Liberal PMs

Question 1

Describe cairoli’s background before becoming PM

Answer 1

• Devoted to the risorgimento from 1848-1870
• Garibaldian officer, commanded a volunteer company under Garibladi in 1859 and 1860
• Political refugee
• Anti-Austrian conspirator
• Deputy to parliament

Question 2

How did Cairoli’s family augment his prestige?

Answer 2

His 4 brothers fell during the wars of the risorgimento, and his mother was renowned for her heroic conduct during the war

Question 3

How did Cairoli further endear himself to the Italian people following the wars of the risorgimento?

Answer 3

He refused all compensation

Question 4

When did Cairoli become leader of his party?

Answer 4

Became the leader in 1876, then a deputy of 16 years, as the left came into power

Question 5

When did Cairoli become PM?

Answer 5

He formed his cabinet in 1878 with a francophile and nationalist party

Question 6

What did Cairoli permit his nationalist supporters to do?

Answer 6

Carry the country to the brink of war with Austria

Question 7

At which diplomatic event did Cairoli cause irritation?

Answer 7

Irritation was caused by his failure at the Berlin Congress, where Italy obtained nothing, while Austria-Hungary acquired Bosnia and Herzegovina

Question 8

What, perhaps unfairly, caused the ned of Cairoli’s first term as PM?

Answer 8

An attempt to assassinate the king in Naples, in spite of his courage in sustaining a severe wound to protect the King

Question 9

When did Cairoli come to power for the second time?

Answer 9

In 1879, he formed a coalition with Depretis, where he retained the premiership and foreign office

Question 10

What caused Cairoli to rsign in 1881?

Answer 10

The French occupation of Tunisia caused him to resign in light of popular indignation

Question 11

What happened to Cairoli after his resignation in 1881?

Answer 11

He practically disappered from political life, eventually dying in 1889 while a guest of King Umberto at the royal palace

Question 12

Who was Crispi?

Answer 12

A fiery, revolutionary left-winger who had fought with Garibaldi

Question 13

When did Crispi become PM for the first time?

Answer 13

Following Depretis’ death in 1887, Crispi abandoned the left to become PM. He was the first PM from southern Italy

Question 14

What impact did Crispi’s first premiership have domestically?

Answer 14

• As a true left winger, he tried to reform Italy
• He abolished the death penalty
• Revoked anti-strike laws
• Limited police powers
• Reorganised charities
• Passed public health laws
• In 1889, his government promoted a new penal code, which abolished capital punishment and recognised the right to strike

Question 15

What was Crispi’s foreign policy during his first premiership?

Answer 15

• One of his first acts as premier was the triple alliance with Germany. This comitted Italy to a possible war with France, and led to increased taxes to pay for weapons - making it unpopular in Italy
• He was anti-French, and therefore started a tariff war in 1888. It proved to be an economic disaster, costing 2,000,000,000 lire in lost exports over the course of 10 years

Question 16

What was Crispi’s colonial policy during his first term as PM?

Answer 16

• Determined to colonise, Crispi signed the treaty of Wuchale, which claimed Italian ownership of Eritrea, near Ethiopia
• The Ethiopian Emperor Menelik rejected this claim, informed the press and a scandal erupted
• Along with a defiicit that was higher than expected, this forced Crispi’s resignation in 1891

Question 17

When did Crispi become PM for the second time?

Answer 17

In 1894, following the Banca Romana scandal

Question 18

Describe Crispi’s harsh policies on law and order in 1894

Answer 18

• Fearing unrest in Sicily, he sent 40,000 troops to restore order
• In Sicily, he arrested not just the leaders, but poor farmers, students and even sympathisers
• He introduced new anti-anarchist laws, which would then also be used against the socialists
• Police were given new powers of arrest and deportation

Question 19

What did King Umberto say about Crispi’s colonial policy?

Answer 19

‘Crispi wants to occupy everywhere, even China and Japan’

Question 20

Describe Crispi’s foreign policy during his second premiership

Answer 20

He talked openly about attacking France and broke off relations with Portugal, this ‘entirely unimportant country’

Question 21

Describe Crispi’s great colonial failure during his second term

Answer 21

• Began a war with Ethiopia in 1895
• Italian troops had initial success before he withdrew part of the army to save money
• Italy suffered a humiliating defeat at Adowa, with Italian casualty rates worse than any other battle of the 19th century, including Waterloo
• This forced Crispi’s resignation

Question 22

How did Crispi respomd to his loss against the ethiopians?

Answer 22

• He would not deal with them, regarding it as humiliating for the Italians to make peace with ‘monkeys’
• Said he did not care about the lives of the 15,000 Italians taken prisoner, saying they were ‘expendable’ compared to the ‘glorious’ national mission of conquering Ethiopia

Question 23

What did the authorities prosecute Crispi for at the end of 1897?

Answer 23

Embezzlement, with Crispi resigning his seat in parliament soon after

Question 24

What happened to crispi after he resigned his parliamentary seat?

Answer 24

His health gave way and he died in Naples on August 11 1901

Question 25

Describe Minghetti's background before becoming PM

Answer 25

- A liberal who had urged the election of a liberal pope since 1846 - Was appointed to prepare a constitution for the papal states - Served the piedmontese army as captain - Returned to Rome in 1848, and spent 8 years in study and travel - Was appointed Piedmontese minister of the interior, but resigned shortly after Cavour's death - He was subsequently chosen to be minister of finance by Farini, who he would succeed in 1863

Question 26

What caused the end of Minghetti's first premiership?

Answer 26

- Signed the September convention, whereby Napoleon had to evacuate Rome, and Italy had to transfer her capital from Turin to Florence. The convention excited violent opposition in Turin, which forced him to resign

Question 27

What did Minghetti do between his first and second premierships?

Answer 27

Fought against an Italo-French alliance and was sent to London and Vienna in 1870 to try and organise a league of neutral powers following the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war

Question 28

When did Minghetti become PM for the second time?

Answer 28

In 1873, he overthrew PM Lanza-Sella and regained the premiership, which he held until his fall from power in March 1876

Question 29

What were Minghetti's 3 major achievements as PM during his second term?

Answer 29

- Inaugarated alliance between Italy, Austria and Germany - Reformed naval and military administration - He was able to balance the budget for the first time ssince 1860

Question 30

What did Minghetti do after his second term had finished?

Answer 30

- After the beginnings of the left, he remained in opposition for some years - In 1884, he joined Depretis in creating the transformismo, which brought conservative suppport to liberal cabinets - Minghetti drew no personal advantage from the transformismo movement and died in 1886 without having reurned to power

Question 31

Describe Depretis' background before becoming PM

Answer 31

- Survived being minister of the navy during the Italian naval deafeats against Austria by calling for Admiral Persano to be fired to save his skin. It was Austria conceding Veneto to Italy through France that saved his career - Became leader of the left in 1873 and refused to work with the then PM Minghetti, defeating his government on nationalising railways

Question 32

How much support did Depretis have upon becoming PM?

Answer 32

414 of the 508 MPs supported his government

Question 33

What did Depretis achieve during his first term as PM?

Answer 33

- His main reform was the coppino law, which introduced compulsory, secular and free primary education for children aged 6-9 - Raised the minimum exemption from the wealth tax from 250 to 800 lire, granting greater deductions for industrial income

Question 34

What caused Depretis to resign as PM in December 1877?

Answer 34

He had to face violent attacks against his ministers who were considered guilty of abuses and illegality. Depretis felt unable to cope with the crisis and resigned

Question 35

Describe Depretis' short second ministry?

Answer 35

The King asked Depretis to come back shortly after his 1st resignation. He became power crazed, abolishing the ministry of agricuture, industry and commerce and empowering the treasury to give him greater control over the budget. This meant that by 1878 he had been forced to resign

Question 36

Describe Depretis' short 3rd ministry

Answer 36

He was PM again just a few months after his second resignation after the assination attempt on the King caused Cairoli's downfall. He tried to abolish the tax on the mill, but the chamber rejected it and he was forced out within 6 months

Question 37

What led to Depretis becoming PM for the 4th time in 1881?

Answer 37

Cairoli resigning after the French occupation of Tunisia

Question 38

What did depretis sign in 1882?

Answer 38

The triple alliance, a secret agreement between Italy, Austria and Germany to oppose Britain, France and Russia. Each member promised to support each other in the face of an attack from one of the three opposition powers

Question 39

How did Depretis bring about electoral reform in 1882?

Answer 39

All men aged over 21 with atleast 2 years of elementary education or who contributed an annual tax were entitled to vote. This meant the voting age was lowered from 25 to 21. This resulted in the number of eligible voters increasing from 621,896 to 2,017,829