In 1911, the Italians attacked Libya in North Africa. Mussolini led demonstrations against this attack in Forli. He was arrested and sent to prison for five months. However, his action had got him noticed by socialist movements outside of Forli. He was rewarded with the job of editor of "Avanti" (Forward) the socialist newspaper – an appointment he got in April 1912. Most of the contents in the paper he did himself. The popularity of the paper increased and his views reached many people and thus expanded his influence..
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In "Avanti" he wrote
"Let a single cry arise from the vast multitudes of the proletariat and let it be repeated in the squares and streets of Italy: down with war! The proletariat provides raw material, cannon fodder with which states make their history."
In October 1915, five months after Italy’s entry into World War One, Mussolini left "Avanti". He now saw the war as a "great drama" not to be missed.
It is to you, young men of Italy…..that I address my call to arms…..Today I am forced to utter loudly and clearly in sincere good faith the fearful and fascinating word – war!"
Mussolini still claimed to be a socialist but his colleagues disagreed. At a meeting in Milan they decided to expel him from the Socialist Party. He told them
"You cannot get rid of me because I am and always will be a socialist. You hate me because you still love me."
Why did Mussolini change his stance? It is possible that the influence of his father’s nationalism might have taken precedence over his socialism. But Mussolini, like many others in Europe, answered his country’s call when it was needed. In August 1915, Mussolini had been called up for military service.A mortar bomb wounded him in February 1917 and this put an end to his military service.
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In February 1923, Mussolini and the Fascist Grand Council introduced the Acerbo Law. This law changed election results. Now if one party got just 25% (or more) of the votes cast in an election, they would get 66% of the seats in parliament.
When it came for Parliament to vote on the Acerbo Law, many politicians agreed to a law that would almost certainly end their political careers if they were not fascists. Why did they do this?
The gallery in the hall in which the politicians voted was filled with armed fascist thugs who had a good view of anybody who spoke out against the law. The threat was clear and real. If you voted for the law, you would be fine. If you did not, then you were certainly in danger from fascist thugs.
Mussolini did say in the spring of 1924 that "a good beating did not hurt anyone."
In the March election that followed the Acerbo Law, the Fascist Party got 65% of the votes cast and, therefore, easily got the 2/3rds of parliamentary seats – a clear majority. That people were intimidated into voting for the Fascists or that the Fascists took ballot papers from those who might have voted against Mussolini were brushed aside. The Fascists who were elected were bound to support Mussolini. In this sense, the Acerbo Law was an important move to dictatorship in Italy.
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Blackshirt thugs did beat up critics but that did not stop Giacomo Matteotti from publicly condemning Mussolini. Matteotti was murdered almost certainly by fascists and Mussolini was held responsible for this. There was overwhelming public outrage at the murder as Matteotti was Italy’s leading socialist Member of Parliament. Newspapers and wall posters condemned Mussolini and in the summer of 1924 there was a real possibility that Mussolini would have to resign.
A number of non-fascist politicians walked out of Parliament in protest at the murder. This gesture only served to play into Mussolini’s hands as it got rid of more parliamentary opposition. The protestors – named the Aventine protestors – appealed to the king, Victor Emmanuel, to dismiss Mussolini but the king disliked the protestors more than Mussolini because they lent towards republicanism and he refused to take action.
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The electoral system was changed again in 1928. Mussolini said after the change:
Any possibility of choice is eliminated…..I never dreamed of a chamber like yours."
Workers and employers unions (now known as corporations) were entitled to draw up the names of 1000 people they wanted considered for parliament. The Grand Council selected 400 of these names i.e. people they would approve of. The list of 400 names was presented to the electorate for approval. They could only vote for or against the whole list – not the individual candidates. In 1929, 90% of the electorate voted for the list and in 1934, this figure had increased to 97%. However, all those on the list were Grand Council approved so they were no more than ‘lap dogs’ for Mussolini with no real political power. In 1939, Parliament was simply abolished.
The power of the Fascists was even felt at regional and local level where mayors, who had been very powerful at a local level, were replaced by magistrates appointed in Rome and answerable to Rome alone.
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Like Britain and France, Italy had joined in the so-called "Scramble for Africa" in the C19. However, the prize territories had been conquered by others and Italy was left with unimportant areas such as Eritrea and Somaliland. The Italians had attempted to expand in eastern Africa by joining Abyssinia to her conquests, but in 1896, the Italians were heavily defeated by the Abyssinians at the Battle of Adowa.
This defeat had an enormous impact on Italian pride. The loss of 6000 men against a backward army from Abyssinia was difficult for the Italian people to comprehend. However, this defeat did not stop politicians in Italy planning for a new attempt to take over Abyssinia
As well
Italy got very little out of the Treaty of Versailles. She had fought on the side of the Allies and expected more as a member of the conquering nations. In fact, Orlando, the Italian representative at Versailles, had been barely spoken to by the American, British and French representatives. This by itself, insulted Italian national pride.
Mussolini’s declaration of war on Ethiopia followed the pattern of Italian Prime Minister Francesco Crispi (1887-1891) who attempted to implement the Treaty of Uccialli (1890) in Ethiopia. However, the Treaty was fraudulent because, the European version was written to create the deception that Emperor Menelik had given Italy territory. Contrary to the first version, the second version of the Treaty, written in Amheric, stated the need for cooperation with Italy if Ethiopia desired. There was no reference, in the second version, to extending Italy Ethiopian territory. It was Empress Taitu who challenged the deception of the Treaty before the Italian representative to Emperor Menelik and by becoming directly engaged in implementing military strategy against Italy. The failure of Italy to rectify her deception resulted in the Battle of Adwa and the defeat of Italy.
Mussolini followed a strategy of deception with Ethiopia not unlike that of his predecessor Crispi in that he claimed territory (WelWel) in Ethiopia that he demanded belonged to Italy. However this was not the case as WelWel was several miles within the boundaries of Ethiopia. Mussolini used this false claim to enter into a vicious campaign against Ethiopia. Italy’s actions led to vigorous diplomatic and military protests on the part of Ethiopia and Ethiopians of the Western Hemisphere.
http://www.marcusgarveylibrary.org.u...thioempire.htm
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Versailles
http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/moder...l/versahtm.htm
Vittorio Orlando was the prime minister of Italy. Italy had declared war on Germany in 1915 after the Secret Treaty of London. In the treaty France and Britain had agreed that Italy would be given the Adriatic coast at the end of the war.
When Orlando arrived at Versailles he expected France and Britain to keep their promises.
Italy was given the two small areas of Istria and the South Tirol. The Adriatic coast was made part of a new country called Yugoslavia, which included Serbia and Bosnia.
Most Italians believed that Italy had been treated very badly at Versailles.
460,000 Italians had died in the war, but at Versailles Orlando was almost ignored.
Italy had not been given the land that had been promised at the Secret Treaty of London.
Italy was heavily in debt, mostly to the USA.
This led to unemployment and unrest in many parts of Italy from 1919 onwards and led to increasing support for Benito Mussolini, the leader of the Fascist Party. He promised to rebuild Italy and recreate the Roman Empire.
http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk...00_to_1939.htm