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Home , 1913 in Italy, Biennio Rosso, Centrism (Italy), Francesco Saverio Nitti, Giovanni Giolitti, History of Italy

The Kingdom of : Unity or Disparity, 1861-1945

Part V: War, Peace, and 1914-1922

Interventionists Neutralists Nationalists Socialists At first favored entry on the side of the Triple “Neither support nor sabotage” Socialist principle of ; later recognized lack of support for this Futurists war as the product of ; the workers would action and advocated entry against - suffer while the bourgeoisie would get rich to make Italy controller of the Adriatic

Mussolini Revolutionary Socialist and Revolutionary Alceste de Syndicalist favored entry in war because they The Ambris believed it would bring on revolution majority Aware of the physical, financial, and psychological costs of war; knew the in war of the Italian Gabriele Poet, proto-, futurist, “celebrity,” glorifier of d’Annunzio violence and extremism people

Industrial contracts and subsidies, profit groups

Radicals, Republicans, “democratic interventionists” believed the had to be defeated to safeguard Independent and end and wars Socialists

National and dynastic honor Monarch

PM Antonio Believed Great Britain and would win and that the war would be over by the end of 1915; share Salandra in the spoils of victory (also FM Sonnino)

“Mutilated victory”

• 571,000 killed in action • 57,000 POWs who did not return (presumed dead) • 60,000 MIA • 412,000 disabled • 589,000 civilians died from war, hunger, and disease Economic collapse • Cost of war estimated at 148 billion lire—2x as much as all government expenditures from 1861-1913 • Enormous inflation—cost of living rose from base 100 in 1913 to 268.1 in 1919 • Real wages plummeted to 64.6% of their 1913 level • Massive unemployment • Agricultural output fell—wheat production fell by over half Mussolini at Piazza San Sepolcro, , 23, 1919, organizing the first fasci di combattimento —Spring 1919-

• Number of strikes 1918 3270 1919 3 to 4 million 1920 14.1 million

• Membership in CGIL (Socialist labor union) 1918 249,000 1919 1,159,000 1920 2,320,000

Party Ideology Leader Pct Seats 32.3 156 Italian Socialist , +104 Party (PSI) 20.5 100 of 1919 Italian People's Christian New Party (PPI) democracy, Popularism

15.9 96 Liberals, New Democrats and , Vittorio Emanuele Orlando Radicals (LDR)

10.9 60 Democratic Social Giovanni Antonio Colonna New Party (PD) liberalism, Radicalism

8.6 41 (UL) Liberalism, -229

4.1 20 Combatants' Italian , Veteran several New Party (PdC) interests

Radicalism, 1.9 12 (PR) -50

Economic , 1.5 7 Ferdinando Bocca New Party (PE) Liberalism 1.4 6 Reformist Socialist Social -13 Party (PSRI) democracy,

Radicals, 1.2 5 Republicans, New Socialists and Combatants 0.9 4 Italian Republican Republicanism, Salvatore Barzilai -4 Party (PRI) radicalism Independent 0.6 1 socialism Socialists -8 Antonio 21 Liberal Union Salandra 5 November UL 1914

5 November Liberal Union “radiant days of May” as 1914 UL-PRI interventionists and neutralists clash in 18 Milan

Austrian breakthrough of Italian lines 18 June 1916 Liberal Union 30 October Govt. Of National Unity 1917 UL-PR-UECI-PSRI Disaster of

Vittorio 30 October Liberal Union Emanuele 1917 Govt. Of National Unity Orlando 23 UL-PR-UECI-PSRI Biennio Rosso begins

Francesco 23 June 1919 Italian Radical Party Saverio Nitti 21 UL-PLD-PPI-PR-PSRI 21 May 1920 UL-PLD-PPI-PR 15 June 1920

Giolitti 15 June 1920 Liberal Union 4 UL-PLD-PPI-PR-PSRI-PDSI Biennio Rosso ends

Ivanoe Bonomi 4 July 1921 It. Reformist Socialist 26 February Party 1922 PPI-PLI-PLD-PDSI-PSRI

Luigi Facta 26 February Liberal Union /Italian 1922 Liberal Party 1 PPI-PLI-PLD-PDSI-PSRI-PA

1 August 1922 PPI-PLI-PLD-PDSI-PSRI 31 March on