The arrival of fascists in Italy to power: the causes and consequences

Fascism in Italy is understood as the totalitarian policy of state capitalism, which was carried out from 1922 to 1943. Its organizer and leader was the Prime Minister of the country.

Fascism: Definition

The term has a double origin. From the Italian fascio is translated as "league". From Latin - "bunch". He acted as a symbol of the ancient Roman administration. The leader of Italian fascism - the Prime Minister of the country - made the fascia a distinctive sign of his party. Starting his activities, he sought to restore the Roman Empire. The fascia was adopted in 1919. It is believed that from that moment fascism arose. Definition in the scientific literature calls it a syncretic management model. On its basis later formed other areas.

Basic movements

Fascism and Nazism actively spread in the XX century. Many of their varieties had no common philosophical and political features. The ideological, cultural and tactical principles were not the same. At the initial stage, fascism and Nazism in different manifestations arose around the world. Under Hitler's leadership, there was a movement in Germany. At the same time, Peronism was formed in Argentina, Iron Guard was formed in Romania, phalanges were born in Spain, integralism in Brazil, and statism in Japan. In Hungary, formed "Crossed arrows" and so on.

An Important Moment

Before the Second World War, the fascists believed that their activities were based on unified philosophical principles. Each movement had its own leader. The system assumed a one-party system. And ideas were based on social Darwinism, elitarism. However, each government sought to adhere to discrete fascism about its own nation. For example, in Portugal emerged a clerical-corporate state, which was led by Salazar. In Spain, the Union of Phalangists developed. By 1945, most of the fascist governments had become isolated from Nazism. So they tried to exclude the equating of their ideas to the Hitler model.

Theoretical basis

The key ideas of the system were set out in the Doctrine. Her author was Giovanni Gentile. He acted as the founder of the doctrine of actualistic idealism. Giovanni Gentile proclaimed in his Doctrine the world of action in the human sphere. He argued that people can not exist without war. "Eternal Peace" was rejected as something fantastic.

Prerequisites for the emergence

The reasons for the coming to power of the fascists in Italy lie in the socio-economic situation at that time. The consequences of a heavy war for the country were extremely negative. The social, political, and economic problems that existed before were not only not solved, but, on the contrary, became even more acute. Promised land in the Balkans, the country has not received. Huge material and human sacrifices proved meaningless. The direct result of the war was the ruin of the economic sector. There was a production decline, an increase in external debt, an increase in unemployment. The situation of the working people has greatly worsened, which led to a sharp upsurge in the democratic and workers' movement, as well as the crisis of 1919-1920.

The most popular slogan among the protesters was the call: "To do so, as in Russia." Was referring to the revolution of 1917. In Italy, the idea of nationalizing enterprises and establishing a workers' dictatorship began to spread rapidly. Already in the autumn of 1920, workers began to seize factories in the north of the country, introducing workers' control over production. In the south, poor peasants and farm laborers became active. In this situation, the positions of the Socialist Party quickly consolidated. It became the largest political movement in the country. But because of the indecisiveness of leadership in the party there was a split. In 1921, the left wing moved away from it. It formed the Communist Party.

The arrival of the fascists to power in Italy

The year 1919 is considered the starting point for the beginning of the new movement. In March, the constituent assembly of the "Combat Unions" party was held. She was led by Benito (Duce) Mussolini. He was expelled from the socialist movement and united the disillusioned front-line soldiers, part of the intelligentsia, students, representatives of the petty bourgeoisie, various marginals with unclear political views. In his movement there were also criminal elements. All these people were united by hatred of socialism and the workers' movement.

At first the number of participants was small. But the leaders of the movement clearly guessed the mood of the masses. The arrival of fascists in Italy to power became possible due to the active use of social demagogy, speculation on popular at the time slogans. Leaders of the party gave out loud promises, trying to win the trust of different layers and classes. By the autumn of 1919 armed groups began to appear. Their participants began to terror against trade union activists and socialists. Despite the demagogic promises that Duce Mussolini gave out, the representatives of the big bourgeoisie saw in the force that they could suppress the activity of workers, protect property and bring order to the country, paying attention to the interests of the elites. In November 1921, the congress of the movement proclaimed the formation of the National Fascist Party. In the published program, the key point was the idea of "the greatness of the people".

The peculiarities of Italian fascism were that all segments of the population should serve the goals set. For this, in turn, it was necessary to establish peace between them. In this regard, the Communists and Socialists, who called for the struggle of the proletariat against the bourgeoisie, were declared enemies of national unity. Active financing of the party began. It was supported by large landowners, bankers, industrialists. They believed that the arrival of fascists in Italy to power would ensure the protection of their interests, destroy the workers' movement, force the workers to obey. With the approval of representatives of elites, the party leader delivered an ultimatum to the government in effect and organized a campaign of armed detachments to Rome. October 30, 1922 the king appoints Mussolini as prime minister.

Activity of movement

The arrival of the fascists in Italy was rejected by the majority of the population. At the first stages, the party's position was very unstable. However, almost immediately the American monopolies came to their aid. The United States graciously wrote off Italy's military debts by 80.2%. At the same time, a record low interest rate of 0.4% was set for the remaining amount. Immediately after this, Morgan's bank was granted a loan of $ 100 million in 1925, after which several more loans followed. In view of the fact that the anti-Soviet movement was the main aim of the Versailles-Washington system, the arrival of fascists in Italy to power allowed "to save Europe from communism". That is why the Prime Minister's regime "deserved financial assistance".

Universal recognition

Mussolini was considered a hero, a fighter against communism. Ambassador of the United States Child (one of the largest diplomats in America), the Prime Minister was introduced to the world as the greatest figure of the time. Similar statements came from the lips of another prominent American politician, Butler. He considered the Prime Minister the largest state husband of the 20th century. Secretary of State, and then a member of the US Armed Forces, CJ Hughes, during the crisis of 1929-1933. Said that the country needed "its own Mussolini" to solve existing political and economic difficulties. In the beginning of 1927, Churchill also visited Rome. He was impressed by the visit and fascinated by Mussolini.

A Brief Historical Reference

Mussolini was born in 1883. He was a native of the blacksmith's family. Machiavelli was his spiritual mentor. In real life, Benito Mussolini soon entered into conflict with society. The fact is that he was offered a modest work of the teacher in primary school, while he aspired to become Caesar. In 20 years, evading military service, Mussolini fled to Switzerland. Here he consistently considered himself a socialist, then an anarchist, then an atheist and so on. He lived poorly enough. He stole a lot. Then he went to jail, was expelled from Switzerland, moved to Austria.

Political activities of Benito

In 1905, as an amnestied deserter, he returned to his homeland. Entering the Socialist Party, Mussolini quickly made a career. Twice he was in prison (for a short time). I left wives with children the same number of times. In 1914, Mussolini becomes editor of the socialist body, and later organizes his newspaper, hotly defending the ideas of the Entente. After the end of the war, a powerful people's revolutionary movement was born in Italy. At this moment, the future prime minister offers his services to the capitalists and landlords. With their financial support, he collects bandits and hooligans into groups - the so-called fascist militia. In October 1922 he organized a legendary "march to Rome." A crowd of 8,000 black-shirts moved to the capital. The government was in a panic, and Mussolini was waiting for the outcome in the editorial office located in Milan. A telegram suddenly came from Rome, in which the king asked him to become prime minister.

Conclusion

In the framework of the Versailles-Washington system, the role of countries that were supposed to fulfill the role of the "kulak" of international reaction against the USSR was predetermined. First of all, it was about Germany and other powers whose governments considered themselves to be partially deprived at the peace conference. Among them was Italy. The turbid wave of the new movement, which began in it in the twenties, seemed to the imperialists a reliable guarantee not only that these powers would act as the vanguard of the anti-Soviet approach. These states were to become faithful executors of the world capitalist will.

Already in the 1920s, the policy of "democratic" countries was clearly defined. All their actions were aimed at creating conditions for the attack of so-called performers on the USSR. At the same time, the capitalist powers themselves had to remain aloof, at least in the initial stages of the war. It should be said that Italy has never played the first violin in the orchestra of European countries. The state did not have a great industrial potential, it had an uncomfortable geographical position. All this significantly limited the military capabilities of fascism in Italy.