Tag Archives: Mussolini
The murder of Giacomo Matteotti: a crisis for the Italian Fascists?
Giacomo Matteotti, an Italian socialist politician, was kidnapped and then murdered by members of the Fascist party on 10th June 1924.
Benito Mussolini and the first Fascist cabinet in Italy
Mussolini, who was determined to restore the glory of the Roman Empire following the ‘mutilated victory’ of the First World War, had formed the precursor to the Fascist Party in 1919.
The League of Nations in the 1920s
This revision podcast is aimed at students studying GCSE and IGCSE History. It focuses on striking a balance between the successes and failures of the League of Nations in the 1920s, in order to best help students revise for an exam question on this topic. It opens with advice on how to plan an answer to a ‘how far’ question by assigning a score out of 10 for how successful different events were for the League of Nations. You might also like to watch this video about answering a question on how successful the League of Nations was in the 1920s.
The podcast goes on to detail different challenges faced by the League of Nations during the 1920s, in order to provide students with adequate evidence to support a balanced answer. Specific attention is given to the Leagues’s successes in the Upper Silesia Dispute, the Aaland Islands, and Greco-Bulgarian Dispute. Other successes of the League are given, such as the League’s social policies and the work of the various commissions.
The successes of League are then contrasted with the League’s failures during the same period. Key examples of failure that are outlined include the Vilna Dispute, the Corfu Crisis, and disarmament. For more detail on the League’s attempts at disarmament, and advice on how to answer a question about it, check out the exam tips video here.
League of Nations sanctions on Italy after the invasion of Abyssinia
On the 19th October 1935, the League of Nations voted to impose sanctions on Italy after it invaded Abyssinia.
German involvement in the Spanish Civil War
This revision podcast was originally created for IGCSE History students completing a Paper 2 (sources) exam based on the Spanish Civil War. However, it is appropriate for other students who wish to gain an overview of Germany’s involvement as it looks at three key issues. Firstly a quick background to the Civil War itself, secondly a consideration of why Germany got involved, and finally a discussion of what Germany contributed to the Spanish Civil War.
The first part of the podcast presents an overview of General Franco’s nationalist uprising with reference to the republican government, the forces on each side in the conflict, and the Non-Intervention Committee.
The second section looks at reasons for why Germany got involved in the Spanish Civil War. The causes assessed in the revision podcast are Hitler’s hatred of communism, the opportunity to test new equipment, the possibility of developing an alliance with Italy, and access to Spanish raw materials.
The final part of the episode considers the impact of German involvement. Particular attention is given to the impact of the Condor Legion at Guernica.
Why did Germany and Italy agree to support Franco?
On the 26th July 1936, Adolf Hitler informed General Francisco Franco that Germany would support his Nationalist rebellion in Spain.
Spanish Civil War – intervention and non-intervention
These two clips present the reasons for international intervention and non-intervention in the Spanish Civil War.
