Lesson 2L.1.1

2L.1.1 Liberal Italy's crisis and the rise of Mussolini, c1900–1926 Quiz: AQA History, Unit 22

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 2L.1.1, Liberal Italy's crisis and the rise of Mussolini, c1900–1926: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA History (7042), Unit 22: 2L Italy and Fascism, c1900–1945, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which policy associated with Giolitti characterised Italian politics before 1914?

    • Absolute monarchy under King Victor Emmanuel III
    • A federal system giving the South independent government
    • Corporatism that brought employers and unions under state control
    • Giolittianism, a compromise with socialists and a managed liberal system

  2. Which divide did Liberal Italy inherit from unification that remained a serious problem c1900?

    • The gap between the industrialised North and the poorer South
    • The division between Protestants and Catholics in the army
    • The separation of Sardinia from the rest of the state
    • The split between Rome and the Vatican over trade tariffs

  3. Which two colonial ventures were pursued by Italy before 1915 according to the specification?

    • Egypt and Abyssinia
    • Abyssinia and Libya
    • Tunisia and Eritrea
    • Somalia and Tunisia

  4. Which party rose in the 1890s and 1900s as a challenge to the liberal oligarchy in Italy?

    • The Nationalist Party of d'Annunzio
    • The Fascist Party
    • The Popular Party led by Mussolini
    • The Socialist Party (PSI)

  5. Which decision in 1915 brought Italy into the First World War on the Allied side?

    • Italy's decision to remain neutral until 1918
    • Italy's entry into the war after the Treaty of London
    • Italy's withdrawal from the Triple Alliance in 1914
    • Italy's invasion of Greece in 1912

  6. What was the 'Mutilated Victory' in Italian politics after 1918?

    • The belief that Italy had not gained the territory promised by the Allies
    • The defeat of Italian forces at Caporetto
    • The collapse of the Fascist Party in 1920
    • The loss of Libya to France in 1919

  7. Which event in 1917 was a major Italian military disaster on the Isonzo front?

    • The Battle of Adwa
    • The seizure of Fiume
    • The Battle of Vittorio Veneto
    • The defeat at Caporetto

  8. Which figure seized the city of Fiume in 1919 as part of nationalist protest?

    • Gabriele d'Annunzio
    • Victor Emmanuel III
    • Giovanni Giolitti
    • Don Luigi Sturzo

  9. Which political movement was founded by Don Luigi Sturzo in 1919 as a Catholic party?

    • The Liberal Union
    • The Socialist Party
    • The Fasci di Combattimento
    • The Popolari

  10. Which factor best explains the Fascist rise in 1919-1922?

    • The Church's decision to abolish all political parties
    • Victory in a general election held in 1921 with a majority of seats
    • Post-war economic crisis, strikes and political violence
    • A large trade surplus that made the government more popular

  11. Which event in October 1922 brought Mussolini to power as prime minister?

    • The Lateran Pacts
    • The March on Rome
    • The Matteotti crisis
    • The Acerbo electoral law

  12. Why did the King and ruling elites allow Mussolini to become prime minister in 1922?

    • They had been defeated in a general election by the Fascists
    • They wished to join the League of Nations
    • They believed they could control him and that Fascism would restore order
    • They wanted to abolish the monarchy and create a republic

  13. Which law of 1923 gave a large bonus of seats to the party winning the most votes?

    • The Acerbo Law
    • The Law of Guarantees
    • The Rocco Law
    • The Lateran Pacts

  14. What was the immediate consequence of the murder of the socialist deputy Giacomo Matteotti in 1924?

    • Opposition walked out, but Mussolini survived the crisis
    • The Popolari were given control of the government
    • Italy joined the Locarno Treaties
    • Mussolini was removed from office by the King

  15. Which speech in January 1925 is often seen as the turning point towards a one-party dictatorship?

    • Mussolini's speech accepting responsibility for the violence
    • The Stresa Front announcement of 1935
    • The Lateran Pacts speech of 1929
    • The Pact of Steel speech of 1939

  16. Which laws of 1925-1926 helped create a one-party state under Mussolini?

    • The leggi fascistissime, restricting opposition parties and the press
    • The Lateran Pacts, ending the conflict with the Church
    • The Rocco Code of 1930 on criminal law
    • The Law of Guarantees, protecting the Pope's rights

  17. Which best describes the Fascist ideology promoted by Mussolini in the 1920s?

    • Marxist class struggle with state ownership of land
    • Revolutionary nationalism stressing order and the leader's will
    • Liberal democracy with a free press and proportional representation
    • Pacifism combined with international cooperation through the League

  18. Which statement best explains why the Liberal state collapsed by 1922?

    • The Church and the PSI formed a joint government in 1919
    • Liberal governments had too large a majority to pass reforms
    • Italy had won every military campaign of the First World War
    • Weak coalitions failed to tackle crisis, strikes and violence

  19. Which factor was the most important in Mussolini's consolidation of power between 1922 and 1926?

    • A referendum that restored the Papal States in 1924
    • Immediate support from the Church for a one-party state
    • A foreign invasion that united Italians behind a single leader
    • Compromise with elites, violence and constitutional change

  20. Which description best fits the Fascist state by 1926?

    • A dictatorship that suppressed opposition under Mussolini
    • A federal republic with power shared among regional governments
    • A socialist government controlled by trade unions
    • A constitutional monarchy in which the Chamber of Deputies held full power

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