Fascist Italy

Treaty of Versailles

  • Italy wanted LAND
  • Italy did not get that land, as the other Allies felt it had not contributed enough to the war effort and asked for far more resources than it put towards the war
  • This defeat at the Treaty of Versailles angered many Italians and created anti-foreigner sentiments among the people
  • The idea of facism began to spread in Italy, inflaming nationalistic feelings among Italians

Facism

  • Name derives from the Italian word “fascio,” meaning a bundle of sticks, emphasizing the idea of unity
  • Several distinctive traits:
    • Extreme nationalism
    • Glorification of aggression
    • Eliminates democracy
    • Violence
  • Each class has its own place and function
  • Glorified a particular group of people over others (Italians, Aryans, etc.)
  • Clear distinction between who can be “in” the community and who is “out”
  • Aggressive foreign policy due to the belief of superiority over foreigners

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Rise of Fascism

  • People were angry with the Allied countries that had denied Italy land, became determined to prove Italy’s might and restore their country to its former glory
  • Benito Mussolini took advantage of this, appealing to people like war veterans and nationalists as well as those in higher classes and promising to make Italy a respectable global power

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Italian Fascism

  • Italians were the “chosen race” but one could become Italian by learning the language and culture
  • Anti-internationalism, as internationalism promotes peace, equality, and diversity
  • Targeted communists in particular since communist ideals are the polar opposite of fascist ideals
  • The Italian fascist party began as the Fasci Italiani di Combattimento, founded by Mussolini in 1919 with the idea of putting the state above all else

Benito Mussolini

  • Founded the Fascist Party and turned Italy into a fascist state
  • Ran for parliament and won, used his new power to begin spreading ideas of fascism
  • Used his blackshirts to spread fear by sending them to beat up socialists and communists as well as to kill his biggest political opponent
  • Used many methods to control the Italian people, including:
    • Censorship of the press
    • Indoctrinating children into becoming good fascists– males were expected to display violent masculinity while females were to aspire to traditional maternal roles
    • Using the OVRA, his secret police, to stop anyone who resisted
    • Spreading his ideas over radio broadcasts to communicate with all of Italy on a personal level
  • He sent almost half a million Italian soldiers to claim Ethiopia as a display of Italy’s military might to inspire his people and attempt to prove Italy was a strong country