Italian Fascism

1. Everything within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state. Italian Fascism Section 20.103 & McKay Chapter 29 (964-966)

2. What is the message or meaning of Raoul Hausmann’s ABCD (1924-25)?

3. MANIFESTO OF FUTURISM (1912) • We want to sing the love of danger, the habit of energy and rashness. • The essential elements of our poetry will be courage, audacity and revolt. • Literature has up to now magnified pensive immobility, ecstasy and slumber. We want to exalt movements of aggression, feverish sleeplessness, the double march, the perilous leap, the slap and the blow with the fist. • Beauty exists only in struggle. There is no masterpiece that has not an aggressive character. Poetry must be a violent assault on the forces of the unknown, to force them to bow before man. • We want to glorify war — the only cure for the world — militarism, patriotism, the destructive gesture of the anarchists, the beautiful ideas which kill, and contempt for woman. • We want to demolish museums and libraries, fight morality, feminism and all opportunist and utilitarian cowardice.

4. European Liberalism • Grew out of Enlightenment • Enlightenment values • Reason & Science • Life, liberty, property • Freedom of press, speech • Value of individual • Constitutionalism & rule of law • Legal equality • Laissez faire Capitalism • Classic Liberal/ Victorian Paradigm shattered by during WWI • 18 million dead • Propaganda • Planned economies

5. Rise of FascismOverview • Authoritarian conservative governments had existed since Louis XIV • Absolutism • Concert of Europe/ Metternich System • But had little control over individual • Post WWI saw rise of new Authoritative governments • New intellectual zeitgeist embraced social Darwinism, Nietzsche’s Will to Power, Freud’s irrationality

6. Totalitarian dictatorships • a state that regulates nearly every aspect of public and private behavior • emerged in and Italy, Soviet Union, & Nazi Germany • Western Liberal values greatly questioned after WWI • constitutional democracy, individualism, civil liberties, free press, free trade, peaceful diplomacy, rationalism,

7. Fascist Totalitarianism • Extreme Nationalism • State > Individual • Emphasis on traditional family • Large families encouraged • Emphasis on conformity, obedience • Contempt for intellectuals, critics • Praise of militarism, uniforms • Mass meetings, mass movements • Emphasis on race (fascism) • Secret police • Praise of violence • propagandadisseminated through the state-controlled mass media….Thought control • personality cults (Il Duce, Der Fuhrer) • regulation and restriction of free discussion and criticism • mass surveillance

8. Fascism The State not only is authority which governs and molds individual will with laws and values of spiritual life, but it is also power which makes its will prevail abroad….For the Fascist, everything is within the State and…neither individuals nor groups are outside the State...For Fascism, the State is an absolute, before which individuals or groups are only relative….Liberalism denied the State in the name of the individual; Fascism reasserts the rights of the State as expressing the real essence of the individual. -- Enciclopedia Italiana, 1932

9. Mussolini’s Italy March on Rome Italy invades Ethiopia Treaty of London Germany Invades Poland Giacomo Matteotti assassinated 1915 1919 1922 1924 1929 1935 1937 1939 Axis Treaty Treaty of Versailles Lateran Agreement

10. Origins of Fascism • Liberalism still the Ism of the West at Versailles in 1919 • Russia, Turkey, China’s failure to develop liberal institutions didn’t count as they were “backwards” nations • Italy • Major force in Western Civilization • Renaissance • Humanism • Individualism • Nationalism & Liberalism • Mazzini, Garibaldi, Cavour • But also strong conservative force • Syllabus of Errors • Papal Infallibility • Major class and regional differences • North – industrial & liberal • South – agrarian and socialistic

11. Origins of Fascism • Rooted in Pre WWI ideas of Nietzsche, Marx, Futurism, French Utopian Socialism, Romanticism and especially Nationalism • WWI left Italy disillusioned • 600 thousand casualties • Italia Irredentia Unredeemed • Mass unemployment, especially among WWI vets • Hyperinflation destroyed savings of middle class • Fear of Communism spread among the wealthy (both urban and rural nobility) • Red Menace- peasants had seized land • They looked to a strongman who would preserve their property and restore order • Liberal coalition government was divided and seemed powerless • A wounded WWI veteran would capture this disillusionment and channel it into fascism

12. Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) • A socialist (before WWI) • Editor of Avanti (socialist paper) • Against WWI (at first) • Influenced by Marx • Saw war as capitalistic • Became intensely nationalist during WWI • “only blood makes the wheels of history turn” • Influenced by Nietzsche’ Will to Power • Wanted Italy to join the Allies and wanted Austrian territory of Italia irredenta (unredeemed Italy) • Wounded by a grenade while fighting in Alps • Left socialist over their lack of support for Italy in WWI • Saw that his attacks on socialists gained him support of conservatives • An opportunist/Realpolitik • Became sworn enemy of socialists & champion of property owners

13. The Blackshirts • Blackshirts • Also known as Squadristi • Mussolini’s terrorist squads • Made up of ultra nationalists, unemployed WWI vets • Called Freikorps in Germany • Attacked communists, socialists, strikers, farm workers • beatings, murders, forced feedings of castor oil (a pint at a time) • Exploited Marxism’s internationalism over nationalism • Protected scabs • Financed by wealthy factory owners, land owners • 1921 elections Fascists won 35 seats out of 500 • Popularity was growing

14. March on Rome • A march of the Blackshirts to Rome from various directions (October 1922) • Meant to intimidate the King and government • Mussolini waited in Milan • Coalition government (liberal dem) • had allowed fascism to exist (as it rid nation of leftist troublemakers) • But now realized Mussolini’s true intentions • Tried to enforce martial law but king backed down • King Victor Emmanuel • Old, indecisive and a whimp • Forced the cabinet to resign • Appointed Mussolini (Premier) • granted emergency powers to restore order in Italy for 1 year • Bolshiviks won 3/5 of parliament seats in next election • His gov. controlled the political machinery • Squadristigreeted voters at the polls Click for Clip 8-11

15. Matteotti Crisis • Well respected Socialist deputy Matteottiexposed hundreds of cases of the heavy handed tactics (fraud, violence) of the Fascists • Socialist enquiry on the deeds of the fascists in Italy • Pamphlet outlining violent tactics of Fascists • Kidnapped in 1924 and brutally murdered • Italian press called for Mussolini’s resignation • Anti-Fascist parties abandoned the Chamber of Deputies • Hoped to force Victor Emanuel to dismiss Mussolini • King refused • Muss refused to resign and began to centralize his power • Reduced the Italian parliament to a nonentity • Put the press under censorship • Destroyed the labor unions • Deprived labor of the right to strike • Abolished all political parties • Left big business alone

16. The Lateran Accords (1929) Agreement with Catholic Church settled dispute over Catholic Church’s role in Italian politics & lost land 1st time in Italian history that the Church and the government agreed on their respective roles! Terms: Papacy was granted temporal sovereignty over Vatican City Reimbursed for lost territory Property Tax-exempt Papacy guaranteed the free exercise of Roman Catholicism as the sole state religion throughout Italy Papacy accepted Italian sovereignty over former Papal States Yet by 1930s Pope called fascism “pagan worship of the state”

17. El Duce • El Duce (The Leader) • Portrayed self as vigorous, athletic man • Riding horse, shirtless working in fields with peasants • Speeches filled with bellicose fiery rhetoric • Thrust jaw and chest out • Preached the need of vigorous action under a strong leader • Criticized democracy as factional • Out of date government that only accentuated class struggle • Led to selfishness, futility, empty talk • Denounced liberalism, free trade, laissez-faire capitalism, Marxism, materialism, socialism, and class consciousness • evil offspring of capitalism and liberalism • Romanticized about creating a new Roman Empire • More an act than a reality

18. “Corporatism” • state managed economy • Brought a certain efficiency to Italy that was missing • trains always on time • 1926  The National Council of Corporations created • Guilds of employers and employees established to manage the 22 sectors of the economy • Division leaders (made up of labor, employers, and government) were to direct the activities within their sector • directed labor, organized the employers, Monitored working conditions • Determined wages, prices, and policies • Disputes arbitrated by Government • Supported by small capitalists, low-level bureaucrats, and the middle class • felt threatened by the rise of Socialist power! • The goal  harmonize the interests of workers, managers and the state by abolishing class warfare. • The reality  This system inhibited technological progress and destroyed workers’ rights

19. State Control of Economic Life • National council of division leaders were to plan the economic activities of the nation • Focus on self-sufficiency • Said that the state should be organized around the nations economic occupations • IE. State determined all answers to economic questions (What to produce, Who makes it, gets it, at what price, …?) but allowed private enterprise (profit) to exist • Mussolini called it a dictatorship of the state over many classes cooperating

20. Fascist Family & Education • “Battle for Births” • Fascists encouraged development of large families • Goal- from 40 to 60 million by 1950 • Fathers of more than 6 were tax-except • Stay-at-home mothers who would instill civic discipline in children • “The Nation is served even by keeping the house swept” • “a new Italian woman” • Government granted maternity leaves, subsidies for large families • Disseminated info on child rearing • Advised mothers to dress babies in black shirts • Outlawed abortion, contraception • Yet birthrate continued to fall • 147 per 1 thousand in 1911 • 102 per 1 thousand in 1936 • 1938 law limited number of women in workforce to 10% • First sentence pronounced by children at school was • Let us salute the flag in the Roman fashion; hail to Italy; hail to Mussolini. • Emphasized physical education & joining youth movements • Textbooks emphasized: • glorious past of the ancient Romans • imperial destiny awaited Italy’s future

21. Blackshirt Youth

22. The Battle of Wheat • Mussolini blamed the world for the depression • Called for self sufficiency • Started public works projects • Hydroelectric power • “Battle of wheat” proclaimed to increase wheat production • Doubled b/t 1922-1940 • Other nutritional foods greatly decreased • Not emphasis on rearing of animals/ fertilizers • Price of bread eventually rose sharply • Lack of nutritious diet Click to Play Clip

23. Militarism • 1/3rd of Italian budget went to military • Little reform was made between the social extremes of wealth and poverty • Per capita income extremely low • 20% of Italian brides could not sign their names (especially in South) • Fascism failed to provide economic security or material well being for those it demanded so much sacrifice of individual freedom • Spirit of recapturing the past glories of Rome was enough distraction for the population that it was less critical of Fascism • Invaded Ethiopia in 1935 • Provide sense of greatness & distracted the Italians • Used poison gas when army failed to achieve victory • Aided Francisco Franco with soldiers during Spanish Civil War