Studied by 3 peopleWhen was Mussolini appointed PM?
30th October 1922
Why was a Fascist government not yet possible? (2 reasons)
Did not have a majority of Fascist MPs in parliament + King would probably not let him do away with parliament
Who was in Mussolini’s coalition government?
Liberals, Popolari and fascists
How many senior ministers were fascist?
4/14
Why did this reassure the liberals and conservatives?
Once fascists had crushed the socialists they could be absorbed into the regime or dispensed.
Mussolini was minister of the interior, which gave him control over what?
Police
How did he intimidate parliament?
Fascist violence
Why was Mussolini granted new powers by parliament? (2 reasons)
Told MPs the that there was a huge breakdown of law and order + ‘big threat’ of socialist revolution and drastic measures needed to be taken.
What did Mussolini say about any powers he would be granted?
They would be temporary
What does it mean to rule by decree?
Create laws without consulting parliament
Mussolini received a huge vote of confidence and received emergency powers for how long?
12 months
When was the grand council of fascism created?
December 1922
Mussolini wanted to reduce the influence of provincial fascist leaders, how did he do this?
Converted the Fascist squads into a national militia (funded by the state)
How many people were in this private army?
30,000 men
What was Confindustria?
A powerful, conservative organisation representing big businesses.
Why did Mussolini not attack widespread tax evasion?
to show industrialists he wasn’t a dangerous radical
How did Mussolini gain support from the church? (2 reasons)
Intended to ban contraception + make RS compulsory in schools
How did the pope show his support? (2 reasons)
Dropped support from Popolari + instructed leader to leave Italy
What was the Acerbo law?
The political party with the most votes in an election get 2/3 of the seats in the chamber of deputies?
What did this mean if the fascists came to power?
It would become impossible to vote them out of power
How did Mussolini rig elections? (2 reasons)
Fascist squads would destroy offices of opposition newspapers + prevent opposition from reaching polling booths.
When was the Acerbo law passed?
July 1923
When was the next election?
April 1924
Who did the Fascists campaign with in the 1924 election?
The Liberals (including Salandra)
How many people voted for the Fascists?
4.5 million which represented 66% of the vote (a clear majority)
How much did Fascist MPs increase by?
35 to 374
How many votes did the socialists and communists get?
2.5 million
Where did the resilience of support for opposition parties come from?
Northern cities Milan and Turin didn’t have fascist majorities
When was Matteotti killed?
10th June 1924
Why was Matteotti killed?
Delivered a speech denouncing fascism and its violence
Who was the main suspect and why was it a problem for Mussolini?
Cesare Rossi - he was Mussolini’s press secretary and confidant
What was the Aventine secession?
Anti-Fascist MPs walked out of parliament in protest against fascist violence, hoping that this would encourage the king to sack Mussolini.
How did Mussolini create the impression he wanted an open and fair investigation?
Ordered arrests of Fascist suspects + put a Conservative as minister of the interior
Why did the King not sack Mussolini?
Feared it would strengthen the revolutionary left and lead to civil war (a point echoed by the Pope)
How did the Liberals see the affair?
An opportunity to increase their influence over Mussolini
When was press censorship introduced?
July 1924
Did the government manage to suppress the controversy created by the Matteotti crisis?
No. The Liberals who had supported Mussolini now protested against him
When did the leading fascists present Mussolini with an ultimatum?
December 1924
What was included in the ultimatum?
If Mussolini did not end the Matteotti affair immediately and establish a dictatorship, they would withdraw their support
When did Mussolini accept all responsibility for fascist actions?
In a speech on 3rd January 1925
What gave Mussolini the confidence to create his dictatorship? (2 reasons)
Majority in parliament + confident the king wouldn’t move against him
Why was the opposition in the chamber not a threat?
It was divided + lacked leadership + compromised by its earlier support for fascism
When did Mussolini establish a committee to reform the constitution?
January 1925
What were the Leggi Fascistissime?
Fascist laws that banned opposition political parties and free TUs
When were the Leggi Fascistissime passed?
December 1925
How was fascist control on local government tightened?
Replaced elected mayors with nominated officials
What was the new special court used for?
To try political crimes
When could Mussolini grant the right to issue decrees carrying full force of the law without parliament?
January 1926
Did Mussolini have to consult parliament on laws anymore?
No, they didn’t even have the right to debate laws or criticise government
When did the king lose the right to select the PM?
1928
Who chose the PM now?
Candidates would be selected by the Grand council of Fascism which was controlled by Mussolini
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