How Did Benito Mussolini Create a fascist state in Italy?

Answer 1

Movement behind Benito Mussolini was called Fascism. Due to several factors, most notably the Great Depression and general dissatisfaction of the Italian people after the First World War, and by telling the people what they wanted to hear, he was able to gain control of the country.

Answer 2

Formed squads of terrorists to disrupt the socialist Party. By 1922, the Fascists had turned to intimidation through arson, beatings, and murder against local officials. This caused more direct power by the Chamber of Deputies. Then on October 29, 1922 he was asked to be minister. Italy and the Rise of Mussolini

• Mussolini's Rise to Power

The new state of Italy was far from being a great success in the years before 1914; the strain of the First World War on her precarious economy and the bitter disappointment at her treatment by the Versailles Treaty caused growing discontent. Between 1919 and 1922 there were five different governments, all of which were incapable of taking decisive action that the situation demanded. In 1919 Benito Mussolini founded the Fascist party which won 35 seats in the 1921 elections. At the same time there seemed to be a real danger of a left-wing seizure of power; in an atmosphere of strikes and riots, the fascists staged a 'March on Rome' which culminated in King Emmanuel III inviting Mussolini to form a government in October 1922. Mussolini remained in effective power until July 1943.

• Fascism
  1. Extreme Nationalism - an emphasis on building up the greatness and prestige of the state, with the implication that one's own nation is superior to other.
  2. Totalitarian System of Government - that is a complete way of life in which the government attempted to control and organize with strong discipline as many aspects of people's lives as possible. This was necessary to promote the greatness of the state, which was more important than the interests of the individual.
  3. One-Party State - there was no place for democracy. Fascism was particularly hostile to communism, which accounts for much of its popularity. The fascist party members were the elite of the nation and great emphasis was places on the cult of the leader/hero who would win mass support with thrilling speeches and skilful Propaganda.

4. Economic self-sufficiency- (autarchy) was vitally important in developing the greatness of the state; the government must therefore direct the economic life of the country (though not in the Marxist sense of the government owing factories and land).

5. Military Strength and Violence - were an intergal part of the way of life. Mussolini himself remarked, "Peace is absurb: fascism does not believe in it." H

• Musolini's Italy
  1. All parties except the fascists were suppressed. Opponents of the regime were either exiled or murdered. Socialist leaders Giacomo Matteotti and Giovanni Amendola were both beaten to death by the fascists. After 1926, when Mussolini felt secure in power the violence was greatly reduced. Although the Parliament still met, all important decisions were taken by the fascist Grand Council which did as Mussolini told it; in effect Mussolini, who adopted the title Il Duce (the leader), was the dictator.

2. In local government elected town councils and mayors were abolished and towns run by officials appointed from Rome. In practice the local fascist party bosses, known as ras, often had as much power as the government officials.

3. A strict press censorship was enforced in which anti-fascist nespapers were either suppressed or their editors replaced by fascist supporters. Radio, films and the theatre were similarly controlled.

4. Education in schools and universities was closely supervised, teachers had to wear uniforms, new textbooks were written to glorify the fascist system. Children were encouraged to criticize teachers who seemed to lack enthusiasm for the party. Children and young people were forced to join the government youth organizations which indoctrinated them with the brilliance of the Duce and the glories of war.

5. Corporate State - The government tried to promote co-operation between employers and workers and to end class warfare in what was known as the Coporate State. Fascist controlled unions had the sole right to negotiate for the workers and both unions and employers' associations were organized into corporations and were expected to co-operate to settle disputes over pay and working conditions. Strikes and lockouts were not allowed. By 1934 there were 22 coporations each dealing with a separate industry, and in this way Mussolini hoped to control the workers and direct production. To compensate for their loss of freedom, workers were assured of such benefits as free Sundays, annual holidays with pay, social securtity, sports and theatre facilities and cheap tours and holidays.

6. Catholic Church - Mussolini left religion outside the control of the government. He had his children baptized and married their mother in the church. He passed laws to make swearing in public a crime and allowed crosses to be hung in public buildings. He made religious education compulsory in Italy. In 1929 he signed a treaty with Gasparri. The Lateran Treaty gave the Pope 750 million lire in compensation for the land taken from him when Italy was united in 1870. It made the Vatican City an independent state with its own army, police force, law courts, and post office. The ending of the long lasting breech between the church and Italian government was Mussolini's most lasting and worthwhile achievement.

• Successes

1. Industry - gave government subsidies where necessary so that iron and steel production doubled by 1930 and artificial silk production tenfold. Hydro-electric power doubled by 1937.

2. Battle of Wheat - encourages farmers to concentrate on wheat production in a drive for self-sufficiency; by 1935 the wheat imports had been cut by 75 per cent.

3. Land Reclamation - a program was started and the Pontine Marshes around Rome were drained and reclaimed.

4. Public Works Program - this was designed to reduce unemployment. It included the building of motorways, bridges, blocks of flats, railway stations, sports stadiums, schools and new towns on reclaimed land.

Answer 3

Many underachieving nations believed that a Dictatorship was the only political answer to their domestic problems during the great depression Democracy was too slow moving and indecisive for real change and the authority that was needed.

It is a fact that the Italian Nation since the late 19 century when it was formed has never had any success with Democracy and since WW2 Italy has had more than

35 different administrations full of curruption,deceit,and incompetence submit that by nature the Italian peoples like a strong "man" in charge telling them what to do and this goes back to their Roman Empire and Cesar.

There was and always has been a very large amount of Italians who wish for a communism socialist system.The wealthy of Italy and the Roman Catholic Church supported Mussolini as a deterrent to Socialism.So did especially Franco and Hitler,but also Britain and France who held their nose and thought with Mussolini's Dictatorship the end justified the means of his Brown Shirt Goons and his expeditions to acquire Ethiopia and other North African areas for a "new" Roman Empire.Better under a Dictator than the Communists.

Mussolini promised Law and Order.Very important to combat the rife organized crime in Italy , a new empire,got the trains running on time,gave the Nation pride.

Answer 4

The conception of the State is the foundation of Fascism. The authoritarian state works through mass mobilization of the nation as a community. Mussolini rose to power with his 'fascism', due to the rise in the economic and social unrest, and by order of the prime minister during that time.

Answer 5

Benito Mussolini came to power as a socialist but he abandoned the socialism for an extreme form of nationalism known as Fascism. In 1919, he launched a local-based Fascist group and attracted many young, patriotic war veterans. In 1921, these groups came together and the Fascist Party was officially established, as a strong right-wing nationalist. He emphasized on nationalism and the importance of the collapse of socialism in Italy. This won much support from lower middle classes, wealthy agriculturalists and industrialists. He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1921, and his party gained 35 seats in the parliament. In 1922, when the political crisis worsened, King Victor Emmanuel III was forced to ask Mussolini to form a government. The year after, the party gained more than 60% of the vote and the hold on power was guaranteed. The years after, he used much propaganda and force, therefore taking control in his own hands. He dismantled the parliamentary process and turned Italy into a Fascist state.

Referenced from: Sturgeon, Alison. DK Publishing. World War II The Definitive Visual History.

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Answer 6

Movement behind Benito Mussolini was called Fascism. Due to several factors, most notably the Great Depression and general dissatisfaction of the Italian people after the First World War, and by telling the people what they wanted to hear, he was able to gain control of the country.