Thursday 4/21/11
• Today: Please get a wksht and a partner.
• Hmwk: Read pgs. 238-253 in Pink/Purple bk
– Complete the ‘Task’ on pg. 255 for a quiz
grade. Hmwk is DUE Monday 4/25
Totalitarianism
• A government that aims to control the
political, economic, social, intellectual and
cultural lives of its citizens.
– New form of dictatorship in 20th century
Fascism in Italy
• Fascism- a political philosophy that glorifies
the state above the individual by emphasizing
the need for a strong central government led
by a doctorial leader.
– People are controlled by the gov’t and any
opposition is suppressed.
Italy after WWI
• Mass male population loss
– Out 6 million conscripted-2 million dead, captured &
wounded/disabled
• Severe inflation
– Industrial and agricultural workers strike demanding
creation of ‘factory councils’ through which they could
bargain with employers
• Land Occupations
– Returning soldiers and peasants seized control of barren
land /uncultivated and forced landlords to sell at cheap
prices
Fascist Movement is Born
• Employers/Landlords blamed revolutionary
demands on Russian Revolution influence and
demanded gov’t take suppressive action
– When gov’t didn’t take action then,
employers/landlords gathered tenant farmers,
veteran soldiers and urban middle class to use
violence to submit and suppress these new
‘socialists’
Fascism’s Birthday-March 1919
• Fascio Combattimento (Combat Group) by
former school teacher, Benito Mussolini.
• Grew into an anti-socialist force; combatting
socialist unions and Catholic peasant leagues.
• Soon Mussolini’s movement was joined by the
support of Employers/Landlords looking to
fight against socialist.
Benito Mussolini 1883-1945
• Founder of first fascist
movement
• Unruly child-expelled
for stabbing fellow pupil
• Elementary school
teacher
• Prior socialist party
member, but expelled
Growth of Fascism
• Parliament elections May 1921
– Using Nationalistic ideals, fascists won 35 seats
• November 1921-declared itself political party
– Partito Nazionale Fascista (PNF)
– Supported monarchy and free tade
• By 1922- Employers/Landowners (middle
class) feared socialism and communism.
– People were angry they received so little land in
WWI peace treaty agreement.
Prime Minister Mussolini
• August 1922-fascist group
had plans to overthrow
gov’t and install new
regime in Rome
• Against other opinionKing Emmanuel III does
NOT counter any fascist
march and the Prime
Minister resigns in
protest…
• October 29, 1922Mussolini appointed
Prime Minister
King Emmanuel III
Consolidation of Power
• 1923- Mussolini creates a national fascist militia
and Fascist Grand Council
• July 1923- Acerbo Law
– Gives leading party at general election 2/3 seats in
parliament
• Summer 1924-socialist deputy, Giacomo
Matteotti is stabbed to death by fascists
• 1925- Mussolini intends to dictate a more
autocratic gov’t
• 1926-Mussolini acknowledged as head of fascist
party…only answered to the king
Fascist Italy
• 1926- outlawed other political parties
• Established secret police- OVRA to watch citizens and
enforce poilicies
• Control mass media- newspapers, radio, films and
spread ‘simple’ propaganda (“Mussolini is always
right.”)
• 1939-Fascist youth groups formed to promote military
activities and values
• Women seen as foundation of family and state
• Overall NOT as severe as Stalin or Hitler…King
Emmanuel III always stayed in power
Domestic Policies
• The Lateran Accords, 1929- improved relations
with the papacy
– Recognized Vatican City
• The Corporate State, 1930’s- formation of several
levels of corporations set to regulate economic
activity
– Benefited employers and the state
– System suffered under depression period
• Modernization of Italian Economy
– Changed exchange rate, provided loans, increased
wheat production, land reclamation and improvement
The Lateran Accords
Foreign Policies
• The Corfu crisis- Italian official murdered in
Greece
– Mussolini demands Greek island, Corfu and $
– Mussolini wanted dispute settled by the
Conference of Ambassadors NOT League of
Nations
– Britain opposed Italy’s action and only agreed to
COA settling dispute if Italy returned Corfu to
Greece
– Italy realized the need to be on Britain’s ‘good
side’
Foreign Policies
• Due to struggling economy during depression
period and relatively small military powerMussolini sought expansion in ‘cheap’ ways
– Accumulation of Yugoslav territory of Fiume
– Protectorate of Albania
– Africa territory (limited)
– Abyssinia treaty 1929
Foreign Policies
• The Abyssinian crisis
– Hitler admired Mussolini
– Hitler first met him 1934
– Caused concern for Britain and France
– Mussolini wanted Italian expansion in Africa for
help to suppress Hitler Germany
– League turns a ‘blind eye’ to Italian troops forced
take-over of Abyssinia in Africa
Foreign Policies
• Spanish Civil War– July 1936 thru 1939
– Mussolini backed the rebels led by General Franco
– Attempt to expand Italian influence overshadowed by
Nazi Germany
• The Rome-Berlin Axis– October 1936 first agreement
– Mussolini joins forces with Hitler
– Italy struggles economically and politically
• Mussolini killed 1945 by Italian Resistance and
hung
Mussolini was Hitler’s Role Model
Tomorrow
• Bring BOTH textbooks with you!!!