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Formation of an independent Italy
Current Italy became a sovereign state on March 17, 1861, during the Resurgence, a political movement that unified countries of the Italian Peninsula into a single nation of Italy. However, this did not last long as France led an invasion which led to a collapse. -
Papal States taken over by new nation of Italy
In September of 1870, the Italians entered the Papal States and, with the support of a plebiscite held in early October, annexed the Papal States and Rome to the Kingdom of Italy. -
Failure of First Italo-Ethiopian War with the Battle of Adowa (Adwa)
The Battle of Adwa was the first battle of the First Italo-Ethiopian War. The Ethiopian army, who was backed by Russia and France, defeated Italy who had less men and weapons compared to the Ethiopian army, near the town of Adwa. This was Italy's attempt to colonize Africa. -
Italy invades and takes over Libya
On September 29th, 1911, Italy invaded Libya by sending Italian troops to the Turkish province of Libya and started the Italo-Turkish War. As result, Italian Tripolitania and Italian Cyrenaica were established and unified under the colony of Italian Libya. -
Mussolini begins work as editor for the Socialist Party newspaper Avanti
On December 1st of 1912, Mussolini became editor of the Socialist Party newspaper, Avanti. Through this, Mussolini was able to gain popularity and spread Socialist ideals which challenged the Italian government. -
Mussolini kicked out of Socialist Party for pro-nationalistic sentiments regarding WW I
In 1914, Mussolini began to criticize the Italian Socialist Party and socialism itself for having failed to recognize the national problems that had led to the outbreak of the war. This led him to be expelled from the Socialist Party for his support of intervention and nationalist views. -
Treaty of London
The Treaty of London was a secret treaty between neutral Italy and the Allied forces of France, Britain, and Russia to bring Italy into World War I. The Allies wanted Italy's participation because of its border with Austria, which would allow them to weaken the Triple Alliance. -
Beginning of Biennio Rosso
The Biennio Rosso or red years was a two-year period, between 1919 and 1920, of intense social conflict in Italy, after WWI. The revolutionary period was followed by the violent reaction of the Fascist blackshirts militia and eventually by the March on Rome of Benito Mussolini in 1922.The Biennio Rosso took place in a time of economic crisis at the end of the war, with high unemployment and political instability. -
Fascio di Combattimento formed in Milan
The Fascio di Combattimento, or fascists, formed in Milan in March 1919. The group’s first program was a combination of radical nationalist ideas, with strong influences of republicanism. -
D’Annunzio takes Fiume
In 1919, as part of an Italian nationalist reaction against the Paris Peace Conference, he set up the Italian Regency of Carnaro in Fiume with himself as Duce. Although D'Annunzio never declared himself a fascist, he has been described as the forerunner of Italian fascism as his ideas influenced Benito Mussolini. -
Mussolini forms alliance with Giolitti
In May of 1921, Mussolini formed the National Bloc fascist electoral alliance with Giolitti and 35 fascists were elected, including Mussolini. -
March on Rome and Mussolini becomes Prime Minister
When fascist troops entered Rome, Prime Minister Luigi Facta wished to declare a state of siege, but this was overruled by King Victor Emmanuel III. The next day, October 29th, 1922, the King appointed Benito Mussolini as Prime Minister, transferring political power to the fascists without violent conflict. -
Acerbo Law passed
In November of 1923, the Acerbo Law was an Italian electoral law proposed by Baron Giacomo Acerbo and passed by the Italian Parliament. The purpose of it was to give Mussolini's fascist party a majority of deputies and more power within Italy. -
Corfu Incident
On August 29th, 1923, the Corfu incident was a diplomatic and military crisis between Greece and Italy. It began when an Italian general heading to resolve a border dispute between Albania and Greece was murdered in Greek territory along with members of his staff. -
Matteotti Crisis
The Matteotti Crisis was political confrontation between liberals and the Fascist Italian government after the assassination of Giacomo Matteotti, a Socialist deputy, by Fascists in June 1924. The crisis had threatened to cause the downfall of Fascist leader Benito Mussolini but instead ended with Mussolini as the absolute dictator of Italy. -
Aventine Secession
The Aventine Secession was the withdrawal of the parliament opposition, comprised of Italian Socialist Party, Italian Liberal Party, Italian Popular Party and Italian Communist Party, from the Italian Chamber of Deputies in 1924–25, following the murder of Giacomo Matteotti by fascists. -
Mussolini forms the PNF (Fascist Party) and is elected its leader
The National Fascist Party was an Italian political party, created by Benito Mussolini on April 6th, 1924. The party ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1924-1943. -
Battle for Grain
The Battle for Grain policy was first put in place in 1925 when high tariffs were placed on imported bread. Italy hoped that by implementing this policy Italians would need to produce more of their own bread instead of relying on cheap imports. Land which had not been used for years and was infertile was now utilised; however, it was very expensive to farm. -
Locarno Treaty signed
The Locarno Treaty of 1925 guaranteed Germany's western frontier, which the bordering states of France, Germany, and Belgium pledged to treat as inviolable. As part of the agreement, Britain and Italy agreed to defend armed aggression across the frontier. -
Battle for Land and Battle for the Lira
In 1926, the Italian government established the Battle for the Lira to increase the value of the Lira. To increase the rate of this economic policy, the government prohibited the Bank of Naples and Bank of Sicily to issue banknotes. The Battle for land was introduced to reduce housing rents in cities. -
Battle for Births
The battle for births took place during the inter-war years
of 1927 to 1938 in Italy. The campaign promoted
fecunditá, especially within the working class, by increasing welfare benefits, legislating tax breaks, making available better health care, and awarding highly public medals and recognition to those women who produced more than the state’s target of five children per family. -
Kellogg-Briand Treaty signed
The Kellogg–Briand Treaty was an international agreement in which states promised not to use war to resolve "disputes or conflicts of whatever nature or of whatever origin they may be, which may arise among them". However, the Italian government lacked enforcement. -
Lateran Treaty with Pope
The Lateran Treaty, which was effective June 7, 1929, to June 3, 1985 was between Italy and the Vatican. It was signed by Benito Mussolini for the Italian government and by cardinal secretary of state Pietro Gasparri for the papacy and confirmed by the Italian constitution of 1948. -
Abyssinian Crisis
The Abyssinian Crisis was an international crisis in 1935 that originated between the Kingdom of Italy and the Empire of Ethiopia. The League of Nations ruled against Italy and voted for economic sanctions, but they were never fully applied. -
Stresa Front
The Stresa Front was an agreement made in Stresa, a town in Italy, between French Prime Minister Pierre-Étienne Flandin, British Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald and Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini on April 14, 1935 to oppose Adolf Hitler's announced intention to rearm Germany, which violated the terms of the Treaty of Versailles. -
Italian involvement with Spanish Civil War
The Italian military intervention in Spain took place during the Spanish Civil War from 1936-1939 in order to support the nationalist cause against the Second Spanish Republic. -
Rome-Berlin Axis Treaty signed
The Rome-Berlin Axis Treaty was an agreement formulated by Italy’s foreign minister which informally linked the two fascist countries was reached on October 25, 1936. Eventually, the Axis Powers came to include Japan as well. -
Munich Conference
The Munich Agreement took place at Munich on September 28th, 1938 by Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom, the French Third Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy. It provided Germany with Czechoslovakia. -
Italy invades Albania
The Italian invasion of Albania in 1939 lasted 5 days and was a brief military campaign by the Kingdom of Italy against the Kingdom of Albania. The conflict was a result of the imperialist policies of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. -
Italy enters WW II on side of Germany
Italy entered World War II on the Axis side on June 10, 1940, as the defeat of France became apparent. Benito Mussolini worked alongside Adolf Hitler in hopes of causing Europe to collapse. -
Mussolini brought down by coup during WW II
The coup d'état initiated by Mussolini was destined to fail without the aid of the King. At the end of the meeting, Mussolini was convinced that the King would stand by his side, and Victor Emmanuel was disappointed after telling him in vain that he should resign. -
Mussolini killed
The death of Benito Mussolini occurred on April 28th, 1945, in the final days of World War II in Europe, when he was executed by a firing squad.
