Growth of support for facism was a reason for Mussolinis appointment as Prime Minister,however there were many other reasons for Mussolinis appointment as PM, but growth of support was very important for him. The war and the mutilated victory, had an affect on Mussolinis appointment as PM. The main reason wad that the nationalists were bitterly disappointed that italy didn’t make any gains during the war. The nationalists claimed that Italy had been betrayed by the Liberal government, this shows that the nationalists might have wanted to overthrow the Liberal government and therefore supported Mussolini before he was appointed. This links into the title point that Mussolini had a wide support base and that it was growing.
How far do you agree that the limited appeal of Mazzini’s ideas was the main reason for the slow progress of national unity in Italy in the years 1815 – 48? National unity is when a nation comes together through sharing the same physical and religious beliefs. During 1815 and 1848 man revolutions took place in Italy, specifically in The Papal states, Piedmont, Sicily, Modena and Parma. The revolutionaries varied from students to soldiers who were all fighting against the Monarchy. The monarchy treated its states people terribly and they were fed up, this is how the revolutionaries came to be, in general the revolutionaries were to an extent successful because they overthrew the monarchies however they were then beaten by the Austrian reinforcements that the monarchy asked help from.
They saw the quickly growing countries as a threat, this all lead to the First and Second World War. The great conflagrations of the 20th century were caused by the leadership, nationalism and revolutionary tactics of the unified Germany and Italy. One of the main factors that made the unifications of both Germany and Italy to become so drastic were the leaders. These men caused the shift of power in Europe; basically resulting in conflagrations of the twentieth century, mainly the first and second World Wars. Both Count Camillo Cavour of Italy and Prussian Prime Minister Otto Von Bismarck brought their respective nations to unify in their own respective ways.
Influenced by the Russian Revolution of 1917, a series of strikes and revolts had broken out making Italy nothing but a ground for organised crime. The elected liberal government could not do anything but stand and watch as riot let loose leaving Benito Mussolini to take matters into his own hands in order to combat unrest, manipulating Italy’s Prime Minister Giovanni Giolitti in the making, this being the beginning of Mussolini’s rise to power. One of Mussolini’s first moves, inspired by the red shirts, was to gather nationalist intellectuals, young land owners whom opposed peasants and former army officers to form a group known as the Paramilitary Blackshirts – Mussolini’s military tool in his political movement. This was the beginning of the growth of Fascism in Italy. The paramilitary Blackshirts were used by Mussolini to torture those who opposed the fascist movement, as Mussolini’s power grew, the Paramilitary Blackshirts methods became harsher and Fascism grew.
Mussolini’s position as prime minister in October 1922 was by no means secure, the king was still able to at any time dismiss him if any opposition to the fascist party was high and people wanted an alternative government. From the start Mussolini intimidated his opponents and rivals. In 1922 November the 16th he held his first speech as prime minister, he claimed he could with 300,00 black shirts behind him create a fascist government if he wanted to, the parliament responded to his disguised threat by giving the government new votes of confidence. Ex prime ministers Giolitti and facta voted in favour, and he was granted emergency powers. He also had to strengthen his position in the party he created a fascist
It is important to note that Mussolini also advocated ideas of anti-egalitarianism and elitism, making him a very peculiar socialist. He was tied up in underground financial deals which may have changed certain of his political conceptions. When WWI broke out Mussolini first opposed the war but soon realized it was an opportunity (to overthrow the Hapsburg Hohenzollern families, whom he saw as imperialist and anti-socialist. He also saw WWI as an opportunity) for the working classes to rise up and participate in the Italian
He had claimed that he was the brains of the unification as well as the diplomat by saying, “We ardently wish to free Italy from foreign rule…. We want to drive out the foreigners not only because we want to see our country powerful and glorious, but because we want to elevate the Italian people in intelligence and moral development.” (Document 3) Due to the Italians being so separated because it was also partially ruled by Austria, the people of Italy eventually came together and freed the North and South, therefore uniting Italy into one nation. Giuseppe Garibaldi, who was known as the “sword” of Italian unification, helped Italy’s unification in the South, by using his “Red Shirts”. Giuseppe Garibaldi stated, “O noble Thousand! I love to remember you!
But throughout the 1930s towards WW2, the League of Nations is shown to be very weak; hence it couldn’t prevent the Abyssinia Crisis. In 1934 Mussolini attempted a coup with Austrian Nazis to overthrow President Dollfuss, however the plan failed and Dollfuss was murdered. At this point France and Italy formed an alliance which would guarantee Austria’s sovereignty. Two months later Mussolini learned of Germany’s rearmament program and began to grow suspicion of Hitler. During April 1915, the “Stresa Front” took place, which consisted of Britain, France and Italy; in which all three nations Criticised Hitler’s gamble in Austria and was reminded that his aggressive actions had breached the spirit of the Locarno Conference.
Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin were both powerful, ambitious leaders that worked their way into positions of power. Stalin took over after Lenin died to lead the USSR after the Russian Revolution. Hitler became leader of the Nazi Party and gained the people’s support with promises of a strong leader that resisted western powers. On their rise to power, both Stalin and Hitler became leaders of political parties, eliminated opposing parties, and promised a better future for the people and country, but Stalin used the people’s support as leverage in his power struggle with Trotsky while Hitler used his passion and the economic situation in Germany to become leader of the Nazi party and gain support over the socialists. Both Hitler and Stalin started their journey towards power by joining political parties.
Theories and Perspectives in Twentieth Century Totalitarian Regimes Discuss Competing Perspectives On The Maintenance of Power in One or More 20th Century Totalitarian Regimes This essay will examine the maintenance of power in fascist Italy after the October 1922 ‘March on Rome’.Benito Mussolini’s political assertiveness and opportunism had helped him capitalise on the fear of a socially complex and politically divided Italy. This essay will explore the measures he and his party took to reign in Italy’s economic and social instabilities, and how he literally disposed of the country’s political divisions. Theseactions would see his fascist party, The PNF, become the first Totalitarian Regime, and the model from which later regimes would be established. I will make comparative analysisof,and identify parallels between Mussolini’s PNF and Adolf Hitler’s Nazi party in Germany and I will deliberate competing perspectives on the function and viability of the economic, political and social programmes and policies of the party. I will use quantative data where possible to give me a better insightinto both the competing academic perspectives and the influence and effectiveness of the regimes endeavours, which will go towards helpingmeformulate as informed a conclusion of my own as possible.