24. Rise of Fascism in Italy and its causes

Ideology

 Fascism tends to include a belief in the supremacy of one national or ethnic group, a contempt for democracy, an insistence on obedience to a powerful leader, and a strong demagogic approach an authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization. (Oxford)

Nazism = Racism and anti-Semitism + fascism.

Hitler and Mussolini in 1939

Causes

i) Discontentment/ resentment after the Treaty of Versailles:
Italy joined the Allies in  First World War to gain territories of Turkey and Germany. But through the Treaty of Versailles, she could get only Southern Tyrol and Trentino, and the coastal regions of Dalmatia. She could get no part of the German and Turkish colonial empire. It could not get Dalmatia, German colonies and Fiume. This deprivation caused anger among people in Italy. They felt betrayed and deceived by the Allies.

 ii) Economic Crisis:
Italy suffered heavy losses in terms of life and property in First World War. After the War, many soldiers became unemployed. Trade and commerce were ruined leading to large-scale unemployment. There was a shortage of food grains. The Great  Depression aggravated the problems for them. It joined the war through Treaty of London 1915. It lost around 600,000 soldiers and another million wounded during the war. War debt of Italy swelled to $85 million. To pay the debt it printed currency, which caused  inflation in the country. As a result, the men in the street suffered a lot.

 iii) Political Instability: 
Italy was governed by a series of coalition governments and there was no continuity in their policies. Governments were unable to deal with problems of unemployment, strikes and riots. Five prime ministers (Liberals) assumed and abdicated power during the period 1917-22 (Orlando, Nitti, Giolitti, Bonomi, Facta). Liberal Orlando was declared the man who brought about all the troubles. Weak multi-party governments did not help. There was an atmosphere of uncertainty and chaos.

 iv) Class Conflicts:
The common man had been promised, during the war, that he would be rewarded greater attention to his economic needs, these promises were ignored and the common man was embittered. Thus, people wanted the control of the government to be in the hands of the common man.

 v) Threat of Socialism or Communism: 
Inspired by Communism, the peasants took away the land from the landlords and workmen organized strikes and took hold of factories. In 1920, over 300 factories were occupied by the farmers. The industrialists were worried about the strength of the labor unions and wanted a powerful government which could establish peace. They, therefore, provided financial support for fascism. Italian Socialist Party (PSI) was considered a major threat.

 vi) Failure of the League of Nations:
 The League of Nations proved to be weak and failed to check the rise of dictatorship. It applied limited sanctions on Italy that could not prevent it from undertaking a more adventurous course.

 vii) Leadership provided by Mussolini:
 Mussolini had a charismatic personality. In his speeches he praised the past glories of Italy and won the faith of his countrymen. He whipped up the sentiments of people through fiery speeches and promised them to restore pride of Italy.

Timeline of rise fascism in Italy

⦁ Mussolini was an editor of a socialist newspaper--- Avanti
⦁ In 1918, he renounced socialism and called for third way between Socialism and capitalism.
⦁ In 1919, Mussolini established ‘combat groups’, uniformed ‘ black-shirts’
⦁ In 1921, he forms National Fascist party. Received financial supports form banks, corporations
⦁ In 1921 elections, won 35 seats (7%), 1922 party membership crossed 300,000 mark.
⦁ In Oct 1922 demands to be prime minister. Announces ‘ March on Rome’, his hooligans occupy          major towns across Italy
⦁ King appoints him as Prime Minister
⦁ In 1923, Acerbo Law- the party which would get maximum number of votes would get two-                thirds of seats.
⦁ In 1925, he declared himself the dictator of Italy.

Foreign policy of Italy under Mussolini

                                    ‘’Make Italy great, feared and respected again”
⦁ Occupied Corfu in 1923 from Greece but retuned after securing reparations.
⦁ Reoccupied Fiume from nationalist in 1924.
⦁ Invasion of Abyssinia 1935--- a revenge for the defeat of 1896, Abyssinia was liberated in 1941.
⦁ Supported a fascist Francis Franco during Spanish Civil war 1936, sent 80,000 troops during the          war, but Italian soldiers were poorly equipped and Franco blamed them for many Fascist defeats.
⦁ Rome-Berlin Axis-1936--- Italy signed first treaty with Germany in Nov 1936.
⦁ Comintern Pact 1937—Italy, Germany and Japan signed a pact aimed at Crushing USSR.
        Italy during World War 2
⦁ Believing Germany would win the war, it joined the war in 1940, and it invaded Egypt through            Libya but was forced to retreat by the British forces.
⦁ In Oct 1940, it invaded Greece through Albania but experienced another defeat.
⦁ It lost Abyssinia in 1941
⦁ Mussolini was deposed by King and at last executed in 1945.