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Case Study in the Rise of Fascism: Mussolini

Case Study in the Rise of Fascism: Mussolini. Overview. The disintegration of order in Italian society made possible the rise of the fascist party.

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Case Study in the Rise of Fascism: Mussolini

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  1. Case Study in the Rise of Fascism: Mussolini

  2. Overview • The disintegration of order in Italian society made possible the rise of the fascist party. • These conditions were similar to those conditions present in Germany, Portugal, Greece and Spain during the rise of their respective dictatorial movements • Italy: Mussolini • Germany: Hitler • Spain: Franco • Greece: Metaxas • Portugal: Salazar

  3. Economic Backdrop • Large-scale post-war inflation • Post-war land seizure by peasants and agricultural reorganization • Agricultural prices rose from rural confusion and drop in production • War debts encouraged government to devalue lire • Prices rose for industrial products, but wages remained unchanged • Strikes in industry and transportation • 1914: 300,000 strikers in Italy • 1919: 1,500,000 strikers in Italy

  4. Rise of Italian Socialism • Success of Bolshevik Revolution • The “Communist International" unified European radical socialists • Italian Socialist Party (PSI) offered industrial working class hope and power • 1914: 50,000 PSI members • 1919: 200,000 PSI members • 1919: PSI controlled 26/69 provinces • PSI controlled 156 seats in parliament • Largest political party in Italy • Socialist rise frightened upper classes • Socialist rise frightened conservative middle and lower class members • Socialist party seen as encouraging strikes

  5. Public Disillusionment with WW1 • Italy failed to receive all of expected land from WWI, especially Fiume on Adriatic • Sense of betrayal of Treaty of London (secret 1915 treaty: Italy to join Allies in exchange for land) • Massive war debt incurred • Large war death toll

  6. Class Antagonism • Blue-collar wage stagnation bred hatred of upper class • Upper-class feared national paralysis from strikes • Unemployed youths blamed situation on upper classes and socialists

  7. Weak Government • Government unable to curtail strikes through politics • Government unable to maintain stable currency • Government unable to curtail independent political groups • 1919: D'Annunzio occupation of Fiume (and actually declared an independent Fiume!) • 1919-1922: Mussolini's organization of Black Shirts

  8. Rise of Mussolini • Originally a socialist newspaper writer, he switched to oppose socialists • Offered stability and order to those who feared chaos • Offered "approved" outlet for discontented youths: “The Black Shirts” paramilitary organization • Offered working class alternative to economic collapse (scapegoat: socialists and weak government) • Offered upper classes an alternative to socialism (scapegoat: strikers and socialists)

  9. Rise of Mussolini • Victor Emmanuel III had power to name prime minister • Mussolini offered solution to chaos (and threatened to take power by force) • Offered nation direction for growth in self-worth: return to glory of ancient Rome • Used Black Shirts to gain power "leverage“ through intimidation, murder • Used social disapproval of socialists to excuse brutal attacks upon his opposition • October 1922 “March on Rome” led VE to name Mussolini prime minister

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