Transcript File - Mountrath CS History

The Rise of Mussolini in Italy
Benito Mussolini (1883-1945)
Exam Questions
- Ideas of Fascism
- Why people turned to fascism
- Why Mussolini gained support
- An account of Mussolini’s political
achievements
- Italy and WW2
- Mussolini’s Foreign policy
Keyterms/Words
Treaty of London: Secret treaty with Allies that promised
Italy land for joining the war
Blackshirts/Squadristi: Mussolini’s uniformed followers
OVRA: Mussolini’s secret police
Fasces: Italian fascist symbol
Il Duce: the leader. Nickname of Mussolini
March on Rome: Mussolini demanded position of Prime
Minister. King Victor Emmanual III granted his the job to
avoid a civil war
Acerbo Law: the party with the most votes got two-thirds of
the seats in parliament
Battle for Grain: Italy to grow all its own crops so it could
become self-sufficient and not rely on expensive imports.
However price of bread in Italy increased.
Pontine Marshes: marshland trained and towns
built
Lateran Pacts: agreement (concordat)
between Pope and Mussolini that ended a 60 year
feud in 1929
Abyssinia: present day Ethiopia. Mussolini
invaded in 1935
Rome Berlin Axis/Pact of Steel: Alliance with
Hitler. They would not invade each other
and help each other in times of war
Salo Republic: North of Italy that Mussolini
ruled before being captured by the Allies
Problems after WWI
• 460,000 soldiers killed
• Heavy debt
• Britain and France did not give Italy the
land they promised
• Governments were all coalitions that
couldn’t make decisions
• Rising unemployment led to unrest in
cities
The Treaty of Versailles
• Italians believed that it treated
them badly.
• Italy had not been given the land
promised at the Secret Treaty of
London.
• Italy’s foreign Minister Orlando
left before the conference ended,
feeling humiliated.
Characteristics of Fascism and
Communism
FASCISM
BOTH
Wears a uniform
COMMUNISM
Classless society- all
equal
Supports private property
Government has control
Seeks to eliminate
religion
Special salute
Glorifies military and war
No private ownership pf
land or property
Views women as inferior
Secret police
International revolution
Each class in society has
a place and function
Controls religion
State must struggle to
survive even if it means
war
One party rule
No unions/strikes
Use of youths
Appeals to the middle
class and industrialists
Controls Press
Use of propaganda
Use of mass rallies
Fascism under Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Why people turned to fascism
1. Fear of Communism
2. Use of successful propaganda
3. Many unhappy with the Treaty of Versaille
4. Many wanted their countries to be great
again and fascism promised this
5. Huge economic problems from Wall
Street Crash. People blamed democracy for
this
Mussolini gains power
• Mussolini set up a
Fascist Party and
promised to solve Italy’s
problems
• Promised to rebuild
Italy and recreate the
Roman Empire
• Organized armed gangs
called the “Blackshirts”
• Came to power in 1922
and was appointed Prime
Minister by King Victor
Emmanuel to prevent a
Communist Revolution in
Italy
How Mussolini got support
• 1. Campaigned against the Treaty of Versaille
where Italy did not get the land the were
promised. Many Italians unhappy about this
• 2. Weak coalition governments failed to tackle
problems after the war ended. Mussolini
promised to bring order to Italy
• 3. Mussolini’s followers the Squadristi, fought
street fights against communism.
This won Mussolini support from businessmen n
who helped finance his party
HOW MUSSOLINI
CREATED A
DICTATORSHIP
1922 March on Rome
• Between 1919 and 1922 the Fascists grew
from strength to strength.
• In October 1922 they organized a March on
Rome in an effort to seize control of Italy
• Their plan worked
• King Victor Emmanual III invited Mussolini to
form a government. The Fascists were in
power
"Either the government will be given to
us or will shall seize it by marching on
Rome."
March on Rome, 1922
Early popularity
• He controlled the media, which he used as a
propaganda tool to portray him as a strong, brace and
caring leader
• He introduced public works, such as the building of
motorways and the draining of marshes. These provided
employment.
• Some powerful businessmen supported his banning of
trade unions and his persecution of communists.
• In 1929 Mussolini won the support of many Catholics by
signing the Lateran Treaty with the Pope. This concordat
set up an independent Vatican State within Rome and
end a 60 year disagreement between the Pope and the
Italian Government
Wars and Downfall
• Mussolini wanted to build an empire like that of
Ancient Rome. To achieve this he led Italy into
several wars
• In 1935 he invaded Abyssinia. The League of
Nations were ineffective to stopping him.
• He sent 50,000 troops to assist dictator
Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War
• In 1936 he made an alliance with Hitler ‘RomeBerlin Axis’ and four years later he entered WW2
on the German side. This was a fatal decision.
• In 1945 he was captured by Allied forces ad
hung in a square in Milan
Mussolini and Hitler
Mussolini and Hitler
Hitler and Mussolini
had a close
relationship. In
October 1936 they
signed a nonmilitary alliance.
Mussolini signed a
full defensive
alliance with Nazi
Germany in the Pact
of Steel.
Italy during WWII
He wanted to create a
“New Roman Empire.”. At
the break out of WW2
Italy’s troops were
unprepared for the
German invasion of Poland.
Italy remained neutral.
Mussolini during WWII
Italy during WWII cont’d
Italy soon declared
war on Britain and
France but troops were
unprepared. It was
defeated by Greece.
Italy was defeated on
all fronts of the
Anglo-American
landing.
Mussolini
Mussolini’s Execution
Mussolini was taken
prisoner by the Allies
and was joined by his
mistress, Clara Petacci. A
few days later they were
shot dead. In April of
1945, their bodies were
hung at a square in Milan
for everyone to see.
Mussolini and his mistress