The Weakness of the Liberal State in 1919 Was Mainly Caused by Ww1. How Far Do You Agree?
The weakness of the liberal state in 1919 was mainly caused by ww1. How far do you agree?
The liberal state in Italy had many weaknesses and faced many problems in 1919. Many were caused by WW1 such as, social, political and economic issues, several existed before the war such as the weaknesses of the political system already in place and the dividing legacy of unification. However these problems came about, their effects became apparent in the 1919 Liberal Party elections, where they were a serious minority and their power over Italy was being threatened.
The first of many problems caused by WW1 was that it worsened political divisions that existed in Italy. The division was between the nationalists, the socialists the Pope and Catholics. The socialists were very against the war. Workers were forced under strict military discipline in factories and suffered poor conditions there, including long hours and low pay. When the war ended the discipline ended with it, bringing a wave of angry strikers, and the socialist party members rose from 50,000 to 200,000 from 1914 to 1919. Talk of a socialist revolution spread, inspired by the Bolshevik revolution in the Soviet Union in 1917. The Pope also criticised the war, claiming it was a useless slaughter. However on the other hand the Nationalists strongly supported the war, with the idea that Italy would gain land, meaning more power and pride for the country. However, after the war the Nationalists felt they had been subject to a ‘mutilated victory’, since Italy did not receive much of the land they were promised at the peace treaty of Versailles and London. They believed the liberal government failed to defend the nation’s interests. This led to ‘aggrieved nationalism’, the liberal government losing one of its only forms of support. To make matters worse, the nationalists blamed the socialists and the weak parliamentary system for the lack of success in the war. The pope also criticised the war, claiming it
The liberal state in Italy had many weaknesses and faced many problems in 1919. Many were caused by WW1 such as, social, political and economic issues, several existed before the war such as the weaknesses of the political system already in place and the dividing legacy of unification. However these problems came about, their effects became apparent in the 1919 Liberal Party elections, where they were a serious minority and their power over Italy was being threatened.
The first of many problems caused by WW1 was that it worsened political divisions that existed in Italy. The division was between the nationalists, the socialists the Pope and Catholics. The socialists were very against the war. Workers were forced under strict military discipline in factories and suffered poor conditions there, including long hours and low pay. When the war ended the discipline ended with it, bringing a wave of angry strikers, and the socialist party members rose from 50,000 to 200,000 from 1914 to 1919. Talk of a socialist revolution spread, inspired by the Bolshevik revolution in the Soviet Union in 1917. The Pope also criticised the war, claiming it was a useless slaughter. However on the other hand the Nationalists strongly supported the war, with the idea that Italy would gain land, meaning more power and pride for the country. However, after the war the Nationalists felt they had been subject to a ‘mutilated victory’, since Italy did not receive much of the land they were promised at the peace treaty of Versailles and London. They believed the liberal government failed to defend the nation’s interests. This led to ‘aggrieved nationalism’, the liberal government losing one of its only forms of support. To make matters worse, the nationalists blamed the socialists and the weak parliamentary system for the lack of success in the war. The pope also criticised the war, claiming it