However, these socio-economic reforms did not please everyone. The judicious government spending infuriated the Socialists as the wanted even more spending. The Supreme Council of Labour irritated Factory Owners and other industry leaders because it gave the workers a voice and therefore more power. It also made it easier to have strikes. Moreover, the ban on child labour also annoyed the factory owners as child labour was extremely cheap and now they couldn’t employ women as they weren’t allowed to work 11 hours a day. In addition all these socio-economic reforms angered the Nationalists who wanted increased army spending.
Giolitti’s political reforms where like all of the rest of his policies right down the middle so he would appease someone at one point and then would anger the later with a different policy. Giolitti adopted a strict neutrality of state in industrial disputes, like in 1901 allowed agricultural labourers to strike and in 1906 told police and prefects not to take employer’s part. This very obviously pleased the workers as it allowed their views to be heard. Furthermore, when the Pope allowed Catholics to stand for Parliament in 1909, he welcomed the decision even though he was wary of them at the time. This pleased the Pope and Catholics as they would have felt appreciated and it pleased the Liberals as it made it easier to form a government. This would have helped stabilise the nation, as the majority of it was Catholic. Finally in 1912 he introduced a universal male suffrage, which allowed literate men over 21 and anyone over 30. This increased the electorate from under 3 million to 8.5 million. This was music to the Socialist ears as it meant that the masses could now vote for them.
However, as with the socio-reforms these political didn’t please everyone. The strict neutrality of state in industrial disputes angered the rich, elite and factory owners, as it was their workers who were allowed strike. In general this probably hindered overall as it cost money from the state to allow the strikes to happen. Giolitti welcoming the Pope’s decision to allow Catholics to stand for parliament was not welcomed by the Socialist who were severely anti-god and therefore anti-Catholic. Furthermore the introduction of a universal male suffrage irritated the elite liberals as it marked the end of ‘trasformiso’, overall this would have hindered the stability of the political system as Giolitti allowed a powerful political party to grow and get more support.
Giolitti’s foreign policy changes constantly in order to appease everyone, which as we have already seen is not always the best policy. His unassertive foreign policy and little defence spending please the Socialists as it meant that he was spending on Social reforms. This helped the stability of the political system as he was building from the inside and consolidating Italy’s power. However, in 1911, he caved in and Italy invaded Libya and won it along with the Dodecanese Islands. This left the Nationalists ecstatic as it showed Italy as a foreign power to be reckoned with.
His unassertive foreign policy in the early years angered rich landowners and businessman, who were mainly nationalists who wanted increased spending on the army and wanted Italy to be a great foreign power. Then when Giolitti caved in and went to war he just angered the Socialists, as they wanted increased spending on Social Reforms. Furthermore, the aftermath of the war was slow, violent and expensive, in other words a disaster. The conflict was intense and there were great atrocities. This infuriated everyone and proved the socialists’ point that they should have just spent more money on social reforms. This hindered the political system as they had suffered a ‘Pyrrhic Victory’.
One could say that Giolitti’s actually increased the stability of the state as he usually sided the popular masses. But he angered the rich landowners and factory owners who, until 1912, where the only people who really mattered, in political terms. His Political reforms, brought stability to his political system like the welcoming of Catholics gained him the support of the Catholics. However, he ruined it all when he introduced the universal male suffrage as it increased the popularity of the socialists and actually put him worse off. His foreign policy first pleased the socialists and angered nationalists. They then switched when Italy invaded Libya. However, in the end it just angered everyone, as it was a ‘Pyrrhic Victory’. Overall one could say that Giolitti’s reforms did not stabilise the political system and would eventually lead to the end of ‘Liberal Italy’.
by
skillz66 (student)
