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.

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.