The Acerbo Law 1923
This meant that any political party that was the largest in elections automatically got two-thirds of the Parliamentary deputies. By terrorization and clever manipulation the Fascists won 65% of the votes that year and controlled the Chamber of deputies. This meant any law that Mussolini needed to strengthen his power would be passed.
The murder of Matteotti
The Fascists murdered a leading socialist Giacomo Matteotti in 1924. In the beginning, many criticised this murder and saw it as a sign of the Fascists being out of control. However the King and the liberals still supported Mussolini because of being frightened of a left-wing revolution or political chaos. Due to this fear, Mussolini used the murder to justify his growing dictatorship as a way of guaranteeing law and order.
Banning other political parties
Mussolini banned all political parties by law in January 1925. Communists were arrested and there was censorship of Italian newspapers. It was now very difficult to oppose Mussolini’s power in Italy.
Removing power from the king in 1925
The King was removed of his power to appoint and dismiss members of the Government, which had become the Grand Council of Fascism. Then the Prime Minister (Mussolini) was made Head of State as well as Government by law. The King was only a symbolic leader of Italy with no legal or political powers.
The use of dictatorial powers
Mussolini now had dictatorial powers. He could now do whatever he wanted and no one in Italy could block his decisions and laws. He used the powers to restore order.
The use of Propaganda
Mussolini and his fascist party used the propaganda as a tool for both attaining power and consolidating power. In public, Mussolini was shown as “Il Duce” (which is the Italian word for leader). The propaganda machine was directed by the Ministry of Popular Culture. It controlled newsreels, radio broadcasts, and newspaper stories glorifying Mussolini. The Fascist Party organised huge rallies at Mussolini’s Roman headquarters at Piazza Venezia, where Mussolini addressed the crowds with rousing speeches. Fascists made many propaganda axioms such as, “Il Duce is always right,” and that youth should learn to “Believe, obey, fight.” Mussolini represented himself in a range of different postures to get support from different groups. He was shown as a family man, photographed with his five children; a talented man playing the violin; hero of the peasants, harvesting grain bare-chested; brave commander in chief flying a fighter plane.
Compromise with the church
Mussolini made a compromise with the church, which had been unsuccessful for the previous governments. In February 1929 Mussolini concluded the Lateran Treaty with Pope Pius XI. Under the treaty, Italy recognized the independent sovereignty of the Vatican, paid reparations for the loss of autonomy the Vatican suffered in the 19th century, and made Roman Catholicism the official state religion. The dictator thereby broke with the western liberal tendency to separate church and state. In turn, the Catholic Church supported Mussolini’s regime more or less officially. The Catholic hierarchy was especially enthusiastic about Mussolini’s attempts to raise Italian birth rates and his antifeminist acts, including laws that made abortion a heavily punished crime against the state and regulations discouraging women from working.
