How did the 1923 electoral law help the Fascists gain control of Italy’s parliament?

The 1923 electoral law was a critical tool used by Benito Mussolini to consolidate power and secure control over the Italian parliament. By changing the electoral system, the law stipulated that any group of parties receiving the largest share of the vote—even if that share was as low as 25 percent of the total—would be awarded an absolute majority of the seats in the Chamber of Deputies.12

This mechanism allowed the Fascists to entice many old Liberal deputies into forming a "national alliance," effectively creating a Fascist-dominated bloc. When elections were held in April 1924 under this new system, the bloc utilized a climate of violence and intimidation against political opponents to secure 64 percent of the vote and 374 parliamentary seats. This legislative manipulation provided a veneer of constitutional legitimacy to the Fascist takeover, enabling Mussolini to further concentrate authority in his own hands.12