Mussolini Imperialism In Italy Essay

Guerin (1976, 218-219), notes that Mussolini himself proclaimed that by this time the state owned nearly three-quarters of the Italian economy via stock. However, they remained private enterprises, with the only small concession that some banks were converted into so called “public bank”, though that simply meant that their stock was owned and registered by Italian citizens. In other words, while the state held a majority of Italian companies, they operated unfettered by the state, who’s role was to assume the risk and ensure the solvency of big business. The continued survival and strengthening of big business, coincided with Mussolini’s interest of strengthening the economy and heavy industry, a vital element in Mussolini’s expansionist policy.
Italy was a late arrival in colonialism, it officially became a unified state in 1861, …show more content…
Welk (1938, 172-174), remarks that in 1934, a variety of commodities including wool and copper required a special import license to be admitted into the country, followed by quotas and restrictions on licensing in March 1935, and a complete governmental monopoly on importation of various metals and coal in July. When the sanctions were put into effect in November, Italy simply expanded the restrictions. Welk presents a popular campaign throughout Italy “Preferite Il Prodotto Italiano” or buy Italian, where it was the Italian citizen’s duty to buy domestic and support the economy. The more aggressive policies implemented after the sanctions ultimately made Italy less reliant on imports and gave Mussolini a license to push harder for autarky. Italy was ultimately successful in the war an annexed Ethiopia in 1939. Whether or not Italy would have been able to withstand the sanctions without these policies in place is difficult to answer but the fact is that Italy had already taken an increasingly protectionist stance and as such was able to resist foreign