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Formation of an independent Italy
After Giuseppe Garibaldi’s campaigns, a parliament representative of all of Italy (except Rome and Venetia) agreed to unify Italy, with Victor Emmanuel II as its first king. This image was chosen as it is of King Victor Emmanuel II. -
Papal States taken over by new nation of Italy
Italians entered the Papal States in September 1870 and annexed the Papal States and Rome, with the backing of a plebiscite held in early October. This image was chosen as it is a map of the Papal States, signifying what the Italians territorially gained from the invasion. -
Failure of First Italo-Ethiopian War with the Battle of Adwa
The Battle of Adwa was the climactic battle of the First Italo-Ethiopian War. The Italians had wanted to expand their colonial empire, but the Ethiopian forces were superior in number and also had weapons supplied by France and Russia. The battle saved Ethiopia from colonization by Rome and also turned Ethiopia into a symbol of freedom for black people around the world. This picture was chosen as it is a drawing of the battle. -
Italy invades and takes over Libya
Italian colonization of Libya began in 1911 and lasted until 1943. The country was previously part of the Ottoman Empire and was occupied by Italy in 1911 following the Italo-Turkish War. This resulted in the establishment of two colonies; Italian Tripolitania and Italian Cyrenaica. This image was chosen as it represents the Italian takeover of the region in 1911. -
Mussolini begins work as editor for the Socialist Party newspaper "Avanti!"
In Dec. 1912, Benito Mussolini became the editor of the Socialist newspaper “Avanti!” (“Forward!”) and soon doubled its circulation. This image was chosen as it depicts a copy of one of the paper’s issues. -
Mussolini kicked out of Socialist Party for pro-nationalistic sentiments regarding WWI
Mussolini found himself in opposition with the Italian Socialist Party because although he advocated for Italy to be in active neutrality in World War I, the party rather favored absolute neutrality. In turn, this led to Mussolini not only being kicked out of the Italian Socialist Party but also resulted in his resignation from “Avanti!” on Oct. 20. This image was chosen as it was the insignia of the Italian Socialist Party. -
Treaty of London
The Treaty of London was a secret treaty between Italy and the Triple Entente, to bring Italy on the side of the Entente during WWI. Italy was promised Trieste, southern Tyrol, and some other territories in return for entering the war. However, following the Entente victory, many of these “promised” territories weren’t actually given to Italy, leading to many Italians seeing the war as a “mutilated victory.” This image was chosen as it is the paper on which the Treaty of London was signed. -
Mussolini forms the PNF (Fascist Party) and is elected its leader
The rise of fascism in Italy began during World War I, when Benito Mussolini and other radicals formed a political group (called a fasci) supporting the war against Germany and Austria-Hungary. This image was chosen because it is the official PNF badge. -
Fascio di Combattimento formed in Milan
The Fascio di Combattimento was an Italian fascist organization created by Mussolini. It was founded on March 23, 1919, and disbanded on November 09, 1921. This picture was chosen as it was the insignia of the organization. -
Biennio Rosso
Biennio Rosso means the "Two Red Years," and was a period of massive political and economic unrest between 1919 and 1920. After World War I, Italy was in massive debt and had high unemployment rates, leading to an economic crisis. Furthermore, there was also political instability at this time because many Italians were unsatisfied with the liberal government’s handling of the war, and were also displeased with Italy’s “mutilated victory.” This image was chosen as it depicts striking workers. -
D'Annunzio takes Fiume
The port of Fiume was a source of controversy between Italy and Yugoslavia after WWI. To resolve this, Gabriele D'Annunzio, an Italian nationalist poet, gathered up men near Trieste and captured the port himself. His intent was to take it from Yugoslavia and give it to Italy in the name of reuniting all Italian people under “the Kingdom of Italy.” This picture was chosen as it is of D’Annunzio himself. -
Mussolini forms alliance with Giolitti
Mussolini forms National Bloc electoral alliance with Giolitti; 35 fascists elected, including Mussolini. Giolitti backed Mussolini at first, but he withdrew his support in 1924. This picture was chosen as it is Giovanni Giolitti himself. -
March on Rome and Mussolini becomes Prime Minister
“March on Rome,” Mussolini was appointed Prime Minister of Italy. Victor Emmanuel III decided to appoint Mussolini as Prime Minister of Italy, and Mussolini arrived in Rome on October 30 to accept the appointment. Fascist propaganda aggrandized this event, known as “March on Rome,” as a “seizure” of power because of Fascists’ heroic exploits. This image was chosen since it is Mussolini himself marching with his supporters. -
Acerbo Law passed
An electoral law that was forced through parliament that would guarantee a two-thirds majority in the Chamber of Deputies for the party which got the majority of votes in the elections. The point of this system was to give Mussolini full power. It was supposed to bring stability to Italy guaranteeing a more coherent parliament that could finally put in place policies Italy needed. This picture was chosen as it is a picture of Baron Giacomo Acerbo himself. -
Corfu Incident
The naval bombardment and occupation of the Greek island of Corfu by Italian troops. Resulting in 16 people killed and Mussilino issuing reimbursement. Greece appealed to the League of Nations, which referred the dispute to the Council of Ambassadors. The Council ordered Greece to pay 50 million lire. Italian troops withdrew. The outcome raised serious doubts about strength and efficiency of the League. This image was chosen because it's a picture of the Greek island of Corfu. -
Aventine Secession
The withdrawal of roughly 150 left and center deputies from the Italian Chamber of Deputies to show their opposition to the rule of Mussolini. The move occurred at the time of a public reaction against Mussolini caused by the murder of Giacomo Matteotti. This image was chosen as it displays the extent to which Mussolini's support declined through how massive the chamber is. -
Battle for Grain
The plan was to grow grain at the expense of fruit and vegetables which were cheaper to produce. Italian grain became expensive at home and the price of bread rose. This hit the poor the worst as bread was a major part of their diet. Rich farmers did well out of this as they were guaranteed a good price for what they produced. This image was chosen as it shows Mussolini's efforts to mass-produce grain. -
Matteotti Crisis
A political confrontation between liberals and the Fascist government of Italy after the assassination of Giacomo Matteotti, by Fascist thugs in June 1924. The crisis had threatened to bring the downfall of Mussolini but instead ended with Mussolini as the absolute dictator of Italy. This picture was chosen as it is a picture of Giacomo Matteotti himself: the man that was murdered. -
Locarno Treaty signed
The Locarno Pact of 1925 was an agreement signed between Britain, France, Belgium, Italy, and Germany. Its three main points were: To secure borders of the nations of Europe after the First World War, To ensure the permanent demilitarisation of the Rhineland, to allow Germany into the League of Nations. This image was chosen as it represents the goal of the Locarno Treaty and wanting to mend the relationships between the nations. -
Battle for Births
A demographic campaign aimed at increasing the Italian population from 40 million in 1927 to 60 million by 1950. Citizens would receive incentives for having a bigger family. Married men with 6+ children also became exempt from taxation and were more likely to receive promotions within work. Women would receive the Mothers Medal as public recognition if they produced more than the target of 5 children per family. This image was chosen as it is the Mothers Medal that was given out to Mothers. -
Battle for Land and Battle for the Lira
Clear marshland and make it usable for farming and other purposes. Cleared land also had roads built on them to improve Italy’s infrastructure. Many saw the Battle of Land as a success. Battle of Lira: to restore some of the purchasing power the lira had in bygone days. Mussolini inflated the value of the lira making exports more expensive. This created unemployment at home as many industries and firms could not sell their goods. This picture was chosen as it is the land of Lira itself. -
Kellogg-Briand Treaty signed
The Kellogg-Briand Treaty was an agreement that attempted to outlaw war as an instrument of national policy. The treaty was one of many peacekeeping efforts after WWI, and was also meant to bring the US into a system of protective alliances against possible future German aggression. It was first signed by Germany, France, and the US. This photo is justified because it is a photo of US President Calvin Coolidge signing the Kellogg-Briand Treaty in Washington, D.C. -
Lateran Treaty with Pope
The Lateran Treaty was an agreement between the Italian government and the papacy. It made the papacy recognize the state of Italy with Rome as their capital. It also made Italy recognize the sovereignty of the Vatican City. The agreement was later solidified by the Italian constitution in 1948. This photo is justified because it is a photo of Pietro Gasparri (the Pope’s Cardinal Secretary of State) and Benito Mussolini signing the Lateran Treaty. -
Abyssinian Crisis
The Abyssinian Crisis was a conflict between Italy and Ethiopia (Abyssinia) after Italy invaded Abyssinia without warning. The crisis was a result of the Welwel incident, which facilitated Italian aggression in Abyssinia. It was a crisis for the League of Nations since they could not prevent the Italian invasion and the ensuing events made them seem less credible. This photo is justified because it shows the Abyssinian borders and where the Italians had influence in order to invade. -
Stresa Front
The Stresa Front was a coalition including France, Italy, and Britain. It was meant to oppose Hitler’s intention to rearm Germany, since it violated the Treaty of Versailles. The coalition dissolved soon after being formed. This photo is justified because it is a photo of Pierre Laval, Benito Mussolini, Ramsay MacDonald, and Pierre-Etienne Flandin on the last day of the Stresa Conference. -
Rome-Berlin Axis Treaty signed
The Rome-Berlin Axis Treaty was an agreement between Italy and Germany in order to form the Axis Powers. The two countries promised to support each other if a war were to break out. Later on, Japan became involved in the Axis Powers as well. It was also formalized in the Pact of Steel in 1939. This photo is justified because it is a photo of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini shaking hands, which shows their agreement. -
Italian involvement with Spanish Civil War
Italy militarily intervened in the Spanish Civil War to support the nationalist cause. They supported the side against the Second Spanish Republic. Italy gave the nationalist side 660 planes, 150 tanks, 800 artillery pieces, 10,000 machine guns, and 240,000 rifles. Italy also provided men to the cause. This photo is justified because it shows Italian troops in the Battle of Guadalajara of the Spanish Civil War. -
Munich Conference
The Munich Conference was an agreement between Britain, France, Italy, and Germany. It allowed Germany to annex Sudetenland from Czechoslovakia. Many of those in Sudetenland were of German descent as well. This photo is justified because it is a photo of the leaders from France, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Germany right before they signed the agreement. -
Italy invades Albania
Italy invades Albania due to the policies of Benito Mussolini, specifically his imperialist policies. Mussolini had seen Hitler’s success and wanted to put Italy in the news again. Mussolini also wanted more land anyways, so he had Italy invade Albania. Additionally, Mussolini used the Allbanian King’s oppression of fascists as a reason for the aggression.This photo is justified because it is a photo of Italian troops and tanks in Albania. -
Italy enters WWII on side of Germany
Italy joined WWII on the side of Germany when France was about to fall and be defeated. Italy was still hoping to gain lands from the war, especially given that they felt their sacrifices from WWI were overlooked. Mussolini entered the war by declaring war on France and Great Britain. This photo is justified because it is an image of a British newspaper detailing the event of Italy entering WWII. -
Mussolini brought down by coup during WWII
Mussolini was brought down by a coup conducted by his own Grand Council. In fact, he was actually voted out of power by the Grand Council. Afterwards, Mussolini was arrested after leaving his meeting with King Vittorio Emanuele. In that meeting the King told Mussolini that the war was lost. This photo is justified because it is a US newspaper detailing how Mussolini and his regime lost power. -
Mussolini killed
Mussolini was killed by Italian partisans in a small village. The man who supposedly shot Mussolini was a Communist named Walter Audisio. After Mussolini died, his corpse was taken to Milan where it was kicked, spat on, and hung up like a trophy by an angry mob. This photo is justified because it is an image of a US newspaper detailing the event of Mussolini’s death.