fascism in italy
In Italy totalitarianism emerged in the shape of Fascism under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. The world 'fascism' draws its root from the Roman word 'Fascio' which means a bundle of rods, which was once the emblem of the authority of Roman victors.
It emerged as a movement in the post World War I period not only to meet the challenges of the international communist movement but also to tackic the various problems which confronted Italy and which the Italian government was not able to tackle.
Cause for the Rise of Fascism. A number of factors contributed to the rise of Fascism in Italy.
In the first place though Italy fought on the side of the victorious Allies in the First World War, she emerged from the war a defeated nation. She was not happy with the terms of peace settlement because she was not given what had been promised to her by the Treaty of London concluded during the war.
At the peace conference as the interests of Italy and Yugoslavia conflicted the Allies preferred to favour Yugoslavia. Naturally Italy felt dissatisfied, disappointed and considerably wounded in her self- esteem. Prof. J. Hampden Jakson has summed up the position thus "Italians felt themselves disgraced in the eyes of the world, swindled by their own politicians. War had cost Italy dear, draining her of money, saddling her with budget deficit of over twelve thousand million lire, forcing up the cost of living."
Secondly, in the wake of war, Italy resorted to demobilization which created serious unemployment and bred discontent. There were wide spread strikes and lock-outs in the country.
Hungry mobs organized a number of uprisings and there were frequent riots. Even the middle classes were greatly impoverished. The existing democratic government was considered to be too feeble to tackle the numerous problems con fronting the country.
In fact there was complete political instability in the country and between 1919 and 1922 six coalition governments were formed in Italy.
It emerged as a movement in the post World War I period not only to meet the challenges of the international communist movement but also to tackic the various problems which confronted Italy and which the Italian government was not able to tackle.
Cause for the Rise of Fascism. A number of factors contributed to the rise of Fascism in Italy.
In the first place though Italy fought on the side of the victorious Allies in the First World War, she emerged from the war a defeated nation. She was not happy with the terms of peace settlement because she was not given what had been promised to her by the Treaty of London concluded during the war.
At the peace conference as the interests of Italy and Yugoslavia conflicted the Allies preferred to favour Yugoslavia. Naturally Italy felt dissatisfied, disappointed and considerably wounded in her self- esteem. Prof. J. Hampden Jakson has summed up the position thus "Italians felt themselves disgraced in the eyes of the world, swindled by their own politicians. War had cost Italy dear, draining her of money, saddling her with budget deficit of over twelve thousand million lire, forcing up the cost of living."
Secondly, in the wake of war, Italy resorted to demobilization which created serious unemployment and bred discontent. There were wide spread strikes and lock-outs in the country.
Hungry mobs organized a number of uprisings and there were frequent riots. Even the middle classes were greatly impoverished. The existing democratic government was considered to be too feeble to tackle the numerous problems con fronting the country.
In fact there was complete political instability in the country and between 1919 and 1922 six coalition governments were formed in Italy.