Fascism in Italy
Fascism
Militarism:
Nationalism:
Unity/Social Solidarity:
Cult of Personality:
Conditions that led to rise of Mussolini and fascism
Economic:
Class division and labour strife:
Paris Peace Treaties:
Unstable governments:
Mussolini’s Reign
Black Shirts
March on Rome
OVRA
Acerbo Act
Lateran Agreements
Italian: The day of Faith - December 18, 1935 millions of
Italians will ship their wedding rings to help the war effort: they
received in return an iron ring bearing the date of that
Domenico.
(The logo of National Fascist Party
also known as, PNF-Partito Nazionale
Fascista; it, led by Mussolini,
promised greater living standards
under Fascist party. The same symbol
and the shield represent the
protection PNF will provide to the
population. The color of it is also the
color of present Italy's flag.)
In Italy is where the modern ideology of Fascism was founded. The symbolism of the fasces
(Latin for ‘bundle’, as in bundle of sticks) is related to the modern Italian word fascio, used in
the 20th century to designate peasant cooperatives and industrial workers’ unions. Numerous
governments and other authorities have used the image of the fasces for a symbol of power
since the end of the Roman Empire. The most notable of these, however, is Benito Mussolini’s
National Fascist Party in Italy. Preceding WWII, Italy was experiencing a time of extreme social
unrest that included strikes and parliamentary breakdown. Mussolini, disenchanted by
Socialism, and having by this time written a body of work on Fascism, advocated for the forcible
restoration of order in Italy. Finally, in 1921 Mussolini was elected to parliament and the
National Fascist Party was officially organized. In 1922 Mussolini launched a coup d’État, to
oust Prime Minister Facta, and assume the government of Italy, to restore nationalist pride, restart the economy, increase productivity with labor controls, remove economic business
controls, and impose law and order [12]. On October 28th, whilst the “March” occurred, King
Victor Emmanuel III withdrew his support of Prime Minister Facta, and appointed PNF Leader
Benito Mussolini as the Sixth Prime Minister of Italy. Between 1925 and 1927, Mussolini
progressively dismantled virtually all constitutional and conventional restraints on his power,
thereby building a police state. In the 1925-1926 years he was able to assume dictatorial
powers and dissolve all other political parties. Mussolini was called Il Duce or leader by his
followers. He held, besides the premiership, as many portfolios as he saw fit. Although many
do not consider Mussolini’s state to be a true totalitarian one, he achieved extreme
authoritarian power, including the power of the press. “Most of his time was spent on
propaganda, whether at home or abroad, and here his training as a journalist was invaluable.
Press, radio, education, films — all were carefully supervised to manufacture the illusion that
fascism was the doctrine of the 20th century that was replacing liberalism and
democracy.[…] Newspaper editors were all personally chosen by Mussolini himself, and no one
could practice journalism who did not possess a certificate of approval from the Fascist party”
[13]. “The ability to properly manipulate the country through propaganda was probably
Mussolini’s greatest success as a leader. Through the means of newspapers, cinemas, radio,
posters, rallies and sport, he was able to not only convince the people of his great success and
merits, but was able to convince himself. This self delusion is similar to the ‘Hitler Myth’ […]
Propaganda was used for everything from gaining personal support for Mussolini to weeding
out opposition. Mussolini’s use of propaganda was the main reason he was so successful in his
rule” [14]. Under Mussolini, the PNF controlled most forms of media, and censorship was
rampant.