Era Fascista

Era Fascista is the period of Fascist rule in Italy, conventionally dated from Benito Mussolini’s rise to power in 1922 to his government’s fall in 1943.

March on Rome: The Fascist mobilization in October 1922 that pressured Italy’s king to appoint Mussolini prime minister. It precipitated Mussolini’s appointment and the start of Fascist rule.
Biennio Rosso: The two-year wave of strikes, factory occupations, and land seizures in Italy in 1919 and 1920. Its unrest intensified elite fears that helped Fascism gain support.
Benito Mussolini: The founder of Italian Fascism who ruled Italy as dictator from 1922 until 1943. His political decisions defined the regime’s leadership and turning points.
Lateran Treaty: The 1929 agreement between Italy and the Holy See that recognized Vatican City and settled disputes over Rome’s status. It reconciled the regime with the Catholic Church and strengthened its legitimacy.
Second Italo-Ethiopian War: Italy’s invasion and conquest of Ethiopia from 1935 to 1936, followed by occupation until 1941. The invasion expanded the empire while bringing sanctions and international isolation.
Acerbo Law: A 1923 Italian electoral law granting a two-thirds parliamentary majority to the largest party if it won at least 25 percent of votes. It helped Fascists convert electoral support into overwhelming parliamentary control.
Italian Social Republic: The German-backed Fascist state established in northern Italy under Mussolini from 1943 to 1945. It followed the regime’s 1943 collapse, showing Fascism’s diminished final phase.
Victor Emmanuel III: King of Italy from 1900 to 1946, who appointed Mussolini prime minister and later authorized his removal. The monarchy’s choices enabled Fascist rule and ended Mussolini’s government.
Italian racial laws: The 1938 laws that stripped Italian Jews of civil rights and excluded them from many professions and institutions. They marked the regime’s turn to state antisemitism.
Pact of Steel: The 1939 military and political alliance between Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. It bound Italy more closely to Germany before Italy entered World War II.

Linked from 33 pages