Giovanni Giolitti - Last Term As Prime Minister and The Rise of Fascism

Last Term As Prime Minister and The Rise of Fascism

Giolitti opposed Italy's entry into World War I in 1915 on the grounds that Italy was militarily unprepared. In the electoral campaign of 1919 he charged that an aggressive minority had dragged Italy into war against the will of the majority, putting him at odds with the growing movement of Fascists. He became Prime Minister for the last time from 1920-1921 during Italy's "red years," when workers’ occupations of factories increased the fear of a communist takeover led the political establishment to tolerate the rise of the fascists of Benito Mussolini. Giolitti enjoyed the support of the fascist squadristi and did not try to stop their forceful takeovers of city and regional government or their violence against their political opponents.

He called for new elections in May 1921 but the disappointing results forced him to step down. Still the head of the liberals, he did not resist the country’s drift towards fascism. When Mussolini marched on Rome in October 1922, Giolitti was on vacation in France. He supported Mussolini's government initially – accepting and voting in favour of the controversial Acerbo Law which guaranteed the party gaining at least 25 percent and the largest share of the votes gained two-thirds of the seats in parliament. He shared the widespread hope of that the fascists would become a more moderate and responsible party upon taking power, but withdrew his support in 1924, voting against the law that restricted press freedom.