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Italy After World War I: The Rise Of Fascism In Italy

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World War I began in August of 1914, after the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand at Sarajevo, in what is now Yugoslavia. Following this period Italy was in a state of civil war, with the parliament incapable of providing effective leadership. There was a rise in social tension, as well as economic problems. This resulted in a new, more aggressive breed of Italian politicians. They followed a violent anarchic political credo, also known as fascism. Although Italy’s economy was weak, following World War I, it was effected more by political factors, such as the rise of fascism, and social factors as seen through the newspaper, Il Popolo d’Italia. Italy entered World War I as an economically weak nation. These problems became worse following …show more content…

It became the foundation of the fascist movement in Italy following World War I. Mussolini used the newspaper to spread his ideas of fascism. On June 6, 1919, an issue of Il Popolo d’Italia listed and described the goals of fascism. However, fascism did not begin to take off until October of 1922. Other social factors, such as “The March on Rome” and the murder of Giacomo Matteotti, not only effected Italy but also assisted in the rise of fascism. Mussolini’s famous “March of Rome”, which is known for popularizing fascism, took place in October 1922. Later that month Mussolini became the youngest prime minister in Italian history, at the age of 39, when he was appointed by King Victor Emmanuel III. The newly founded fascist party experienced conflict, in what Mussolini described as the greatest crisis of his regime, in 1924 with the murder of socialist deputy Giacomo Matteotti. Matteotti was the fascist regimes greatest enemy, denouncing its terror and corruption. On June 10, 1924, Matteotti was sieged by six men pushed into an automobile and stabbed to death. The men took his body and threw it into a grave they had dug about 14 miles north of Rome. Once word leaked out about the murder, there were violent revulsions and Mussolini’s army refused to report for duty. A state of siege was declared as the government directed

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