In the decade before the First World War, leadership of Giovanni Giolitti and economic growth seemed to offer a new chance for the Liberal state to re-establish itself. The huge scale of the Liberal party's victory in the 1906 general election guaranteed many new faces among the ranks of Liberal MPs, who were in favour of change in the field of social welfare. Between the years 1906 and 1914, the Liberal state took steps to improve the health standards and the living & working conditions of the lower class. The new legislation targeted many sectors of people, but the main area were the working class who were under risk of poverty, due to illness or unemployment. The state also targeted Italy’s old and new generation, which in this case were the children and the old pensioners of Italy. Giolitti hoped that increase in wealth and prosperity would make the country’s liberal institutes more acceptable and secure.
The welfare of children was the first task undertaken by Giolitti’s new government. Since the Local Education Authorities in 1902 were introduced the issue of malnourished had increased dramatically. “It is the height of cruelty to subject half starved children to the process of education”, this was the report given by the Committee on Physical Deterioration. Giolitti tried to solve this problem by introducing the Education Act of 1906, where the education authorities could enable school meals for inadequate children.
By this time outbreaks of disease were increasing very fast, especially in young children. Therefore in 1907 the Education Act made medical inspections for children compulsory. In the mean time, Giolitti managed to initiate the Children’s Act of 1908, which meant that neglected and abused children could be taken to homeless centres. Juvenile courts were set-up to remove child offenders from adult courts and prisons.
Meanwhile, majority of Italians began to realize that even though Giolitti’s aim of bringing all groups together might have been fine in theory it was clearly not working in practice. By trying to win over Catholics and Socialists he only achieved in upsetting his own Liberal supporters. By this time it was very clear that by trying to phase one section he alienated another. As part of Giolitti’s attempt to win over all key groups, he somehow managed to get drawn into the old policy of foreign expansion to win support. Under extreme pressure from Nationalists, Giolitti attacked Libya, which was then ruled by Turkey, and defeated the opposition forces. Italy was finally victorious in a war. However, many ordinary Italians had an aversion to the war, they were made to fight in a war, which they didn’t comprehend. By going to war with Turkey might have reduced pressures from the far Right Nationalists, but it managed to invite heavy criticisms from the Socialists. Giolitti had to face up to a new challenge: the growth of Socialism, which was a development that startled many Italians.
Some historians go in favour of Giolitti and try to argue that by 1914 Italy was on the way towards security. However some managed to point out some factorial issues, which might confront Giolitti in his efforts to make the regime more secure. Such as:
- Could Giovanni Giolitti gain the support of the masses yet keep that of the traditional elites?
