Italian Fascism: Mussolini & Unification

Italian Fascism is a complex political ideology that surfaced during the interwar period (1918-1939). Also known as classical fascism, this ideology emerged as a political movement led by Benito Mussolini. Fascism found its root in the widespread dissatisfaction due to economic turmoil, social unrest, and political instability after World War I. Italian fascism promoted hyper-nationalism and the restoration of the old glory days and national pride. Though started in Italy, fascism soon spread to other nations as well.

In this article, let us explore the 20th-century political ideology of Italian fascism.

Overview of Italian Fascism

Here’s an overview of Italian Fascism, presented in a table format:

Aspect	Details
Founding	Founded in 1919 by Benito Mussolini.
Ideology	Emphasized nationalism, authoritarianism, and the totalitarian control of the state over individual rights. Advocated for a corporatist economic system, combining elements of capitalism and socialism, but under strict state control. Strongly anti-communist and anti-democratic.
Rise to Power	Mussolini’s Fascist Party came to power in Italy in 1922 following the March on Rome, leading to Mussolini’s appointment as Prime Minister by King Victor Emmanuel III.
Government	The Fascist regime transformed the Italian government into a de facto dictatorship under Mussolini’s leadership. The regime abolished democratic institutions, suppressed political opposition, controlled the press, and enforced Fascist ideology through propaganda.
Economic Policies	Implemented corporatism and autarky, aiming for economic self-sufficiency and reducing dependence on foreign imports. The state intervened significantly in the economy, directing production and labor.
Social Policies	Promoted traditional gender roles, increased birth rates, and aimed to create a unified national identity. Used youth organizations and educational reforms to instill Fascist values in the Italian population.
Foreign Policy	Pursued an aggressive expansionist policy aiming to establish Italy as a dominant power in the Mediterranean and Africa, leading to conflicts such as the Second Italo-Ethiopian War and involvement in World War II as an ally of Nazi Germany.
Fall	Mussolini was deposed in 1943, and Italy surrendered to the Allied Forces. The Italian Social Republic, a Nazi puppet state led by Mussolini in Northern Italy, continued to fight until 1945. Mussolini was captured and executed by Italian partisans in April 1945. The Fascist regime officially ended.
Legacy	Italian Fascism left a lasting impact on Italy and the world. It served as a model for other totalitarian regimes, most notably Nazi Germany. Post-war, Italy became a democratic republic, with Fascism condemned in the Italian Constitution. The era remains a period of controversy and study.

What is Fascism?

Fascism is a complex political ideology majorly characterized by authoritarianism and ultra-nationalism. The term Fascism is adapted from the Italian word ‘Fascio’ which means a bundle or a group. It was first coined by Mussolini to describe his political movement.

Started by Mussolini, Fascism was quickly spread to other authoritarian regimes throughout the world. However, Fascism differed in each nation. That is why scholars usually disagree with a single definition of fascism. But, some common characteristics found in all fascist regimes are:

1. Absolute Power of the State

Fascism usually focuses on the absolute power of the State. The state is above all and every citizen is for the State. Individuals under a fascist regime are expected to serve the State. It believes that individuals are subordinate to the state and the perceived good of the nation stands above all.

2. Extreme Nationalism

Another common characteristic that has been found in all fascist regimes is extreme nationalism. Fascist nations are hyper nationalist and work on the idea of the rebirth of the nation’s greatness. Most fascist leaders lead the crowd in the hopes of returning to the old glory days.

3. State Controlled Economy

Fascism promoted self sufficiency of the nation. Fascist economy promoted the state-run system that could be a mix of private and public ownership. Economic control of the nation is one of the main goals of Fascism.

4. Military Strength and Violence

Another thing common between all fascist regimes have been the use of military strength and violence. Fascist nations depended on strength to forcibly suppress any opposition. This was a way to maintain the absolute power of the state.

5. Use of Propaganda

As seen in the Nazi Gemany and fascist Italy, propaganda is the main source of spreading the ideology. Uniforms, radio, songs, marches, posters, etc. were used to spread the propaganda of the fascist ideology. The more it spread, the more it became famous.

All these characteristics largely define fascism. To put it simply, fascism can be characterised by autocracy, militarism, forcible supression of opposition, and subordination of individual interest for the perceived good of the nation.

Italian Fascism Timeline

Date	Important Event
1919	Fasci Italiani di Combattimento was founded by Benito Mussolini
1922	March on Rome. Mussolini and the National Fascist Party seize power. Mussolini becomes Prime Minister.
1925	Mussolini adopted the title of II Duce (The Leader). He assumes dictatorial powers through the use of emergency decrees, effectively establishing a fascist regime.
1929	Lateran Treaty signed between the Vatican and the Italian government, solidifying Mussolini’s power and influence.
1938	Mussolini enacts racial laws, aligning Italy with Nazi Germany’s anti-Semitic policies.
1943	Allied invasion of Italy leads to the downfall of Mussolini’s regime.
1945	Mussolini executed by Italian partisans, marking the end of the fascist regime in Italy.

Italian Fascism

Italy was the nation that introduced the world with Fascism. But, what led to the rise of Italian Fascism? This section will focus on Italian Fascism and the rise of Benito Mussolini.

• In 1915 Italy entered the World War I with the expectations to win colonies. However, the peace treaties did not match Italy’s expectations.
• After the World War I was over, Italy suffered greatly due to weak governance and economic hardship. War debt along with the Great Depression during the interwar period contributed majorly to economic hardships.
• The period between 1919-1922, Italy saw five government change. This anarchy led to political crisis in the nation. The political system of Italy was in danger with the rise of socialist movement.
• However, the Italian politics was controlled by capitalist and the landlords. To protect themselves from socialism, these sections extended their support to the fascists.

Rise of Mussolini

Mussolini served in the Italian army in World War I. After returning from the war, Mussolini was finding ways to bring Italian people together.

He believed that all hardships being faced by the Italian people could only be solved by a strong leader. To get his idea across, Mussolini started giving speeches and pleading for a dictatorial regime. Let us look at how Mussolini gained power and became the Prime Minister of Italy and thus, starting the Italian fascist regime.

• In 1919 Mussolini organized his fascist movement in Milan.
• Being anti-communist, Mussolini was supported by capitalists and the middle class professionals.
• He organised a group of combatants who would dress up in black shorts thus gaining the name ‘Blackshirts.’
• The ‘Blackshirts’ would attack socialists and communists.
• The National Fascist Party was formed in 1921.
• In October 1922, Mussolini’s ‘Blackshirts’ marched to Rome. These troops demanded that the king appoint Mussolini to head the government.
• The King, under pressure, agreed and declared Mussolini as the Prime Minister of Italy.
• Mussolini became the youngest Prime minister of Italy at the age of 39.
• In 1924, Mussolini arranged elections for the Italian parliament. Through rigged voting, the Fascist party got 66% votes and won the election.
• In 1925, Mussolini adopted the title of II Duce (The Leader). He became the dictator of Italy, thus setting foot for the Italian Fascist Regime.
• All political parties except the National Fascist Party were declared illegal.
• He declared opposition press, public protests, labor unions, and strikes to be illegal.

After Mussolini sought to control every system in the nation, his opponents coined the term ‘Totalitarianism’ to describe his rule. Ironically, Mussolini liked the term and started using it to persuade the Italian citizens to come together under his leadership to develop a new society.

The Fascist State of Italy

By 1925 Mussolini had full control over Italy’s economy, military, schools, courts, police, and every other system. Anyone opposing the National Fascist Party was immediately banned. Labor unions and strikes were deemed illegal. The face of he whole nation changed.

Italian Fascsim changed the whole face of the nation. From politics to religion everything was effected by the Fascist idelogy. Now, let us look at the effects of Italian fascism on politics, religion, economics, and more.

Politics Under Italian Fascism

After being appointed as the Prime Minister, Mussolini brought about a lot of changes to Italian politics. He became a dictator with great flair and influenced the crowds largely. He sought to control the economy, military, schools, courts, police, and every other system along with politics. In 1925, he adopted the title II Duce (The Leader).

His opponents coined the term ‘Totalitarianism’ to describe Mussolini’s rule. Ironically, Mussolini liked this term and used it to persuade the Italians. He asked the Italians to come together under his leadership to develop a new society.

Here are some key points regarding the political environment under Italian Fascism.

• The Fascist Party adopted its name from the Italian word ‘Fasces’. It was symbolized by an axe with tied sticks as its handle. It represented the unity and bond of the individual to the core power of the State.
• The Fascist Party believed in the foremost superiority of the State. It was believed that the citizen’s duty was to submit to the will of the State.
• All political parties except were declared illegal.
• Labor unions and strikes also became illegal.
• Black Shirts beat up and murdered opponents in the Italian Parliament. The union members were also tortured by various means.
• Women could not find good jobs. They were limited to working only as household servants or agricultural workers.
• The Fascist Grand Council was formed. It rendered the Italian Parliament irrelevant.

Economics Under Italian Fascism

A nation’s economy is one of major driving forces for its political ideology. Mussolini came to power when Italy was suffering from great economic hardship. He presented fascism as the solution for it. Now, let us look at the effect Italian Fascism had on the economics of the Nation.

• Mussolini tried to build an economic system that could provide a ‘third-ways’ between capitalism and socialism.
• During the Great Depression Mussolini acted fast and started some big projects of public construction. It gave work to many jobless Italians.
• During the 1930s Industry, agriculture, and economic services are organized into state-controlled labor unions and employer associations called ‘corporations’.
• The heads of these corporations were appointed by govt officials. Through ‘third-way’ corporatism, he tried to unify the workers and employers.

Religion Under Italian Fascism

While Mussolini himself was not much into religion, the rise of fascism did affect the religion of the State. Let’s look at the religion under Italian Fascism.

• Italy was a Catholic State when the Italian fascism was on the rise.
• To get the support from the church Mussolini adopted pro-catholic stances.
• In 1929 Mussolini signed a Treaty with the Church.
• The Treaty made catholicism the state religion.
• After the Treaty was signed, the Church accepted the fascist regime and stopped its involvement in the Italian politics.

Age and Gender Roles Under Italian Fascism

Mussolini understood the importance of the youth in carrying forward the Fascist regime. To strengthen Italian Fascism, Mussolini created special organizations to educate children on being good fascists.

• These Youth organizations were formed for kids between 8-18 years.
• Young boys were given physical training, military drills, and training on Fascist State ideology.
• Young girls were taught the traditional role of women. They too were trained on the Fascist state ideology.

Italian Fascism took the nation back to traditional gender norms. Men were superior and were to be the sole earners of the family. Women were forbidden to have jobs and were limited to working only as household servants or agricultural workers.

Impacts of Fascism on Italy

Italian Fascism affected every aspect of the society. From economy to politics, everything saw change. In this section we will discuss how fascism effected Italy.

Aspect	Effects of Fascism
Society	Italian fascism promoted militarism, emphasizing loyalty to the State. Individual freedom was restricted. Dissenting voices were censored and suppressed
Economy	Economic control was centralised. Large corporations and the State were favored over small businesses. Infrastructural improvement due to public works project. Military expansion and large scale infrastructural projects led to increased national debt.
Culture	Propoganda was promoted and the regime was glorified. Any form of cultural expression was censored. Education majorly focused on fascist ideology.
Politics	Italy became One-party State. Any dissent was crushed through violence. Totalitarian regime with the power concentrated in the Fascists party.

Conclusion

Italian Fascism was the first of its kind. The nation developed an ideology that was carried throughout the 20th century by different nations. The most notorious of them being the Nazi Gemany. Fascism was also carried in Spain and Argentina by Franco and Peron respectively. Fascism encouraged authoritarianism, hyper nationalism, and to some extent racism and sexism. The ideology has been majorly linked to the violation of human rights and repression of political dissent.

FAQs on Italian Fascism

Who was the founder of fascism in Italy?

Benito Mussolini was an Italian dictator who laid the foundation for Italian Fascism.

What did Mussolini promise to Italy?

Mussolini promised the Italian citizens end of their political and economic hardships. He promised to restore the old glory of Rome.

How long did Mussolini rule?

Mussolini ruled from 1922-1925 as the Prime Minister of Italy. From 1925-1943, he ruled Italy as a fascist dictator.

How did Italian Fascism end?

In 1943, British and American Allies defeated Italy in North Africa, occupied Sicily and started bombing Rome. This turned the Italians against Mussolini. King Victor Emmanuel ordered to arrest him. While he did manage to escape, he was later on captured by anti-fascist Italian fighters and shot on April 28, 1945.

What is the symbol of fascism in Italy?

The original symbol of Fascism as adopted by Benito Mussolini was the ‘fasces.’ It was symbolized by an axe with tied sticks as its handle. It represented the unity and bond of the individual to the core power of the State.