To what extent had Mussolini established a totalitarian state before the outbreak of the Second World War?

The question requires that candidates consider the merits or otherwise of the suggestion that Italy was a totalitarian state. Candidates may define a totalitarian state as one where there was a strong authoritarian leader, little or no political freedom, political coercion and state control of the economy and society. Arguably, Mussolini’s Italy as a one-party state led by a dictator met these criteria; however, it could also be argued that key institutions such as the monarchy and church were not under fascist control and Confino was limited. There were attempts to fascistize society via education, dopolavoro and thousands of fascist laws and racial laws from 1937. The corporate state was to control the economy and labour, but most Italians remained loyal to the Church and to their regions and the fascist party was unpopular (not Mussolini personally). Control of economic activity was also limited as industrialists had their independent organization, Confindustria. Candidates’ opinions or conclusions should be clearly stated and supported by appropriate evidence.

The question required that candidates consider the merits or otherwise of the suggestion that Italy was a totalitarian state before the outbreak of the Second World War. This was a popular question. There were many high-quality responses seen, especially in the scripts written in Spanish. Candidates were able to provide a wide range of relevant historical knowledge. Many were also able to highlight the limits on Mussolini's power and successfully discussed the role of the Catholic Church and the king.