The Rise of Italian Fascism – 0405a

* The temper of the times (1920s and 1930s)

- massive changes of the I.R., European nation-building, and imperialism created a sense of panic,

confusion, and hope

-> whole industries and ways of living obliterated and replaced

-> new nations and communities appearing and struggling to appear

-> role of women and family changing in new and unexpected ways

-> mass media bringing all manner of new and strange ideas to every corner

-> democracy had not proven terribly effective at avoiding economic booms and busts or WWI

- some desired a "firm hand" to guide these rapid changes

- at the same time, the new State was seductive

-> new bureaucratic forms, communication technologies, tax policies, and economic understandings

made possible governments inconceivably powerful in previous areas

=> States were capable of building giant dams, providing elementary education to all, etc.

-> big government seemed a positive good to very many people

- The Russian Bolshevik revolution was a sword hanging over all heads

-> in industrial countries, many workers saw the USSR as a positive model

-> conservatives, businessmen, religious people, etc. in fear of communist revolution

* Economic dislocations of the 1920s the catalyst for fascism

- since the 1800s, capitalism had produced shocking booms and busts

-> governments had few tools to moderate swings of unemployment, inflation, etc.

-> working-class people fed up with instability and suffering

=> wanted communists or some other "firm had" to make things work

- Germany and Italy were particularly slow to recover from WWI

* Mussolini in Italy

- the communists and socialists in Italy split between each other and internally

-> some Italian communists wanted Italian version of Russian Revolution

=> preparing for revolution by force or general strikes

-> some Italian communists disgusted by USSR wanted a more peaceful and non-destructive change

-> Mussolini and others abandoned communism in favor of dictatorial authoritarianism

- Mussolini creates the first fascist organization

-> militaristic, anti-democratic, anti-communist, authoritarian, modeled on corporativism

-> organizes a black-shirted paramilitary shadow army

=> picking fights with communists

+> creates street violence that makes the official government look weak

+> beating down communists is not unpopular for many Italians, looks tough

=> wandering around like neighborhood watch and doing boy-scout-y sorts of things to gain

public support

- Italy's conservatives, liberals, and socialists too busy arguing with each other to take Mussolini

seriously

-> many Italian conservatives secretly pleased that Mussolini is attacking the communists

- seeing an opportunity in 1922, Mussolini threatens to "March on Rome"

-> militarily, it is an empty threat

-> the King of Italy wants communism stopped and wants a government that does more than argue

=> refuses to declare martial law and arrest Mussolini

+> suddenly, Mussolini gains prestige as a serious threat

-> conservative Italians hope Mussolini will be tamed by power and also stop commies

=> if Mussolini actually runs the government, he'll have to stop being a goon

=> he'll also have to either pull off his fantastic promises or loose popularity

-> King Victor Emmanuel III makes Mussolini the legal prime minister

* Mussolini in power

- Mussolini pushes propaganda through state and mass media

- makes a lot of threatening nationalistic noise

- closes down free speech and violently attacks voices opposing him

- fixes elections so 25% of vote yields 67% of seats in congress

-> 67% will let one rewrite the Italian constitution

- organizes government along the lines of corporativism

- begins violent repression of communists

- expands the Italian army and begins to threaten Eritrea and Ethiopia

- creates and authoritarian police state

-> law, economics, schools, hiring, etc. favors fascist interests

-> opposition equals arrest

- Mussolini's opponents never given time or space to oppose him