By The45Girl
Achieved power on 29 Oct 1922 after the March on Rome when the King appointed him Prime
Minister.
- Although Fascists had only 7% support in May 1921 elections.
Strengths of Mussolini
Squadristi
- 1922: up to 250,000 members. Attracted funding and support from conservatives.
- Killed more than 3000 socialists.
- Assured elites that no fascist revolution would ever happen even though he publicly
preached about the importance of violence to stop Bolshevikism.
Fascist paper Il Popolo d’Italia important in communicating Fascist idea.
March 1919, Arditi member Benito Mussolini formed Fasci di Combattimento (Battle Group) in
attempt to unite all right-wing grps
* Established Fascist Programme June 6th
- Combination of right + left-wing demands
o Universal suffrage
o Minimum wage + workers’ rights
o Strong military
- Strongly nationalist
- Hatred of liberal state
Strong ras (local organisations)
Strong alternative to communism (Muss. was charismatic, flexible, pragmatic; exploited
middle & upper-class fear of cmmn.)
Opportunism
- Oct 1921: Fasci di Combattimento reformed into National Fascist Party (PNF); dropped
left-wing elements of 1919 Fascist Programme such as republicanism and anti-
clericalism.
- Muss. Could do this because he was leader of Party; ras dec. influence.
- Deliberately, like Hitler, kept policy statements vague, just against socialism and for
strong Italy.
- Pope Pius XI and Archbishop of Milan supported fascists.
- End of 1921: PNF claimed 200,000 members.
Elites
(Bienno Rosso) 1 mill. workers began wave of militant action lasting 2 years
Strikes, factory occupations, land takeovers
Organised by trade unions / peasant leagues
• Trade union membership up from 250,000 to 2 mill. by 1919
Local govts in north taken over by socialists
• Industrialists + landowners feared communist revolution starting
Achieved power on 29 Oct 1922 after the March on Rome when the King appointed him Prime
Minister.
- Although Fascists had only 7% support in May 1921 elections.
Strengths of Mussolini
Squadristi
- 1922: up to 250,000 members. Attracted funding and support from conservatives.
- Killed more than 3000 socialists.
- Assured elites that no fascist revolution would ever happen even though he publicly
preached about the importance of violence to stop Bolshevikism.
Fascist paper Il Popolo d’Italia important in communicating Fascist idea.
March 1919, Arditi member Benito Mussolini formed Fasci di Combattimento (Battle Group) in
attempt to unite all right-wing grps
* Established Fascist Programme June 6th
- Combination of right + left-wing demands
o Universal suffrage
o Minimum wage + workers’ rights
o Strong military
- Strongly nationalist
- Hatred of liberal state
Strong ras (local organisations)
Strong alternative to communism (Muss. was charismatic, flexible, pragmatic; exploited
middle & upper-class fear of cmmn.)
Opportunism
- Oct 1921: Fasci di Combattimento reformed into National Fascist Party (PNF); dropped
left-wing elements of 1919 Fascist Programme such as republicanism and anti-
clericalism.
- Muss. Could do this because he was leader of Party; ras dec. influence.
- Deliberately, like Hitler, kept policy statements vague, just against socialism and for
strong Italy.
- Pope Pius XI and Archbishop of Milan supported fascists.
- End of 1921: PNF claimed 200,000 members.
Elites
(Bienno Rosso) 1 mill. workers began wave of militant action lasting 2 years
Strikes, factory occupations, land takeovers
Organised by trade unions / peasant leagues
• Trade union membership up from 250,000 to 2 mill. by 1919
Local govts in north taken over by socialists
• Industrialists + landowners feared communist revolution starting
