Mussolini's Rise to Power

Mussolini Rise to Power

Mussolini

Due to the deeply unstable political and economic environment that Italian Fascism grew and prospered. In 1919 Benitio Mussolini founded the Fascist movement in Italy. He was an outspoken critic before the First World War of military aggression and opposed Italian participation in it. His Experiences as a soldier in WW1, and his dissatisfaction with the political unrest which that I provoked, helped push Mussolini towards the nationalist right. He offered the promise of stability within a political system which seemed chaotic.

1919 Mussolini established the Fasci di Combattimento – paramilitary squads of ex-soldiers – know for their black shirts. Engaged in violent attacks on strikers in cities and engaged in violence with the socialist groups in the country side. Mussolini’s squads were more famous for their violence then their polices. 1921 the combat group turned into an official political party: the Fascist Party. Which gained 25 seats in Italian Parliament in 1921.

Mussolini’s promise to rescue Italy from ‘feeble government’ was popular with big business and the Church, as well as property owners in the middle classes in cities and rural areas which wanted a return to stability. Also the Italian Army. Viewed as A guarantor of Law and Order.

Between 1921 and 1922, membership grew from 3000 to 300 000. Support from ex-soldiers, students, the middle classes in cities and more affluent members of rural communities. No support from agricultural workers in the south and working class industrial workers in the cities. Italian Fascism was a revolt of the middle class ...

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July 1922 the Fascist Party played a crucial role in helping the army to put down a general strike. The Government has started to become reliant on the Fascist Squads. Following this Mussolini started to demand a leading role for the Fascist Part in the coalition government as a reward for helping to quell left-wing unrest. Industrialist began to give the Fascists financial support, which greatly enhanced the national standing of the party. 1921, May, Giovanna Giolitti, the Prime minister decided to include the Fascist Party in a new coalition. ‘National Bloc’. Large selections of the army and police were supportive of Mussolini’s determination to take a strong stand against socialist and trade union members who were engaged in industrial unrest.

August 1922, socialist striked as a counter-attack against the growing nationalism of the Italian government. Mussolini portrayed the Fascist Party as the only barrier in the way of the communist take over. In October 1922, Mussolini led 50 000 of his black shirts on a march to Rome with the aim of seizing power. By this time, Victor Emmanuel III had decided to invite Mussolini to form a coalition government on his arrival. Mussolini when he arrived was immediately invited by the king to form a government.

The king believed it made sense to bring Mussolini’s violent group into the government rather than to create further division within the right of Italian society, which might have provoked a bitter civil war.
The Italian establishment, especially factions within the army, big business and the Catholic church, was willing to stand aside and allow Mussolini to establish a strong authoritarian government in order to weaken the power of organised labour and communism.