism
  1. Extreme Nationalism - an emphasis on building up the greatness and prestige of the state, with the implication that one's own nation is superior to other.
  2. Totalitarian System of Government - that is a complete way of life in which the government attempted to control and organize with strong discipline as many aspects of people's lives as possible. This was necessary to promote the greatness of the state, which was more important than the interests of the individual.
     
  3. One-Party State - there was no place for democracy. Fascism was particularly hostile to communism, which accounts for much of its popularity. The fascist party members were the elite of the nation and great emphasis was places on the cult of the leader/hero who would win mass support with thrilling speeches and skilful propaganda.

            4.    Economic self-sufficiency- (autarchy) was vitally important in developing the greatness                         of the state; the government must therefore direct the economic life of the country                         (though not in the Marxist sense of the government owing factories and land).
               
            5.    Military Strength and Violence - were an intergal part of the way of life. Mussolini                     himself remarked, "Peace is absurb: fascism does not believe in it." H

• Musolini's Italy

   

  1. All parties except the fascists were suppressed. Opponents of the regime were either exiled or murdered. Socialist leaders Giacomo Matteotti and Giovanni Amendola were both beaten to death by the fascists. After 1926, when Mussolini felt secure in power the violence was greatly reduced. Although the parliment still met, all important decisions were taken by the fascist Grand Council which did as Mussolini told it; in effect Mussolini, who adopted the title Il Duce (the leader), was the dictator.

            3.    A strict press censorship was enforced in which anti-fascist nespapers were either                     suppressed or their editors replaced by fascist supporters. Radio, films and the theatre                     were similarly controlled.

            4.  Education in schools and universities was closely supervised, teachers had to wear                     uniforms, new textbooks were written to glorify the fascist system. Children were                     encouraged to criticize teachers who seemed to lack enthusiasm for the party. Children                     and young people were forced to join the government youth organizations which                     indoctrinated them with the brilliance of the Duce and the glories of war.

           5.    Corporate State - The government tried to promote co-operation between employers                     and workers and to end class warfare in what was known as the Coporate State. Fascist                     controlled unions had the sole right to negotiate for the workers and both unions and                     employers' associations were organized into corporations and were expected to                     co-operate to settle disputes over pay and working conditions. Strikes and lockouts were                     not allowed. By 1934 there were 22 coporations each dealing with a seperate industry,                     and in this way Mussolini hoped to control the workers and direct production. To                     compensate for their loss of freedom, workers were assured of such benefits as free                     Sundays, annual holidays with pay, social securtity, sports and theatre facilities and cheap                     tours and holidays.

             6.  Catholic Church - Mussolini left religion outside the control of the government. He had                     his children baptized and married their mother in the church. He passed laws to make                     swearing in public a crime and allowed crosses to be hung in public buildings. He made                     religious education compulsory in Italy. In 1929 he signed a treaty with Gasparri. The                     Lateran Treaty gave the Pope 750 million lire in compensation for the land taken from him                     when Italy was united in 1870. It made the Vatican City an independent state with its own                     army, police force, law courts, and post office. The ending of the long lasting breech                     between the church and Italian government was Mussolini's most lasting and worthwhile                     achievement.

• Successes

  1.  Industry - gave government subsidies where necessary so that iron and steel production doubled by 1930 and artificial silk production tenfold. Hydro-electric power doubled by 1937.

           3.  Land Reclamation - a program was started and the Pontine Marshes around Rome                 were drained and reclaimed.

           4.  Public Works Program - this was designed to reduce unemployment. It included the                 building of motorways, bridges, blocks of flats, railway stations, sports stadiums, schools and                 new towns on reclaimed land.