Thursday, November 28, 2019

To what extent was fascist control of Italy 1925-1943 the result of the effective use of propaganda free essay sample

?To what extent was fascist control of Italy 1925-1943 the result of the effective use of propaganda? Propaganda allowed Mussolini to keep a wide control over the Italian population, however there were also other factors that maintained fascist control over Italy, including Mussolini’s link with the church, the banning of opposition, fear and repressive measures and the creation of a secure state. Propaganda was an important step in securing Mussolini’s position in power. He proposed various ways to ensure that the media would represent him in a favourable light. These various tactics included targeting mass media, in which the press office was given responsibility of all aspects of culture and was renamed the Ministry of Popular Culture, this meant that every aspect of media that was exposed to the population was diligently monitored, therefore removing the possibility of opposition being given the chance to flourish. Government agencies designed posters to appeal to the masses, a large percentage of the population were illiterate and so image was important in portraying Mussolinis political ideas. We will write a custom essay sample on To what extent was fascist control of Italy 1925-1943 the result of the effective use of propaganda? or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Newspapers were heavily controlled, and as a journalist and editor himself, Mussolini knew the impact a fascist controlled press could have. Newspapers were expected to steer away from the mention of crime, unemployment and other negative aspects within society, aswell as this, all journalists were to be registered on the fascist lists to ensure their political views were in line with Mussolini’s to prevent them from reflecting any different political views through their work. As well as mass media being controlled, the government also arranged for mass activities to be organised, such as rallies, sporting events and youth leagues. It was important to the government that the youth were targeted in the spread of fascist ideas, as the new generation should be entirely fascist and not introduce any opposition. The Dopolavoro (OND) was also introduced, which consisted of leisure programmes and to over 4 million members, holidays, trips, summer camps and train tickets were organised, whilst they also set out to spread the fascist ideas in especially remote and illiterate areas. By the 1930’s, the OND controlled sporting clubs, theatres, dramatic societies, libraries and bands. These mass activities were intended to keep people happy under the fascist regime, and gave them privileges and opportunities, therefore keeping Mussolini popular among the masses. Power over the church was another thing that maintained fascist control, the catholic church was the main obstacle which stood in the way of Mussolini gaining totalitarian control. Mussolini originally possessed anti clerical views and disagreed with the church on many issues. However, he decided to end this ongoing struggle and instead reach some agreement. His intentions were to limit the impact the Church held on society, and hoped that with support from the Catholic Church, he would appeal more to the predominantly catholic population. Mussolini took various steps to gain a friendship with the church; first of all he became more religious by taking on the role of ‘Prodigal Son’, and married his wife in a church ceremony. This showed the general public that he was a religious man who had respect for the Catholic Church. He also granted the Church additional funds and attempted to save the Catholic bank by investing public funds, Mussolini did this to show that he supported the church financially and was keen to keep the Church stable and economically viable. Mussolini also stopped proposals to tax Church property, and he allowed clerical salaries to be increased. These actions show Mussolini’s eagerness to be associated with the church and to gain support from it. Not only did Mussolini take direct measures in appealing to the Church, but he also changed things within society, such as placing crucifixes in classrooms and the banning of brothels and freemasonry. This showed that Mussolini had taken on a new religious attitude, and it began to appeal to the Church. It was important in maintaining fascist control in Italy because the Church was the cornerstone of society, providing people with education, moral guidance, sanctuary, charity and it had a strong influence over people. If the Church did not support Mussolini, it is unlikely that the masses of Italian Catholics would either. Another way in which Mussolini attempted to maintain fascist control was by banning political opposition. In 1926, other political parties were banned. This allowed the Fascist party to be the leading party without threat from other leaders. Opposition began to fade away in 1925 when some deputies walked out of parliament as a way of protesting Mussolinins speech, which caused them to loose their political voice. This benefited Mussolini as they appeared to be weak and allowed Mussolini to have a leading voice in the chamber of deputies. In 1925, the press law was also introduced which meant that all journalists were to be registered by the state, and editors were closely monitored. This meant that ideas of opposition would not find its way into newspapers and other forms of media which would spread quickly amongst the general public. Finally in 1926 Mussolini took the final step in curbing opposition by banning all political activity out of the PNF and declaring opposition illegal. This meant that the fascist party faced no threats from outside their own party, and the Italian population had no alternative political party to support besides Mussolini. Fear and repression was vital in maintaining fascist control as it acted as way of dealing with anybody who showed resistance to Mussolini’s regime. The policies of ‘confino’ allowed police to banish people to remote provinces or to the southern islands if they showed any sign of opposition or if they were considered to be anti fascist, criminals or suspected of spreading rumours. This meant an ideal solution to anybody who the fascist party regarded as a threat to their success. Without this strict regime in banning rebels, opposition could spread quickly and the fascist party would appear to be weak. Specialised tribunals were also set up in order to tackle terrorists and political criminals, these tribunals were controlled by the militia. Punishments often included life long prison sentences, confinement and occasionally the death penalty. Finally, the creation of a strong state was a key point in marinating control over Italy. Mussolini intended to find a way of making Italy a secure state, and he had various tactics to do this. He controlled the Police, and after a third attempt on Mussolins life he appointed Bocchini the chief of police, and it was estimated that overall the political police carried out 20,000 searches, visits, arrests and seizures of literature. This represents the tight control Mussolini had on the country and the actions of the people. Aswell as the political police, the OVRA were introduced, which were secret police, which carried out important arrests and they had an influential impact on the public. This is an example of how Mussolini used fear to maintain his position in power, and his various numbers of police and secret police ensured that nothing would interfere with his leadership. In terms of the Militia, Mussolini became minister for war, Navy and Air, which in reality did not effect its actions, however it gave Mussolini prestige and he appeared to have more control over the country. Within the civil service, prefects had been given extended powers, and they now played an important role in organising the police, defending the regime and suppressing opposition. The ‘Podesta’ was introduced, he replaced the mayor and local councils and was appointed by a prefect, they were generally elderly conservative men and not representative of the Italian population. This variety of people appointed in important positions ensured Mussolini could create a secure state and no opposition would spread. Overall, the main factor which allowed Mussolini to maintain fascist control was his agreements with the Church, without gaining support from the Church, Mussolini wouldn’t have appealed to the Italian population. For years the Church was responsible for many aspects within society, and in order to gain popular support and maintain fascist control, he would have to gain their support. Although propaganda was an important step in appealing to the population, and repressive measures and a secure state helped him gain and stay in power, the Church would have been a strong barrier in preventing him from gaining totalitarian control.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

The Enlightenment

The Enlightenment The Enlightenment History Essay Example The Enlightenment History Essay Example The Enlightenment (the Age of Enlightenment/Age of Reason) was purely a cultural movement of intellectuals in the mid 17th and 18th centuries. This began first in Europe and later found its way into the American colonies. Its main purpose was to alter the way of thinking using reason and challenge ideas in tradition and faith. It also played the role of advancing knowledge using scientific methods. It promoted scientific way of thinking, intellectual interchange and skepticism. The Enlightenment opposed all forms of intolerance, superstition and some abuses of power by the state and the church. The provenance of the age of reason lies in the seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries. This unique, revolutionary way of living had the backing of many philosophers. Most these philosophers included Baruch Spinoza, Isaac Newton, John Locke, Pierre Bayle and Voltaire. Most ruling princes often supported and made attempts of applying the ideologies in the Enlightenment revolution in their own governments. This had the identity of Enlightened Despotism. To a large extent, the Scientific Revolution has very close ties with the Enlightenment. Its discoveries did overturn various traditional concepts and brought different perspectives on man’s place and nature within it. The Enlightenment blossomed until about 1790–1800.   After this period, the emphasis on reason led to the Romanticisms emphasis on emotion. In this manner, Counter-Enlightenment garnered further support (â€Å"The Enlightenment† n.d.). Among the new political philosophies of the Enlightenment was that of the Englishman, John Locke. He expressed the contract theory of governance. Locke said that there was a contract between the government and the people; that the people were sovereign and had fashioned government in so as to meet certain political needs. As long as the government served those needs, it was worthy of the support of the citizens. However, when the government failed to fulfill its promise, the people had no obligation of supporting it. The people should replace that government with another. This Englishman expressed his ideas following the Glorious Revolution of 1688. The philosophy appears to be a justification for those political actions. Similarly, the political circumstances in France gave motivation to Montesquieu to write the â€Å"Spirit of the Laws†. In his writing, he advocated   Ã‚  for separation of powers as a way of preventing power abuse. This man was an aristocrat who viewed the power exercised of regional parliaments as a superb way of controlling the power monarchical powers. In a unique way, Voltaire provided one of the most outstanding representations of the Enlightenment. His political philosophy offered much support to absolute monarchy. He, however, wrote in favor of an â€Å"enlightened† style of  absolutism. Voltaire is also famous for his advocacy of dissident ideas and tolerance for different people. He supported strongly the idea of freedom of expression and religious freedom. After years of flourishing and significant, there came a time when the Enlightenment elicited sharp reactions from different philosophical minds. They challenged the ideologies in the context of the Enlightenment way of thinking. Many people, including David Hume, questioned the Enlightenment faith in reason as the sole means to progress.  He suggested that the driving force for people to exercise had its firm anchor within their desires and needs. In another skeptical analysis of the Enlightenment, Jean Jacques Rousseau blankly departs from this perspective, suggesting that civilization is largely corrupting to the minds of the people. This diminishes any optimism in the Enlightenment faith and brings a serious challenge to the fundamental pillars of the movement. There is a perception that the Enlightenment undermined the general will of the people.  Although, it started well, the end was a concoction of bitter skepticism and diverse opinion about the movement (â€Å"The Enlig htenment† n.d.). Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon was a French, political and military leader who soared to prominence in the final stages of the famous French Revolution. As Napoleon I, he reined from the year 1804 to the year 1815. People fondly remember this legendary ruler of France for his spirited fight against different coalitions that waged wars against France during his time. The wars had the prominent recognition of Napoleonic wars. To a large extent, Napoleon is a child of the French Revolution. He set up hegemony over most of the continental Europe and purposed to advocate for the embracing of the ideals and ideology of the French Revolution. When he took the leadership mantle of the nation of France, Napoleon did commendably well by keeping some of the revolutionary reforms. They included the upholding of the people’s right to keep the land that had been grabbed from the Church, for instance.   He also fostered the idea of â€Å"career open to talents† and people’s equality before the laws of the land (Schom 1998). Napoleon’s legal reform, the famous Napoleonic Code, has always been a major influence on many civil law jurisdictions universally. However, many people around the world give napoleon the sole credit for his successful, courageous fight against his foes in a series of fierce wars. As a result of his immense success in those wars, often against numerically superior adversaries, people generally regard Napoleon as one of the leading military commanders of all time. His campaigns have found adoration in many military academies not only in Europe but also the entire world. At the same time, he made tremendous efforts of consolidating an imperial monarchy that rebuilt aspects of the ousted ancient regime, or simply, the pre-revolutionary era. He reintroduced the unbearably strict censorship and the nasty imprisonment without trial. During napoleon’s tenure as France’s top leader, the elected, legislative bodies existed for that virtue of existing. However, he withdrew all the powers of such bodies and amassed all of it to himself. His upheld the imperial rule which made him more or less the same as the pre-revolutionary leaders of France. He conferred full authority to the male individuals as heads of their families. He withdrew the women’s rights that the Revolution secured for them. He did this in totality, leaving female members of the society under the mercy of the male counterparts. This tarnishes his image as a man who had lost track of the intention and of his course to nurture and safeguard the ideals of the French revolutio n. Napoleon’s Goals Napoleon fought relentlessly against the enemies of France, and ruled his country almost totally, by imperial decree. He ensured he had a firm grip on the affairs in his own backyard while trying to spread the influence of the French Empire in the continental Europe. He had the powers in his hands, and made sure there was little or no anti-Napoleon force that could derail his international missions of conquest. Therefore, what were his goals? Napoleon did not fight blindly. He had goals in mind. Generally, he wanted to build France in the same manner as the Roman Empire. He desired to have an empire full of greatness, national pride, many colonies and a massive territory. He also had the noble goal of living to the expectations and ideals of the French Revolution (Harvey 2006). live CHAT

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Should the UK government restore the 50% additional rate of income tax Essay - 2

Should the UK government restore the 50% additional rate of income tax - Essay Example In the United Kingdom, the income tax rate is about 22%/. This is the rate that majority of the citizens will pay. It is worth nothing that this is termed as the marginal tax rate and will only be paid on incomes the respective tax threshold. In the United Kingdom, the threshold for tax is 5575 pounds for 07-80. Therefore, if a person earns 6225 pounds, the tax payer will be required to pay at22% which is equivalent to 1000 pounds of earning. Therefore, if a person is paid 6225 pounds, he is required to pay 100 pounds as tax. It is noted that 10% of income tax rate for income between 5226 and 7455 pounds. This was removed during the budget of 2007 as the main cut fundamental rate from 24 per cent to 22 per cent. The history of income tax first appeared in 1799. It was introduced by William Pitt: he was the younger to pay the Napoleonic wars that were initially 2d in the incomes pound over 60 pounds. Recently, in the mid of 1980s, the fundamental rate reached an income rate of 33 per cent. The United Kingdom has a marginal tax rate system. Meaning that the income tax is charged on income that is above certain levels. Therefore, it means that if a person earns 200000 pounds, the tax payer is required to pay half of the whole 200000 pounds. A tax payer is expected to pay half on the income earned above 150000 after including the personal allowance. The income tax rate in 2009 and 2010 is as shown below: The labour government of the previous regime increased the income tax rate from 40 per cent to 50 percent in the year 2010. The current UK government reduced that amount to 45 per cent starting April last year. The discussion formed the main focus in the pioneering election. Any person that receives a taxable income like pensions, interest on savings, and salaries in United Kingdom is subjected to income tax. After a personal allowance worth 9440 pounds that was due to increase to 10000 pounds from the effect of the tax rate. Currently, a