‘The inaction of the opposition was the main reason why Mussolini did not fall from power in 1924.’
How far do you agree with this statement?(24)
There were many factors contributing to Mussolini’s remaining in power in 1924. Not only did he carefully exploit the situation that aroused, many other actions in society, including the King and the Fascist opposition, played out so that there was very little force pressuring him to resign or causing his fall from power.
One reason why Mussolini did not fall from power was because of the inaction of the opposition. An example of this is the Aventine Secession: this was when many Reformist Socialist and Liberal deputies left parliament to show their disgust of Giacomo Matteoti’s murder. Although, it was a serious miscalculation on their part. If they had exploited their position, they may have been able to pressurise Mussolini into resigning as the King would have been forced to intervene. However, the secession did not do this; it merely stood as a grand gesture that consequently meant Mussolini had a Fascist majority in Parliament. Furthermore, the King disliked the Aventine protestors more than the ‘actions’ of Mussolini and the Fascist party because they lent towards republicanism and he refused to take action. Failure to unite a social revolution also meant that Mussolini was not forced to resign. This was when, after the tension caused by Matteoti’s murder and disgust at the Fascist violence, the opposing groups struggled to come together to weaken Mussolini and exploit this tension. All Mussolini had to do then was to wait until the storm of protest quelled and to use his majority in Parliament to continue its policies of Pacification. Moreover, the aforementioned opposition could also not unite under a single leader. Many people proposed D’Annunzio as a leader but he was unwilling to step forward (perhaps due to pressure from Mussolini himself) and without a leader, there was no rival to oppose Mussolini and so there was no pressure, forcing him from power. Part of the reason Mussolini stayed in power was Italy’s need for a strong leader, which he was and without a suitable replacement he could therefore exploit this need skilfully. This is a very important factor because if the opposition had united and acted against Mussolini, the King may have been forced to intervene and consequently Mussolini may have been unable to remain in power. After Matteoti’s death, a strong opposition might have exploited the instability and unpopularity of the Fascist government. However, in reality, it only served to give the Fascist party a majority in the chamber.
Mussolini’s own actions were another reason why he was able to stay in power. After Matteoti’s murder, there was considerable social tension due to the widespread disgust of Fascist violence and Mussolini cleverly used scapegoats to shift the blame of his death. By removing the blame from himself there was less pressure from Italian society for his resignation, as he seemed more innocent and sympathetic. He also made a speech to the Italian chamber on 3 January 1925 in which he took responsibility for the violent actions of the Squadristi but made no admission or association with the murder of head Socialist. Mussolini’s confidence and reassurance may have also made people feel more inclined to believe his claims of innocence. Again, he shifted the blame onto the democratic parties (mainly the socialists) who left during the Aventine Secession, stating that they ‘ran away’. Once more, there was less pressure on Mussolini because a party ‘running away’ suggested weakness and instability. This weakness of the opposition was one of the main counters Mussolini offered that helped him stay in power; he was still seen as strong and powerful, despite the tension in society, and possessed a keen ability to exploit weakness. He also took full responsibility for the actions of the Fascist party-‘I now accept, alone, full political,