Rise and creation of the dictatorship

• Orlando had demanded that Italy should be given all the land from the Treaty of London as well as the Port of Fiume.

  • The Allies rejected this refusing to give up Fiume and even some of the land from the Treaty such as the Dodecanese islands and parts of the Balkans
• Orlando walked out of the Peace conference in April, he tried to return in May but his proposals were ignored. So in June he resigned
• 12th September 1919 Gabriele d'Annunzio and 2000 men marched into Fiume and took over
• The Government did nothing about d'Annunzio for 15 months. Until 25th December 1920 when him and his men were removed from Fiume
• in 1919 - 2 million people were unemployed, made worse by demobilised soldiers
• 1921 - banking crisis, the Banco di Sconto had to close
• 1919 - 1920, the Biennio Rosso, 'two red years'
• In 1918 there were 250,000 members of socialist unions. By 1920 there were 2 million members
• September 1920 - huge strike 400,000 workers took over factories and flew the communist and anarchist flag over buildings for nearly 4 weeks
• After WW1 the electorate was extended. 11 million people now had the vote in Italy. Anyone who had served in the war and any man 21+. The voting system now used proportional representation
• 1919 election:

  • PSI - 32%, 156 seats
  • PPI - 101 seats
• 23rd March 1919 - Mussolini called representatives of 20 ex-servicemen's leagues. Wanted to form the Fasci di Combattimento
• 15th April 1919 - fascist squad of 200-300 attacked a socialist demonstration in Milan
• First 5 months of 1921 - 200 killed and 1,000 wounded in fascist violence against the Socialists
• In May 1921 - the Fascists won 7% of the vote and gained 35 seats
• May 1920 - the second Fascist national congress was held, where the New Programme was adopted
• October 1921 - the fascist were formally organised into the Partito Nazionale Fascista or PNF
• By the end of 1921 the Fascists had 200,000 members
• 9th June 1920 - Nitti resigned
• 25th September 1920 - Giolitti was able to bring about and end to the Biennio Rosso through encouraging businesses to allow worker's shares in their companies and representatives on management boards
• July 1921 - Mussolini called for an end to Squadristi violence
• In August 1921 - Mussolini signed the pact of pacification with the socialist trade unions and the PSI
• 18th August 1921 - Mussolini resigned as leader of the PNF
• In November 1921 at the PNF conference members voted to support Mussolini as leader and for the organisation into an official party
• From Spring 1922 - Fascist violence expanded
• By 1922 the PNF had 320,000 members and nearly 1/2 million workers had joined fascist trade unions
• 24th October 1922 - speech to the squadristi the Fascists should be allowed to govern or they would March on Rome
• 28th October 1922 - the King was informed of growing Fascists take over. He agree to Fact's request and declared a state of Emergency and for Mussolini to be arrested. However by 9 am he had changed his mind and did not sign the decree or declare a state of emergency
• 29th October 1922 - The king offered Mussolini the role of Prime Minister in a coalition government
• 30th October 1922 - Mussolini was sworn in as PM
• 31st October 1922 - 50,000 Fascists marched in a victory parade saluting the King (the March on Rome)
• Mussolini made himself foreign minister and minister of the interior when he came to power
• In February 1923 the ANI was officially absorbed into the PNF
• July 1923 - the leader of the PPI resigned
• 16th November 1922 - Speech, offering to work with parliament but threatened violence to any who challenged him
• In November 1922 - a year of emergency powers was passed 306 votes to 116 votes
• December 1922 - the Fascist Grand Council was set up
• Jan 1923 - the MSVN was set up to absorb the squadristi
• Acerbo Law - 2/3 of seats given to those who won 25% of the vote
• Election 6th April 1924:

  • 64% electorate turnout
  • The fascists won 66% of the vote