Support for Mussolini’s Fascist regime

In July 1921 Mussolini proposed what to settle relations between the Fascists and the trade unions?

• Pact of pacification

• Settlement of spirit

• Concord or cooperation

• Bill of beauty

Answer explanation

Although the pact itself failed it did manage to counteract the idea that the Fascists were violent by presenting Mussolini as a peacemaker. It did lead some Fascists to believe to that Mussolini should be replaced.

Why did Mussolini manage to stay in position despite the failure of the pact of pacification as a policy?

• The opposition was whispered rather than vocalised

• No one else wanted to take a leadership role

• There would no viable alternatives

• There was never any real threat to Mussolini’s leadership

When Mussolini created an official Facist party in October 1921 what was its title?

• Partito No Friendito

• Partito Nefertiti Fascisto

• Partito Nationale Fascista

• Italian National Fascist Organisation

How was the PNF legitimised?

• Creation of local branches

• Collection of subscriptions

• Attraction of ‘respectable’ recruits

• A central register of all members controlled by Mussolini

The membership of the PNF had reached 200,000 by 1921, what had it reached a year later?

• 250,000

• 300,000

• 350,000

• 400,000

What did Mussolini hope to achieve with his ‘New Programme’ in 1921?

• A move away from earlier radical policies

• Attract more conservative voters

• Extend his opposition to the Catholic Church

• Promote anti-Semitic views

Where did key support for Mussolini come from in 1922? Name at least one group.

Evaluate responses using AI:

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Answer explanation

Landowners and civil servants, shop keepers, small merchants and business owners, teachers and university students, artisans and skilled craftsmen.

What were many of Mussolini’s supporters afraid of?

• Spiders

• Liberalism

• Fascism

• Socialism

Why did the SocialistLand Leagues push farmers into supporting Fascists as they perceived them as restoring law and order.

• They intimidated farmers into hiring workers they did not need

• They intimidated farmers into paying protection payments

• They promoted strikes and sabotage

• They promoted loans to buy new farm machinery

There were many reasons why workers joined Fascist syndicates. What could workers gain from joining?

Answer explanation

There are probably a wide variety of answers that would fit here. With the collapse of the traditional trade unions they were forced into joining the Fascist syndicates as a means of gaining employment. They promoted fair wages and prices land for land for peasants.