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FASCISM IN ITALY

FASCISM IN ITALY

CAUSES OF THE RISE OF FASCISM

Why was Mussolini able to come to power in Italy?

There was a general atmosphere of disillusionment and frustration in Italy by the summer of 1919 caused by a combination of factors:

i. Disappointment at Italy’s gains from the peace settlement: Though Italy had fought from the side of the victorious Allies during the 1st world war, she emerged from the war a defeated nation. She was not happy at the peace settlement because she was not given what had been promised to her by the Treaty of London in 1915. When she entered the war the allies had promised her Trentino, the South Tyrol, Istria, and Trieste, part of Dalmatia, Adalia and Protectorate over Albania. Although she was given the first four areas, the rest were awarded to other countries. There were many ardent spirits who felt that Italy had been insufficiently compensated for her efforts and sacrifices in the war. They were not given the port Fume but was given to Yugoslavia. In September 1919, D’Annunzio captured Fiume with a number of soldiers and held the town as an independent area. The Italians government whom he condemned had no courage to take action against him. The government was neither strong nor bold enough to subdue him. However, in June 1920, after D’Annunzio had held out in Fiume for 15 months, the new Prime Minister Giovanni Giolitti decided i.e. the government authority must be restored. He ordered the army to remove D’Annunzio from Fiume- a risky more since he was ruined as a national hero. The army obeyed and D’Annunzio surrendered without a fight, but it left the government highly unpopular.

ii. The economic effects of the war: An economic crisis developed in Italy as a result of the loss of life and property in the war. Poor before, she was poorer now because of war expenditure. The government had borrowed heavily, especially from USA, and there debts now had to be repaid the value of her currency had so much depreciated. The demobilization of the army increased unemployment problems. Factories were closed and the banks decided to restrict credit facility. Even the peasantry was affected. Such a deteriorated conditions created unrest in the country.

iii. Growing contempt for the parliamentary system: votes for all men and proportional representation were introduced for 1919 election. Although this gave fairer representation than under the previous system in the parliament. After the election there were at least nine parties represented including Liberals, Nationals, Socialists, communists etc. this made it difficult for any one party to gain an overall majority and a coalition governments were inevitable. No consistence policy could be pursued and one after another Ministry came and dissolved. People were distressed due to the inability of the political parties to provide a stable government. Bold leadership was wanted and this was eventually supplied by the Fascist.

iv. Activities of the socialists: the socialists who included the anarchist, communists and the social democrats made the atmosphere more poisonous by their revolutionary ideas. They left no stones untouched to increase lawlessness prevailing in the country. The workers organized strikes, broke machines and took hold of the factories. The government prestige sank even lower because of its failure to protect property. The Italians communists’ party which was formed in 1921 made plans for capturing sick of such a state of affairs and wanted a powerful leadership in the country.

v. Efforts of the nationalists: there were many nationalists in Italy who became afraid of the activities of the communists. They wanted to save the country from falling in the hands of the communists. They were disgusted with the government’s inability to suppress disorders and were determined to undertake the task which the authorities had failed to reform. It was out of them i.e. a body of enthusiasts arose who came to be known as fascists.

vi. A wave of strikes, 1919 and 1920: As there was no stable government, in many areas, particularly in the industrial areas of the north, there was serious labour strike. In the south, socialists’ leaders of farm workers seized land from wealthy land owners and set up co-operations. The government prestige sank lower because of non availability to raw material. A socialist’s revolution was going to threaten the country.

vii. Popularity of Mussolini: Mussolini and Fascists party were attracted to many sections of Italy because he aimed to resume Italy from feeble government. At first he showed sympathy with factory occupation of 1919-20. When it failed, he changed his policy and came out as a defender of private property which helped him to get the support of the wealthy business people. Because of his anti- communist policy church also supported him slowly and steadily he won the support of people who were tired of weak governments.

viii. Lack of effective opposition: the anti-fascist groups failed to co-operate with each other and made no determined effort to keep the fascists out. The fascists set up clubs all aver the Italy and attacked socialists every where meeting violence with violence. The government was not powerful enough to control these lawless situations. The socialists must take much of blame for refusing to work with the government to curb fascist violence. A coalition of Giolitti’s nationalist and the socialists could have made a reasonably stable government, thus keeping the fascists out, but the socialists would not co-operate and this caused Giolitti, the socialists called a general strike in summer of 1922.

ix. General strike of 1922: the general strike called by the socialists in summer 1922 helped the fascists announced i.e. if the government failed to crush the strike, they would crush it themselves. When the strike failed through lack of support, Mussolini was able to pore as the savior of the nation from communism. By October 1922, the fascist felt confident enough to stage their ‘March on Rome ‘. About 50,000 black shirts converged on the capital, while others occupied important towns in the north. The Prime Minister Luigi Facta was prepared to resist. But King Victor Emmanuel III refused to declare a state of emergency and instead invited Mussolini to come to Rome and form a new government.

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