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Formation of an independent Italy
Italy gained independence from Austria, but it was still very divided, as many new nations were. Maybe this is why the liberal gov struggled to keep all of the divisions under control. -
Papal States taken over by new nation of Italy
Incorporation of the Papal States resulted in Catholic hostility against the new Italian kingdom, which lasted until the 20th century. This would foreshadow Mussolini’s willingness to make good with the Vatican and the Pope. -
Failure of First Italo-Ethiopian War with the Battle of Adowa (Adwa)
Italy wanted to be a top European power by establishing an empire. Looked at Germany who was created in 1871, but was still taking African colonies. Italy tried to occupy the province of Tigre in Abyssinia (now Ethiopia), but were heavily beat in Battle of Adowa in 1896. This was seen as a terrible national humiliation for Italy, leading to more opposition of the liberal gov. -
Italy invades and takes over Libya
Libya was a Turkish colony. Italy wanted to increase the size of their empire and block growing French influence in North Africa. 1912 Turkey accepted their defeat. The Italian people still wanted a more aggressive imperial policy b/c they were still mad at the loss of Abyssinia. Mussolini was arrested for demonstrating against this takeover. -
Mussolini begins work as editor for the Socialist Party newspaper Avanti
After Mussolini got out of prison for protesting he became editor of Avanti, a socialist party newspaper. Articles advocated revolutionary violence against the liberal state. He wasn’t a Marxist, but rather a socialist: anticlerical republicanism. -
Mussolini kicked out of Socialist Party for pro-nationalistic sentiments regarding WW1
WW1: Socialist party condemned the entrance of Italy in the war. But Mussolini + republicans + syndicalists believed that Italy should enter on the Franco- British side. Musso dropped the idea of class struggle (socialism) and moved towards ultra nationalism. He then set up his own newspaper Il Popolo di Italia. -
Treaty of London
Italy signed Treaty of London and joined forces with triple entente (Britain, France, Russia). This treaty promised Italy Trentino, Trieste, South Tyrol, Istria, northern Dalmatia, and Albania. This would have given Italy a lot of control over the other side of the Adriatic Sea. However, this would be a ‘mutilated’ victory as Italy would not get Fiume or northern Dalmatia or Albania. This caused a lot of nationalists to get mad at the liberal gov. -
Beginning of Biennio Rosso
In 1919 unemployment rose to 2 million: industrial workers began militant action from 1919-20. These were biennio rosso: the two ‘red years.’ Trade unions with 1 million workers had strikes, and factory and land occupations. 1919: socialist trade unions had more than 2 million members. Socialists gained control of local gov: seemed like a communist revolution was starting but the gov did little. This concerned upper/middle class. -
Fascio di Combattimento formed in Milan
Mussolini tried to bring together different political groups. Mar 23 118 political group representatives met in Milan and formed Fascio di Combattimento. Their fascist program published in June was mixed w/ left- and right-wing policies designed to attract a wide audience. United under the hate of the liberal gov. -
D’Annunzio takes Fiume
Gabriel D’Annunzio was an ultra-nationalist mad when Italy didn’t get Fiume after WW1. He took 2,000 men to the city of Fiume. They took control in defiance of the Italian libera; gov and the allies, ruling the city for 15 months. He was a hero to Italian nationalists + was an inspiration to Mussolini from the balck shirts to the speeches of Arditi. -
Mussolini forms alliance with Giolitti
Jan 1921 Musso forced D’Annunzio to give up Fiume: removed a powerful rival. Then he said violence was needed to prevent a Bolshevik style revolution in Italy. Publicly Musso attacked the state. Privately he reassured Giolitti that there's no fascist revolution. Giolitti offered an electoral alliance for May 1921 national elections. Fascists got 7% (35 seats). Musso was happy b/c image of respect + foothold in politics. W/ this he said he didn’t support Giolitti's coalition gov. -
Mussolini forms the PNF (Fascist Party) and is elected its leader
Aug 2 Musso signed peace deal w/ the socialists + main trade union organizations: Pact of Pacification. This was shocking + angered ras. Musso resigned from Fascist Central Committee to outmaneuver the ras. So, in oct Musso reformed the organization Fasci di Combattimento into a political party: PNF. Musso became leader, in turn he ended the truce w/ the socialists. He ordered each branch to have action squads. -
March on Rome and Mussolini becomes Prime Minister
Ras wanted national not local power. They told Musso they were going to march on Rome + seize power w/ or w/ out him. Musso agreed. Oct 27 fascists took over town halls, railway, and telephone. Oct 28: king declared state of emergency: gov used their army to take over w/ little resistance, could have stopped the march. Oct 29 king didn't arrest Musso = hired him as Prime Minister b/c he was a man of action. Oct 30 70,000 blackshirts reached Rome + celebrate: Musso was already Prime Minister. -
Acerbo law passed
Giacomo Acerbo’s electoral law gave the party that won the most votes, 2/3 of the seats in parliament. This law intended to give fascists total control of Italian politics. To make sure the law was passed Musso threatened to abolish parliament + used violence. April 1924 elections: fascist seats went from 35 to 374 out of 535 seats. -
Corfu Incident
Italian minister was killed in Greece when he was trying to help a land dispute between Greece + Albania. Mussolini demanded Greece give 50 million lire as compensation. Greece refused, so Mussolini ordered Italian marines to invade Corfu, a Greek island. The Greek gov then paid the fine, and Mussolini was regarded as a national hero. This helped Musso get more votes for the April 1924 elections w/ the Acerbo Law. -
Matteotti Crisis
30 May 1924 new parliament met for 1st time: Giacomo Matteotti was an outspoken socialist who condemned fascist violence + called results of election fraud. 10 June 1924 Matteotti was abducted in Rome + killed by Dumini’s thugs. Many distanced themselves from Musso’s regime, making Musso afraid of his downfall. To win back support he arrested Dumini and his gang in June 15 for Matteotti’s death. This led to the Aventine Secession. -
Aventine Secession
Aventine Secession: The evidence of Musso’s involvement in Matteotti’s death led to opposition deputies (socialists, communists, Popolari) to boycott parliament. The intention was for the king to dismiss Musso. The king instead blamed opposition (republicans that the king didn’t like) for unconstitutional behavior. Th pope supported Musso + condemned the Popolari deputies. Liberals supported Musso b/c they didn’t want a communist revolution. -
Battle for Grain
Response to poor harvest + increase in grain exports. Aim: to get farmers to grow more wheat to decrease Italy’s dependence of foreign imports. He imposed import controls + made more land available for growing grain. Cereal production was 2x by 1939 making Italy self-sufficient in wheat. Yet, because wheat was the main focus farmers had to cut down their olive + fruit trees leading to large imports of fruit and olive oil. There was also a decrease in livestock. This battle was counteractive. -
Locarno Treaty signed
Agreement between Britain, Germany, Belgium, France, and Italy declaring peace in western Europe. If one country were to intrude on the boundary of another they would be attacked. Musso didn’t want German attention to turn to Austria and the Anschluss. Italy wanted land from Austria. -
Battle for Land and Battle for the Lira
Battle for land = make more farmland available. Made jobs for unemployed. Yet, there was too many swamps + marshes that needed to be drained: little land was reclaimed. Battle for Lira = value of Italian currency decreased. Value of Lira was artificially increased. Allowed Italy to continue importing coal + iron. But, this led to decrease in exports, b/c good prices increased. This began a recession in Italy worsened by the Depression. Unemployment then increased -
Battle for Births
Musso wanted a future army to build up the Italian empire. So, he encouraged women to stay home and be wives and mothers giving them less job opportunities. There were even incentives to not be a bachelor. However, none of this was really effective as the birth rate ended up going down not up, and many women were still able to keep their jobs. -
Kellogg-Briand Treaty signed
It was an agreement to renounce war as a national policy and settle all disputes through peaceful means. However, this wasn’t really enforced in any way. This empowered aggressors like Hitler + Mussolini to get what they wanted w/ out war -
Lateran Treaty with Pope
Ended conflict between the state + the papacy. The gov accepted popal sovereignty over Vatican City, which became an independent state. The pope formal recognized the Italian State and its possession over Rome + former papal states. State gave the pope 1750 million lire for compensation for the loss of Rome. Made Roman Catholicism state religion. In return, pope didn’t support the Catholic Popolari. Yet, church didn’t support anti-semantic policies. -
Stresa Front
Coalition of France, Britain, and Italy to oppose Hitler’s intention to rearm Germany, which violated terms of the Treaty of Versailles. Musso got mad at the Anglo-German Naval Agreement, which is what made Musso start siding with Hitler. His plans were also to take over Abyssinia. -
Abyssinian Crisis
Italy was allowed to take over b/c Britain + France were backed by Italy for the Stresa front and wanted Italy’s help to prevent Nazi Germany from rising. Eventually Italian technology: terror bombing Ethiopians and using rubber bullets, so they won. 500,000 Italian troops armed w/ poison gas and spears fought. -
Rome-Berlin Axis Treaty signed
Started to form the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) that would fight the Allies in WWII. They were united under their expansionist interests. They promised to support each other in event of a war. This would lead to Pact of Steel in 1939. -
Italian involvement with Spanish Civil War
Mussolini supports Franco w/ troops + equipment, as does Hitler. The 2 dictatorships become closer together, furthering their ties from their Rome- Berlin Axis Treaty. -
Munich Conference
A conference where Great Britain, France, and Italy allowed Germany to annex certain areas of Czechoslovakia, like Sudetenland. Germany already got Rhineland in 1936 and annexed Austria in 1938. Britain + France thought that this would appease Germany and not start another world war: they were wrong. -
Italy invades Albania
Italy wanted more control over the entrance of the Adriatic Sea and suitable base for military operations in the Balkans. Germany annexing Austria + moving to Czech made Musso jealous. After Germany defeated Poland, Denmark, and France, Musso used Albania to get to Greece, but failed. After getting crushed in WW II Italy backed off Albania -
Italy enters WWII on side of Germany
Italy entering WWII initiated 1st real signs of opposition, Germany was taking a lot from Italy like iron + coal. 1942: 50% of the 350,000 workers sent were skilled workers. Food sent to Germany from Italy led to food shortages leading to rationing in 1941. End of 1942 Italy got bombed by allies. Working hours increased and protests increased in March 1943. They lost Libya and allies invaded Sicily + started bombing Rome. Industrialists + middle class felt the ineffectiveness of Musso’s gov. -
Mussolini brought down by coup during WW II
Musso’s setbacks of May + June 1943 led to a coup when Fascist Grand Council voted 19 to 7 to remove him from power. July 25: king ordered Musso to resign: he was arrested + imprisoned. The ease at which he was removed showed he didn’t have a totalitarian regime. -
Mussolini killed
Sept 1943 Musso was rescued from isolation by German paratroopers. Took him to Germany anywhere he set up Italian Social Republic (Salo republic). During 1944 Allies pushed up Italy from the South. April 1945 allies captured northern city of Bologna: Germans decided to leave Italy. April 27: Musso was recognized + arrested. April 28: Musso + 15 other fascist leaders were executed by communist partisans.
