READING COMPREHENSION PASSAGE (CLASS 9 AND 10)

SOLVED WORKSHEET 19

THE MAKING OF NATIONALISM IN EUROPE

FASCISIM

READING COMPREHENSION PASSAGE

1. Define Fascism.

In simple terms, fascism is defined as a government structure where one dictator has complete control of the entire country, state, or territory. Anyone who opposes this dictator is suppressed and individual rights are often oppressed. A fascist government might also be called totalitarian.

2. How did fascism rise in Europe?

Fascism arose in Europe after World War I (1914-1918) when many people yearned for national unity and strong leadership. In Italy, Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) used his charisma to establish a powerful fascist state. Benito Mussolini coined the term “fascism” in 1919 to describe his political movement.

After the fall of the Kaiser in Germany the people of Germany were left with a country in shambles. This had the people struggling to find a leader. After the treaty of Versailles (1919)Germany was very upset with the deal they were given and the held the pseudo government to blame. This led the way to the fascist dictators.

3. What is the ideology of Benito Mussolini?

All of his life Benito Mussolini was a collectivist. Until he was 31 years of age he was a Marxist revolutionary socialist. He then became a nationalist at the beginning of World War I. The socialists expelled him but there is no evidence that he ever gave up his adherence to socialism.

4. How did Mussolini rise to power?

In 1921, the Italian King Victor Emmanuel III dissolved Parliament amidst growing violence and chaos. Elections brought a huge win for the Fascists, with Mussolini taking a seat as a deputy in Parliament. The party changed its name to Partito Nazionale Fascista.

5. How did he became the prime minister of Italy?

Benito Mussolini was an Italian political leader who became the fascist dictator of Italy from 1925 to 1945. Originally a revolutionary socialist, he forged the paramilitary fascist movement in 1919 and became prime minister in 1922.

6. How did he manage to become a dictator?

Mussolini gradually dismantled the institutions of democratic government and in 1925 made himself dictator, taking the title 'Il Duce'. He set about attempting to re-establish Italy as a great European power. The regime was held together by strong state control and Mussolini's cult of personality.

7. What the theme of fascist movement?

Common themes among fascist movements include: nationalism (including racial nationalism), hierarchy and elitism, militarism, quasi-religion, masculinity and philosophy. Other aspects of fascism such as its "myth of decadence", anti‐egalitarianism and totalitarianism can be seen to originate from these ideas.

8. What was the ambition of Mussolini?

Italian Fascists claimed that modern Italy is the heir to ancient Rome and its legacy, and historically supported the creation of an Italian Empire to provide spazio vitale (“living space”) for colonization by Italian settlers and to establish control over the Mediterranean Sea.

9. What was Mussolini’s economic model?

Mussolini followed Lenin's example and proceeded to establish a state-driven economic model in Italy . Mussolini inflated the value of the lira making exports more expensive. This created unemployment at home as many industries and firms could not sell their goods. This particular battle proved a failure primarily as the economic base of Italy was too small.

Mussolini's economic policies were successful from the point of view that he wanted to secure and increase his popularity so he could stay in power and his policies meant that he got that. He led Italy into huge levels of debt and the economy was not ready for a world war.

10. What was the result of Mussolini’s economic model?

In Mussolini's first year as Prime Minister in 1922, Italy's national debt stood at 93 billion lire. By 1934, Italian historian Gaetano Salvemini, estimated Italy's national debt had risen to 149 billion lire. In 1943, The New York Times put Italy's national debt as 406 billion lire.

11. What factors contributed to the fall of Mussolini?

The Italian government spent more on the world War II than it had in the previous 50 years. The war debt, food shortages, bad harvests and significant inflationary increases effectively bankrupted the country, with an estimated half a million civilians dying.

By 1943, after years of fighting in World War II, Italy was viewed by its own citizens as losing the war. On July 25, 1943, Mussolini was voted out of power by his own Grand Council, arrested after a visit with the king and sent to the island of La Maddalena.

12. Mention a few laws passed by Fascist Government?

Fascist Italy adopted anti-Semitic laws banning marriages between Christian and Jewish Italians, restricting Jews' right to own property, and removing Jews from positions in government, education, and banking. One of Mussolini's goals was to create an Italian empire in North Africa.