Post-WWI Political Shifts and the Rise of Fascism

Item 9

Consequences of the First World War

New countries converted into republics and adopted liberal parliamentary political systems, including:

• Germany
• Austria
• Czechoslovakia
• Poland
• Hungary

There was a social crisis that sometimes took on revolutionary features. In 1919 and 1920, there were numerous strikes. The unions and parties (socialists and communists) were reinforced, reminding workers that the Soviet Revolution had brought a working class to power. This led to opposition to democracies, both by the proletariat, dissatisfied with the repression of their rights, and the bourgeoisie, fearful of a revolutionary situation.

Democracies Facing the Crisis

To incorporate the emerging system of socialism, Great Britain faced a serious economic situation: traditional industries (textiles, coal) had become obsolete, their products were not competitive, and their exports were reduced. This aggravated the war situation in Ireland, where Catholics took up arms against the British. In 1921, the British government accepted the partition of Ireland. The action of the Labour Party enabled parliamentary channels for popular demands and helped redress the crisis. In France, a large coalition of radicals, Socialists, and Communists formed the Popular Front (1936) within the parliamentary and democratic framework.

Formation of the National Fascist Party

In 1919, Mussolini founded the Fasci di Combattimento; in 1921, he transformed the Fasci into the National Fascist Party. It was presented as an effective tool against the threat of communism and the bolshevization of Italy. He endowed his party with a new program that mixed a populist defense of private property with strong nationalism. The fascist squads staged numerous acts of social violence, consisting of punitive expeditions against politicians, local councils, and leftist newspapers.

The March on Rome and the Rise to Power

Economically speaking, fascism was characterized by strong state intervention. In 1933, the Institute for Industrial Reconstruction (IRI) was created to help companies in difficulty by purchasing their shares from major banks through public subsidiaries. The State established protectionist policies and strict control of trade, allowing only imports considered indispensable. Autarkic policies led to some restoration of national industry. Fascism invested in launching public works projects to curb unemployment and designed programs to promote agricultural production and an incentive scheme for births.

Weakness of the Weimar Republic

The Spartacus League (the Communists) tried to proclaim a government of workers' councils according to the Soviet model. Radical nationalist groups accused the government of treason for signing the armistice and accepting the terms and conditions of the Treaty of Versailles.