Authoritarian Trends in Interwar Europe
- 1920: Hungary
- 1926: Poland, Lithuania, Portugal
- 1930: Latvia, Estonia, Greece, Romania, Bulgaria
- 1933–1934: Austria
Fascist Italy: The Postwar Crisis
The Crisis of the Postwar Period
- Widespread labor unrest (strikes affecting many factories between 1800 and 1920).
- The constitutional regime, based on a coalition of liberal parties, was strongly contested by the Socialist Party, the Communist Party of Italy, and other political groups.
- Exalted nationalism fueled political tensions.
Formation of the National Fascist Party
- 1919: Benito Mussolini formed the Fasci Italiani di Combattimento (Italian Combat Squads), primarily composed of former combatants.
- 1921: The movement became the National Fascist Party.
- Symbols adopted included the Black Shirt and the Roman salute (arm raised).
- Received financial assistance from the Confindustria (General Confederation of Italian Industry).
- Fascist squads used violence (squadrismo) to terrorize the population.
- Statistics on violence: 600 assassinations in 1921; 700,000 members by 1922.
The March on Rome and Seizure of Power
- The March on Rome (October 1922) was the decisive action to achieve power.
- Thousands of Blackshirts occupied public buildings in the capital.
- King Victor Emmanuel III invited Mussolini to form a new government (executive).
Establishing the Fascist Dictatorship
- 1925: The formal process of transforming Italy into an authoritarian regime began.
- 1926 (Rocco Act): Banned all opposition political parties and trade unions.
- 1928: The government became dependent on the Fascist Grand Council.
- 1929: Parliament was replaced by the Chamber of Fasces and Corporations.
- A political police force (OVRA) was created.
- The Catholic Church signed the Lateran Pacts (1929), resolving the "Roman Question."
- Remilitarization and military expansion were promoted.
Strong Economic Interventionism
- The regime implemented strong state interventionism.
- The state gained control over important economic sectors.
- Protectionist policies were adopted.
- Fascism heavily invested in public works (e.g., infrastructure projects).
Strict Social Control and Indoctrination
- The Opera Nazionale Balilla (ONB) was created, requiring the enrollment of all children up to adulthood for ideological training.
- Teachers were required to wear the Black Shirt.
- Catholicism was declared the official state religion.
- The regime heavily controlled and utilized mass media for propaganda.
The Weakness of the Weimar Republic
- 1919: The Spartacist League uprising occurred.
- 1920: The rise of radical nationalist groups (e.g., the Kapp Putsch, which failed due to a general strike).
- The economic situation was extremely difficult, and the Great Depression (Crisis of 1929) dramatically aggravated the situation.
The Formation of the Nazi Party
- Adolf Hitler founded the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP).
- 1923: Hitler was arrested and served six months in prison for the attempted Beer Hall Putsch against the Weimar government.
- During his imprisonment, he wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle), outlining the necessity of forging a Greater German Reich.
- Hitler was recognized by his followers as the Führer (Leader).
