S+W Liberal State 1896-1914

GIOLITTI WORKING CLASS REFORMS: Child labour prohibited. Women limited to 11 working hours a day. Maternity fund for female industrial workers established in 1910. 1912- Gave all literate men over the age of 21 the vote and all men over the age of 30.
1. Working class reforms by Giolitti did not strengthen links with socialists greatly and extension of franchise led to long term political problems; system of trasformismo (controlling elections through bribery and the use of prefects) was threatened.
DISCONTENT AND CHALLENGE FROM SOCIALISM: Large number of workers in factories were easier to mobilise for political activity- Sugar refineries employed over 13,000 workers by 1914 + over 6000 workers in the car industry in Turin.
1. Giolitti maintained neutrality in industrial disputes. Stopped police and prefects from interfering. Socialist strikes turned out to be effective; wages in agriculture and industry went up by 2.5% a year between 1901-11. Not popular with employers.
2. Umbrella organisation of trade unions- the General Confederation of Labour (CGL). By 1913, the CGL had 327,000 members. Helped to strengthen links with italian socialist party (PSI). Changing society influenced political stance. Workers were putting their faith in socialists.
Election of 1913- Secret deal with Catholics upset the radical liberals who were bitterly anti-clerical.
FOREIGN POLICY- Criticised for his unassertive foreign policy, defence spending was almost non-existence. Youth saw it as an exciting alternative and the movement grew after 1909. Nationalist congress was held in 1910- their main demand was for a more active foreign policy and greater spending on defence.
1. 1911- Giolitti Went to war with Turkey over Libya. Giolitti was blamed for the slowness of the war, Nationalists gained credit. Socialists opposed the war, which created divides there.
ECONOMY- • Minister of Finance, Sidney Sonnino, got rid of the government deficit by raising taxes on raw materials and cutting spending. By 1899- there was an annual budget surplus and this raised the confidence of investors.
1. Surge in the use of hydroelectric power; 1898- 50,000 kilowatts generated, 1914- 1 million kilowatts. Helped free dependency on coal& assisted steel production which increased to 930,000 tons in 1914.
2. Economic miracle had social implications in widening the North-South divide. Almost all the industrial development was in Piedmont and Lombardy. Wheat yields in the North were 1.5 tons per hectare compared to 0.6 in the south (Sicily).
CATHOLICS- Pope Piux Xi stopped Italians from voting in general elections. Church founded Opera dei Congressi, controlled 155 journals and 24 banks. Threat of socialism. 1897- Liberal gov did good job in limiting influence of Catholics by dissolving many of their institutions. However, by 1898 the persecution was dropped. 1904- pope gave Catholics permission to vote where socialists might win. 1909- openly stood for election. Growing activities of Catholics in polticis made it harder to implement trasformismo as like the socialists, they managed to mobilise popular support.

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S+W Liberal State 1896-1914

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