The Crisis of Liberal Italy [Paperback]

An important interpretation of the crisis in Italian politics which led, eventually, to the rise of Italian fascism.Professor Forsyth provides an important new interpretation of the crisis of democracy in Italy after World War I. He argues that liberal governments after 1918 failed to balance the conflicting claims of great power conflicts, social welfare, economic growth, and macroeconomic stability in a harsh economic environment. Post-war liberal leaders put stability ahead of the redistributive social policies which would have been necessary to secure broad electoral support: this failure led to parliamentary deadlock and Mussolini's seizure of power.Professor Forsyth provides an important new interpretation of the crisis of democracy in Italy after World War I. He argues that liberal governments after 1918 failed to balance the conflicting claims of great power conflicts, social welfare, economic growth, and macroeconomic stability in a harsh economic environment. Post-war liberal leaders put stability ahead of the redistributive social policies which would have been necessary to secure broad electoral support: this failure led to parliamentary deadlock and Mussolini's seizure of power.Professor Forsyth provides an important new interpretation of the crisis of democracy in Italy after World War I. He argues that liberal governments after 1918 failed to balance the conflicting claims of great power conflicts, social welfare, economic growth, and macroeconomic stability in a harsh economic environment. Postwar liberal leaders put stability ahead of the redistributive social policies that would have been necessary to secure broad electoral support: this failure led to parliamentary deadlock and Mussolini's seizure of power.Part I. Giolittian Italy, 19011914: 1. The political economy of Giolittian Italy: the dilemmas of welfare, warfare and development; Part II. World War I, August 1914November 1918: 2. The collapse of the Italian fiscal system; 3. The limits of ls0