1. Paper 1 Question 1a
What is the message conveyed by Source D? Provide 2 distinct points. [4 marks]
In order to get the full 4 marks, 2 distinct points had to be made.
Here is an example of an answer that earned the full 4 marks:
“The message conveyed by Source D is that Mussolini attempted to juggle both war and peace. It is evident he utilized domestic policies such as the Battle for Births, the Battle for Grain, and the Lateran Accords, as well as foreign policies such as the Corfu Incident in this endeavor.”

2. Paper 1 Question 1b
What does Source B reveal about the steps taken by Benito Mussolini to increase his authority over the Italian nation? Provide 3 distinct points. [6 marks] In order to get the full 6 marks, 3 distinct points had to be made. Here is an example of an answer that earned the full 4 marks: “Source B indicates that Mussolini utilized the press and political rhetoric to promise reform socially and politically to gain the support of the working and middle classes. The source also states that Mussolini attempted to distance himself from King Emmanuel III in order to solidify his power. Lastly, the source reveals that Mussolini’s control of the press and subsequent spread of propaganda in his favor increased his authority over the Italian nation.”

3. Paper 1 Question 2
PS – Just because a source was published in Britain does not necessarily mean the author is British!
PPS – You can and should quote the source! Two or three words will suffice.
With reference to its origin, purpose and content, analyze the value and limitations of Source A. [10 marks]
In order to get the full 10 marks, you had to do the following:
Explain what the origin was (including the date) and whether it was a value, a limit or both
Explain what the author’s purpose was and whether it was a value, a limit or both
Explain whether the content can be considered valuable, limited, or both
Here is an example of an answer that earned the full 10 marks:
Source A is an excerpt from Mark Robson’s Italy: Liberalism and Fascism It was published in 1992 in London. The purpose of the source was to inform the reader of the actions taken by Mussolini which led to him being named Prime Minister of Italy. It discusses the King’s actions in response to Mussolini’s March on Rome and the plausible reasons for why the King chose to refuse authorization of force against Mussolini’s fascists. Robson aims to shed light on how Mussolini came to power. As a historian, Robson would have access to a variety of both primary and secondary sources. The source is valuable as it was written 70 years after Mussolini’s March on Rome. This gives Robson the benefit of historical hindsight. The source is limited as it lacks any genuine perspective from the time period. The source contains many assumptions. For example, Robson asserted, “It is still uncertain as to why Victor Emmanuel made this decision…” Robson speculates as to why Victor Emmanuel made the decision he did. The lack of certainty and insight into Victor Emmanuel’s frame of mind limits the source.

4. Paper 1 Question 3
PS – You can and should quote the source! Two or three words will suffice.
Compare and contrast what Source C and E reveal about Benito Mussolini’s foreign policy and the international response. A total of 5 compare and contrasts should be made. [15 marks]
In order to get the full 15 marks, five compare and contrasts had to be made.
Here is an example of an answer that earned the full 15 marks:
Source C and Source E differ in that they discuss completely different instances of foreign policy. Source C discusses the Corfu Incident, while Source E discusses the Abyssinian Crisis. Both Source C and Source E agree that the Fascist regime was willing to resort to militaristic action in foreign affairs. Source C states that the Italian air force bombarded Corfu and Source E states that Italy would “reply with military measures”. The sources reveal that the international response to the Corfu Incident and the Abyssinian Crisis were different. Source C reveals that the League of Nations did not get involved in Corfu but rather the Conference of Ambassadors did whereas Source E reveals that the League of Nations had the intention of becoming involved in Abyssinia by imposing sanctions on Italy. Source C and Source E agree that the nations of Great Britain and France would be involved in both the Corfu Incident and the Abyssinian Crisis but the sources illustrate that the role foreign countries played differed in each crisis. Source C states that the French and British governments “preferred to resolve the crisis without resorting to collective security” whereas Source E states Mussolini could not fathom France and Britain imposing sanctions on Italy which means that France and Britain were strongly considering imposing sanctions. The sources also reveal that Mussolini’s willingness to negotiate differed in the Corfu incident and the Abyssinian Crisis. Source C states “a compromise formula was agreed” upon regarding Corfu, while Source E illustrates that Mussolini was steadfast and not willing to “yield without a hard struggle” in Abyssinia.

5. Paper 1 Question 4 Using the sources and your own knowledge, evaluate the means by which Benito Mussolini converted Italy into a fascist state and moved the nation towards a global war. [25 marks]
In order to get the full 25 marks you had to:
Incorporate the sources – on the IB test there will be 4 sources and you should cite all 4!
Showcase your own outside knowledge!
Weave in historiography!
Here is an example of an answer that earned the full 25 marks:

6. Benito Mussolini began to spread the ideals of fascism as early as 1919 when he began publishing newspapers spreading the Fascist message. The March on Rome, which occurred in 1922, was an attempt by Mussolini to gain power. As discussed in Source A, King Victor Emmanuel III “refused to authorize the use of force against the Fascists.” As a result of the March on Rome Mussolini became the Prime Minister of Italy. Mussolini then took several actions to create a Fascist state. He convinced Parliament to allow him to utilize “emergency powers” and was supported by the National Security Guard and the OVRA, which was a secret police force who supported Mussolini. As historian Hoyt states in his work ”Mussolini’s Empire: The Rise and Fall of the Fascist Vision”, Mussolini appointed non-Fascists into the government in order to gain support. He wanted a broad-base government and made the Italians believe he would not become a totalitarian leader. Hoyt also states that his hatred of communism and defeat of Bolshevism helped gain the support of the United States. Mussolini was also able to create a fascist state by the use of the press and propaganda. In Mark Robson’s “Italy: Liberalism and Fascism”, he states that Mussolini was able to create a “cult of personality”. He portrayed himself as an indestructible leader and gained the support of the people who idolized him. In Source B, it discusses how Mussolini was able to use political rhetoric and promise reform socially and politically to gain support of the working and middle classes. Mussolini solidified his power by declaring himself Head of Government in 1925 and outlawing labor unions and other political parties. Palla in “Mussolini and Fascism” also discusses the importance of the radio in spreading Mussolini’s messages and gaining support for his fascist regime.

7. Mussolini was also pivotal in moving the nation towards global war due to his aggressive military pursuits. However, as expressed in Source D, Mussolini was attempting to maintain some peace. For example, the Lateran Accords were a peace settlement with the Vatican which he signed in order to gain support from the Italian Catholics. The Corfu Incident was one incident which moves the nation to global war. As Source C describes the Greeks were seen as responsible for the murder of Enrico Tellini, a League of Nations arbitration team member from Italy. When Greece refused to meet the demands of Italy, Mussolini utilized force and received the demanded compensation. As Edwin Hoyt argues this became pivotal in allowing Mussolini to win the election of This, paired with the enactment of the Acerbo Law, allowed the fascist number of seats in Parliament to rise from 35 to 374. Some E describes the Abyssinian Crisis, which was another move to global war. Mussolini invaded Abyssinia or modern day Ethiopia to complete Italian control of the Horn of Africa, since they already controlled Eritrea and Italian Somaliland. Mussolini, with the help of Pietro Badoglio, used mustard gas and other aggressive actions to cause conflict in the area. He bombed hospitals flying the Red Cross flag and sought to control the country “without the slightest shadow of civilization” (Source E). Mussolini utilized many different political and social measures to convert Italy into a fascist state and moved the nation towards global war in several instances.