The Rise of Fascism in Italy

Benito Mussolini

1923-1943

Goals of Fascism:

• Attack and destroy Liberalism – to undo the legacy of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution and eradicate the growing threat of Marxism

• Create a new era in history – a new civilization not based on individual rights or collective humanity, but “recognizing the bond of blood that would unite and regenerate a nation.”

Compare Liberal democracy with Fascism:

• Liberalism and the spirit of the Enlightenment promoted…

Use of reason & logic

Intelligent discussion

Critical analysis

• Fascism praised…

Feeling, emotion, instinct, desire and will

• Fascism glorified action; praised brutal and primitive impulses

The “duplicity” of Fascism- dictatorship of the Right

• Drew support from the lower & middle classes – all those frightened by Marxism

• Real power was from the ruling elites- property owners who wanted no interference with their private property.

- post-war unrest in Italy

• Humiliated by the Paris Peace Treaty

• On the verge of economic collapse

• Widespread unemployment

• Treasury was empty• Food shortages• Inflation• Labor war-strikes and

lockouts

Fascism was born amid crisis

• Italian govt was weak and divided

• Veterans seized land• Workers took over

factories• Tenant-peasants did

not pay their rents• Marxists & Socialists

were gaining in popularity

Mussolini presented himself as an answer

• March 1919- organized jobless veterans into terror squads of black-shirted “Fascisti” –

• beat up striking workers and their liberal supporters,

• destroyed union headquarters,

• disrupted meetings, planted bombs and harassed socialist officials

- Mussolini’s failure:

• As dictator, he never established the totalitarian state like Stalin or Hitler…

• To his credit, he hesitated to use the ruthless methods of the Nazis and Soviets

Biographical sketch: 1883-1945

• Trouble-maker in school, but ranked 1st on final exams in four subjects

• 1901-Elementary school teacher

• 1902- Editor of Socialist newspaper - Switzerland to avoid military service

• 1911-1915 arrested & jailed 11 times

• 1915 Joins the army• 1919- Organized the

Fascist Party

-October 1922: “The March on Rome”

• Socialist & Unionists called for a General Strike• King Emanuel III appointed Mussolini premier and gave

him emergency powers

Nationalism gone wild

• Propaganda urged the restoration of the Roman Empire

• Idealized life without crime, poverty or social turmoil

• Slogan: Believe! Obey! Fight!

-The Corporate State

• The Fascist way of dealing with the tension between and ownership worker :

• Abolished labor unions, prohibited strikes and allowed the corporation to work for the best solutions

The Axis powers:

• Nov 1, 1936, The Rome-Berlin Axis

• June 10, 1940, Mussolini joined with Nazi Germany declaring war on Britain and France

• Neither man survived the conflict they started

Mussolini’s inglorious end…

Any Questions?