Evaluate the use of force as an important factor leading to the emergence of authoritarian states

in Italy.

From the years 1919 to 1924, Italy underwent political, social, and economic turmoil
until it was officially declared a Fascist-controlled authoritarian state in 1925. Throughout those
years, the Fascists utilized multiple facets to establish their authority in Italy like propaganda,
charismatic leadership, and legal methods. This response will be evaluating the importance of the
use of force as a factor in the emergence of Italy as an authoritarian state. The use of force during
those years was important to a certain extent as it was beneficial to the Fascist agenda in some
cases, like the authorization of the Squadre D’azione attacking socialist unions, but also set back
their authoritarian power when the force was misused, like during the 1924 elections.

During the Biennio Rosso, Mussolini offered to send Squadre D’azione to the North to
help factory owners and landowners by attacking socialists which helped them get one step
closer to establishing Italy as an authoritarian state. In 1919, strikes, factory and land
occupations, and local government takeovers organized by socialist trade unions and peasant
leagues swept across Northern Italy. The democratic government proved its incapacity when
they were unable to put an end to these strikes and occupations so when Mussolini stepped in
with a solution that promised effective results to the factory owners and landowners, they
accepted. Mussolini sent Squadre D’azione, action squads, to attack socialists and bomb their
union centers and things that were affiliated with these socialist trade unions, like printing
offices. Once the red years ended, the Fascist regime had earned the middle and upper classes'
support since they feared a Socialist revolution and Mussolini was able to stop that. In exchange
for his help, they financed Mussolini’s Fasci di Combattimento, which were action squads that
focused on suppressing leftist action. Therefore, Mussolini’s method of force was beneficial to
the Fascist agenda because, through this action, they were able to garner support from the North,
as well as remove the socialist ideology as a potential threat. This event outlines the importance
of the use of force as a factor as it expanded the Fascist power and influence and led to the
emergence of an authoritarian Italy.

However, some methods of force had unprecedented repercussions on the Fascists' power
like when the Fascist National Party (PNF) won the 1924 elections through intimidation and
violence and the public was appalled by their actions. The 1924 elections were highly important.
So important that Mussolini implemented the Acerbo Law which secured a slightly more
guaranteed win for the Fascists. However, the PNF won the election by an impressive margin,
holding 65% of the votes, but the integrity of their triumph was being questioned by the public
since Mussolini had set up a gang of thugs to intimidate his political opponents prior to the
elections. The gang, Ceka, was led by Fascist Amerigo Dumini who worked in the Ministry of
the Interior, which controlled Italy’s police, so they were under control as well. This fueled a
wave of violence and voter fraud ensued. More than 100 people were killed, ballot boxes were
stolen, and fake identities were used by Fascists to ensure their victory. After the elections,
Giacomo Matteotti spoke out against Fascist violence and accused them of rigging the elections.
With the threat of an opposition force gaining momentum, the Fascists kidnap him and beat him
until they eventually kill him. Matteotti’s death shed new light on the Fascists and their violence
and Mussolini lost public support momentarily. Non-Fascists in the Chamber of Deputies were
shocked and 100 members of parliament walked out of the government in protest. This turmoil
against Fascism continued for months before it ended in early 1925 because Mussolini was not
dismissed by the King and 100 parliament members were not in parliament to vote him out, so
the Fascists voted for his innocence. However, the chance of Mussolini and the prospect of the
entire Fascist regime being thrown out was completely possible due to the excessive use of force.
Therefore, this particular use of force highlights how this factor was effective but was dangerous
when misused because this event set back the emergence of Italy as an authoritarian state instead
of furthering it.

In conclusion, the use of force by the Fascist party to establish Italy as an authoritarian
state was important to a certain extent because it was beneficial to the agenda in certain cases,
like their authorization of force during the Biennio Rosso. But, the use of force was misused in
other cases, which backpedaled the progress the PNF made, like their violent and merciless
actions during the 1924 elections. Other methods such as the use of legal methods or propaganda
were much safer methods that were still effective to the same extent which indicates that the use
of force was one of the less important methods used. All in all, they were all ultimately decisions
made by the Fascist party and reflected their ideology.