| Chapter 1: | Italy from the American Immigration Quota Act of 1921 to Mussolini’s Policy of Grossraum, 1921–1924 |
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His successor, Ivanoe Bonomi, had to navigate the stormy waters of a political and constitutional crisis and face, in some sectors of the peninsula, open civil war. The Bonomi government did its best to heal internal wounds, at least at the surface. It tried to smooth over political differences and to eliminate competing political factions. However, the Bonomi government fell at the end of February 1922, and was succeeded by two Facta governments (February 26–August 1 and August 1–October 30), which, as it turned out, were the last two democratic governments of the constitutional regime in Italy.
Plagued with economic difficulties, the Facta governments faced high prices and continued demands to solve the problem of unemployment. The internal crisis undermined the foundations of liberalism and democratic institutions and prevented the Facta governments from remedying any social or economic ills. Moreover, Facta’s analysis of Italian political and economic problems and complexities paled in insignificance to Mussolini’s belligerent actions and violent shouts. In his own bombastic words:
Led by Mussolini, the Fascists ordered farmers, cafe owners, and shopkeepers to lower prices. In Naples, they imposed a reduction of 50 percent on food prices. In Florence, Black Squads threatened retaliation against shop owners who did not lower their prices.