Socialist Republic of Italy
From Kaiserreich
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Official Language | Italian |
Capital | Naples |
Head of State | Palmiro Togliatti |
Head of Government | Antonio Gramsci |
Establishment - Proclamation of the Socialist Republic of Italy | April 25 1921 |
Government | Socialist Republic |
Currency | Lira repubblicana |
Area | Around 110.000 km² |
Population | Around 15 million |
The Socialist Republic of Italy is a country in southern Europe and dominates the southern half of the Italian Peninsula. It is bordered only by the Italian Federation in the north.
History
The Kingdom of the Two Sicilies had ruled southern Italy up until its annexation into the unified kingdom of Italy in 1861. With the collapse of Italy at the end of the Weltkrieg the victorious Central Powers chose to resurrect the nation as part of their 'divide and weaken' plan for the peninsula, setting up a puppet king on the throne. Surprisingly for the Austrians, there was much opposition to this plan from the traditionally conservative peasantry, which was so strong as to result in a series of uprisings. At the same time Anarcho-Syndicalist movements began to grow in the new state, and encouraged by events elsewhere in the world became increasingly aggressive. Before long southern Italy was in chaos, a chaos which lasted for the next year and a half. Many Syndicalist leaders in northern Italy, who were unable to do act due to the Austrian occupation, migrated south and served to further fuel the growing Syndicalist groups there, and they encouraged political alliances with the anarchists, which allowed them to increase their power greatly. In February 1921 the Anarcho-Syndicalists, led by Palmiro Togliatti and Amadeo Bordiga, felt ready to launch the revolution, which was joined by large parts of the deeply discontent peasantry, who saw it primarily as a chance to rid southern Italy of Austrian influences. After two months of civil war the Anarcho-Syndicalists triumphed, the ‘Socialist Republic of Italy’ declared, and an alliance with France forged. With Germany’s refusal to intervene Austria was grudgingly forced to recognise the new regime.
During the First Congress of the Italian Unions in November 1921 the new Constitution, drafted by Bordiga and Togliatti, was voted and approved and Bordiga was chosen as President of the Republic, with Togliatti as Chairman of the House of Commons and Antonio Gramsci as General Responsible for Police. Despite the successful revolution, the internal tension inside the Anarco-Syndicalist movement grew considerably as disagreements over the direction and the future of the Republic led to violent discussions and even fights. This culminated on September 14 1925 when Angelo Tasca, who pushed for a war of revenge against Austria and Germany, was accused of treason by Gramsci. Gramsci was immediately supported by his friend Togliatti and not even the intervention of Bordiga, who tried to defend Tasca and lower the tones of the discussions, could stop the fight. In the following days Tasca received anonymous death threats and, fearing for his life, decided to flee to the Commune of France, where he sided with the Sorelian faction. The support for Gramsci grew high while Bordiga lost credibility: this was probably the main reason which led to the appointment of Togliatti as the new President of the Republic and Gramsci as the new Chairman of the House of Commons in the Second Congress on the Italian Unions in 1926. Despite the rise of the popular Social-Reformist Union led by Filippo Turati and the Bolshevik National-Syndicalist Union led by Benito Mussolini, Togliatti and the Anarco-Syndicalist Union remained in power after the 1931 Third Congress of the Italian Unions.
In the 15 years since the Republic’s founding, it has slowly rebuilt and attempted to industrialize itself, strengthening its economy and military as it plans how best to reunify Italy and once more create a united Italian Republic.
Politics
There are three main unions within the Greater Italian Union, the only party of the Socialist Republic of Italy:
- the Anarcho-Syndicalist Union, led by Togliatti and Gramsci, of stern syndicalist views, currently ruling the country;
- the popular Social-Reformist Union, led by Filippo Turati and Giacomo Matteotti, less radical, similar to the main factions of the Union of Britain;
- the National-Syndicalist Union, believing in a more centralized state similar to the short-lived Bolshevik system, currently led by General Responsible for Transports Benito Mussolini and the prominent syndicalist Michele Bianchi.
President of the Socialist Republic of Italy : Palmiro Togliatti
Chairman of the House of Commons: Antonio Gramsci
General Responsible for Diplomacy: Pietro Nenni
General Responsible for People's Army Needs: Vittorio Vidali
General Responsible for Police: Ruggiero Greco
General Responsible for Intelligence: Giuseppe di Vittorio
General Responsible for People's Army Direction: Camillo Berneri
General Responsible for People's Army: Umberto Marzocchi
General Responsible for People's Navy: Francesco Maugeri
General Responsible for People's Air Force: Mario Ajmone Cat
On April 1936 a new Congress will be held, and the results can go in any direction.
Foreign Relations
Alliance (also known as Syndicalist Internationale) with Commune of France.
Very good relations with Union of Britain.
Friendly relations with Russia, Albania and Serbia.
Unfriendly relations with Germany, Canada, Croatia, Bosnia, Spain and Ottoman Empire.
Declared hostility against Italian Federation, Austria-Hungary and National France.