Why was Mussolini able to rise to power?
The best way to answer this question is to break it down into three major causes
Plan
1. Long term structural preconditions
 Italian unification
 Industrialization
2. Medium term accelerators
 The economic impact of the First World War
 The rise of new and destabilizing political movements
 The weakness of liberalism
 Unstable governments
 Social unrest
 The Versailles Settlement and the Mutilated victory
3. Short-Term Deciders
 Factory occupations
 Mussolini’s leadership and opportunism
 The fragmentation of political opposition
 Miscalculations of key players
Essay
Introduction
To appreciate why Mussolini rose to power so quickly and why he was able to assume power; an
examination must be made of long-term, medium and short-term factors. By examining the interplay
between these factors it becomes clear that Mussolini’s rise to power was very much a multi-causal
phenomenon.
1. Long term structural preconditions
 Italian unification
Completed in 1870 when the last independent territory fell to Italian troops. But, this process had failed to
create “Italians”. The liberal model of Unification and government stored up problems for the future.
Radicals and republicans felt Unification had been a betrayal and the Catholic Church distanced itself
from the new kingdom. The electorate was therefore very small, fragmented and largely illiterate. The
bottom up involvement of peasants was discouraged and resentment towards the state of piedmont which
had driven unification. It had imposed its own brand of governance and imposed high taxes. The new
Italy after unification therefore took on the appearance of being narrowly based and dominated by liberalconservatives. This meant that government was always unstable (33 different cabinets between 1861 and
1896). This was a key factor in people looking towards strong government in the future and government,
which would replace the weak and narrow liberal Conservative elite.
 Industrialization
The process of industrialization increased the problems of unification with the North prospering and the
South lagging behind. It led to the growth of socialist movements and a feeling of unfulfilled expectations
amongst the lower classes. New and aggressive socialist political parties and Trade union movements
emerged that was critical of the government and elite. Secondly, a new from of political Catholicism
developed out of the previously abstentionist RCC. It wanted representation in a rapidly changing
political system. The PPI took on the reigns. Then a new nationalist movement grew, encouraged by
involvement in Abyssinia and desiring the unredeemed lands. These essentially anti-system forces served
to destabilize parliamentary liberalism. The political system responded by applying transformismo and
the result was a spate of pre-war liberal reforms. However, the reforms only increased the electorate,
which was hungry for more reform, and were not bale to survive the upheaval of WWI.
2. Medium term accelerators
 The economic impact of the First World War
A key accelerator hastening the decline of liberal Italy was the War, as its effects covered not only the
economic but also the political sphere. The economic impact of the War was real but compared to other
European countries not that bad. The only real impact, like other countries, was to fuel the growth of
political movements.
 The rise of new and destabilizing political movements
The decision to join the War in 1915 compounded the political divisions in Italy as some had wanted
neutrality and others saw it as a chance to recover the irredeemed lands. The War itself and the defeat at
Capporetto reinforced divisions. But, the most importance consequence was the further destabilization of
politics as a result of the growth of the new political parties. The PSI became the largest single group in
parliament
 The weakness of liberalism
Liberalism seemed faded and unable to cope with this new growth. The assault from the left was mirrored
by an assault from the Right.
 Unstable governments
The governments of this time were weak and unstable and as soon as one was formed it seemed to fail
 Social unrest
There was great social unrest in the years 1919-1920, often referred to as the Red Two Years. The Liberal
governments seemed powerless to stop the growth in social disorder. There was great fear in the middle
and upper classes that a socialist revolution was imminent and what was the government doing to prevent
it?
 The Versailles Settlement and the Mutilated victory
The government was further resented, as it had been unable to secure significant territorial gains at
Versailles. This angered the right and the nationalists who wanted more from Versailles. Thus the myth
grew of "The Mutilated Victory”. Under this banner D’Annunzio seized the disputed port of Fiume. Thus
the Myth grew that the glories had begun to be recovered only to be denied by Liberals like Giolitti.
Thus, the Liberal governments of the War and Post war were faced with a complex interplay of economic
and political accelerators sand Italy found it difficult to adjust to the needs of a peacetime economy.
Italian Liberalism was at its weakest and most susceptible to short-term “tremors” that would effectively
decide its fate. This is born out that at the same time that Liberal Italy was at its weakest so was
Mussolini and his movement.
3. Short-Term Deciders
The Liberal regime although seriously weakened was capable of surviving but it was faced with four
short-term factors, which accelerated its demise.
 Factory occupations
There was a spate of factory occupations and agrarian unrest in 1919-1920, which allowed the fascists to
be seen as the saviours of Italy. They gained a lot of Middle and upper class support as the only thing
defending Italy from Socialism. The local elections of 1920 were also critical, as the PSI confirmed their
status as the dominant group, thus adding fuel to the fire. The treaty of Rappalo, furthered played into the
hands of the Nationalists who played on the theme of “Mutilated victory”.
 Mussolini’s leadership and opportunism
Mussolini’s own brand of opportunism and his great political skill allowed him to capitalize on the
disorder and problems. His encouragement of ‘thuggism’ in the town and country effectively beat his
opponents into submission. He was editor of a newspaper, had championed intervention in the War and so
as not to alarm the middle and upper classes he was changing his approach to power from a revolutionary
to a parliamentary one. In 1921 he had 35 deputies whereas in 1919 he had none. He was gaining support
all the time. He had therefore cultivated a wide base of support. All those opposed to the left:
industrialists, small landowners, those on the left interested in social reform, social reform, against the
Liberal elite and war veterans who felt isolated and disappointed with Versailles. He therefore displayed
great political skill and leadership in gaining support and dropping more radical elements of his polices
at the right time.
 The fragmentation of political opposition
At the same time as fascism was gaining appeal, the opposition began to crumble. In 1921 the
communists split from the PSI to from the PCI. Then the Moderates left to from the PSU. In January a
new Pope was elected, Pius XI, who was sympathetic to fascism, he withdrew his support from the PPI,
as they were anti-Fascist. Mussolini had skillfully wooed the Church as well; the two movements, which
represented the greatest threat to fascism, were now melting away, the PPI and the PSI.
 Miscalculations of key players
The main players who could have prevented Mussolini coming to power miscalculated the danger he
posed. 1.Rather than coming to terms with the PSI, the Liberals co-operated in the 1921 elections, thus
marginalizing and allowing the fascist to enter parliament. He calculated that they could be controlled and
tame once in government but this was not to be.
2.The Socialists, unable to agree on a uniform strategy to defeat the fascists, decided on a disastrous strike
in 1922. This allowed Mussolini to claim that he was needed more than ever.
3.The King and Facta finally miscalculated after the March on Rome, as the King refused to support
Facta's belated demand for action against Mussolini. He was invited to become PM and in a short period
of time Liberalism and democracy was dead.
Conclusion
It is therefore clear that there are many complex and inter-related reasons why Mussolini and the Fascists
were able to gain power in 1922. The regime was never really stable, even from 1870 and it was seriously
weakened as a result of the War. It then suffered further complications in the immediate post war period.
Through a clever combination of opportunism and threat Mussolini was able to exploit the weaknesses of
the state and the fear of the middle and upper classes that the Socialists would take over in a revolution.
The one great barrier to his rise, the Pope and the PPI were pacified and won over and once the key
leaders had played into his hands there was no stopping him.