Italy was not a democracy in 1896 so the right to vote was held only by the rich due to the parliament being dominated by wealthy landowners, businessmen and professional classes; this resulted in the masses having no say in the Italian government and suggested a low level of equality which consequently led to mass levels of unrest. Evidence of this is where riots occurred on a widespread, regular basis; over 100 protestors were killed in a clash with the army in Milan, 1898 over increased food prices. This level of crisis was most present in the less advanced and more agricultural based South as opposed to the wealthy, rapidly developing North of Italy. This divide was further developed when the new Italian government abolished internal tariffs by creating free trade that did, theoretically create some level of economic unity but was crippling for the small
How significant was Mazzini in the growth of opposition to autocratic and foreign rule in Italy in the years 1831–49? (30) Mazzini was a republican nationalist who had a significant effect in the growth of anti-autocratic feeling in Italy. He had radical aims for the future of Italy and he envisioned unification. He was the first leader to indoctrinate in the minds of Italians a vision of political unification. Mazzini created the Young Italy society after the 1831 revolutions.
Labor Union strikes were the most prominent form of worker insurrection against employers. During the period of 1875-1900, many labor unions participated in strikes, however many of them failed to achieve their goals. The biggest reason that farmers and workers went on strike was clearly stated by a machinist before the Senate Committee on Labor and Capital. Because machines were taking jobs away, workers would lose their livelihood, and most likely their only source of income. In the year of 1877, employees working for the four largest railroads went on strike due to the fact that their employers cut their wages by 10 percent; this was known as the Great Rail Road Strike.
Fascism did not rise from one single event; it grew from actions of people and groups over many years. The Unification of Italy through to the post war years of 1919 – 1922 brought constant problems within the economic, social and political levels of society which led to the Fascist regime destroying a political system that had lasted 50 years. Economic, Social and Political problems post WW1 The new state of Italy was to be dominated for the next 50 years by the Liberals. They believed that under the rule of educated, progressive men, such as themselves, Italy would become a “citizenry proud of its nationality and loyal to state. (Robson, 1992)” However, reviewing the economical, social and political issues this was not to be.
Workers had virtually no bargaining power with their employers and were extremely vulnerable to economic downturns, which left them unemployed at a moment’s notice. Similarly they were forced to accept the dangerous working conditions, long hours, and often low pay offered by large enterprises (Porter, 1973) Porter, Glenn. The Rise of Big Business, 1860-1910. New York: Crowell, 1973. Nations of Nations, pp 544, 545.
Nationalism was very important as regards to the unification of Italy. It played various roles which led to success of the Italian unification, which means that nationalism is the main reason the unification of Italy occurred. The unification of Italy was as a result of the reaction against the congress of Vienna. The congress of Vienna forced direct Austrian rule in many Italian states. Unification also led to economic development and was thereby supported by conservative Politicians.
The collapse of the housing market and unemployment caused the most damage. Between 1991 to 1992 unemployment had gone back up to 2.6 million. Negative equity meant home owner were paying mortgages far higher than their homes were worth. Many people could simply not keep up with the increased prices and resulted in them losing their homes due to the bank repossessing them. The recession hit close to home for the Tories, effecting the middle class not just the working class of the industrial north.
The Cult of the Duce During Mussolini’s regime the Italian society, contrary to appearance, was not politically unified society. The organizations of the regime mobilized great masses of people, and the towns of every region in Italy were frequently packed with crowds glorifying the “Duce.” As Anthony L. Cardoza, a history professor who specializes in Modern European History at Loyola University of Chicago, portrays him in his book, Benito Mussolini: The First Fascist, Mussolini forced his political ideas on the weak Italian society. The masses nearly always took part in political demonstrations as if in a ritual, circulation of news and information was always controlled by censorship, and any comparison of ideas was extremely limited. Cardoza describes Mussolini very clearly “as the charismatic founder and leader of the world’s first Fascist regime.” The author further states that Mussolini provided the prototype for a new kind of dictator that inspired Hitler and other who dominated the first half of the twentieth century. Mussolini easily achieved total power in Italy for more than twenty years with his charisma, “his extensive use of the mass media to construct an image of the leader” , and his manipulation of Italian bureaucracy.
The rise of labor organizations resulted from the growth of industry in the 1920s and the devastating effects of the Great Depression in the 1930s (Labor Unions Rise, 2011). Unions had been present since the 1800 but they were not officially acknowledged by the government. The first organized union was the United Automobile Workers of America in 1935 by the automobile workers. Unemployment was high and employers took advantage of the employees during desperate like times of the Great Depression. Workers were paid low wages, were forced to perform in unsafe working conditions, and lack of job security caused the workers to form unions.
The other reason which forcing us to leave our own town and migrate is the government. The Italian government was hurting us, the Italian people, by high taxes, and high protective tariff on industrial goods. We can only earn so much money; however, the government takes out so much of our income. Because of the issue, we cannot make enough money to