The Kingdom of Italy: Unity or Disparity, 1861-1945 Part V: War, Peace, and Fascism 1914-1922 Interventionists Neutralists Nationalists Socialists At first favored entry on the side of the Triple “Neither support nor sabotage” Socialist principle of Alliance; later recognized lack of support for this Futurists war as the product of capitalism; the workers would action and advocated entry against Austria- suffer while the bourgeoisie would get rich Hungary 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 history of Italy in war of the Italian Gabriele Poet, proto-Fascist, futurist, “celebrity,” glorifier of d’Annunzio violence and extremism people Industrial Government contracts and subsidies, profit groups Radicals, Republicans, “democratic interventionists” believed the Central Powers had to be defeated to safeguard democracy Independent and end militarism and wars Socialists National and dynastic honor Monarch PM Antonio Believed Great Britain and France 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, Milan, March 23, 1919, organizing the first fasci di combattimento Biennio Rosso—Spring 1919-September 1920 • 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 Socialism, Nicola Bombacci +104 Election Party (PSI) Revolutionary socialism 20.5 100 of 1919 Italian People's Christian Luigi Sturzo New Party (PPI) democracy, Popularism 15.9 96 Liberals, New Democrats and Liberalism, Radicalism Vittorio Emanuele Orlando Radicals (LDR) 10.9 60 Democratic Social Giovanni Antonio Colonna New Party (PD) liberalism, Radicalism 8.6 41 Liberal Union (UL) Liberalism, Centrism Giovanni Giolitti -229 4.1 20 Combatants' Italian nationalism, Veteran several New Party (PdC) interests Radicalism, 1.9 12 Radical Party (PR) Francesco Saverio Nitti Republicanism -50 Economic Conservatism, 1.5 7 Ferdinando Bocca New Party (PE) Liberalism 1.4 6 Reformist Socialist Social Leonida Bissolati -13 Party (PSRI) democracy, Reformism 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 March 1914 Liberal Union Salandra 5 November UL Apulia 1914 5 November Liberal Union “radiant days of May” as 1914 UL-PRI interventionists and neutralists clash in 18 June 1916 Milan Austrian breakthrough of Italian lines Paolo Boselli 18 June 1916 Liberal Union Liguria 30 October Govt. Of National Unity 1917 UL-PR-UECI-PSRI Disaster of Battle of Caporetto Vittorio 30 October Liberal Union Emanuele 1917 Govt. Of National Unity Orlando 23 June 1919 UL-PR-UECI-PSRI Sicily Biennio Rosso begins Francesco 23 June 1919 Italian Radical Party Saverio Nitti 21 May 1920 UL-PLD-PPI-PR-PSRI Basilicata 21 May 1920 UL-PLD-PPI-PR 15 June 1920 Giolitti 15 June 1920 Liberal Union 4 July 1921 UL-PLD-PPI-PR-PSRI-PDSI Biennio Rosso ends Ivanoe Bonomi 4 July 1921 It. Reformist Socialist Lombardy 26 February Party 1922 PPI-PLI-PLD-PDSI-PSRI Luigi Facta 26 February Liberal Union /Italian Piedmont 1922 Liberal Party 1 August 1922 PPI-PLI-PLD-PDSI-PSRI-PA 1 August 1922 PPI-PLI-PLD-PDSI-PSRI 31 October 1922 March on Rome.