This was a bundle of rods tied around an ax, which represented the power of Rome. Mussolini established the first fascist regime, followed soon after by others, including Nazi Germany. Fascism, however, differed somewhat from one nation to another. Thus, scholars often disagree on a precise definition of fascism.
Even so, they tend to agree on its common characteristics such as:. After serving in the Italian army during World War I, Mussolini returned home, looking for a way to unify the Italian people. In , he began to deliver emotional speeches, calling for a dictator to head the country.
In , Mussolini organized his fascist movement in the northern city of Milan. He formed squads of street fighters who wore black shirts. The communist revolution in Russia had taken place only two years earlier. In , Mussolini formed the National Fascist Party. But he still lacked a clear fascist program.
He only knew one thing for sure: He wanted to rule Italy. As tens of thousands converged on Rome, government leaders became so unnerved that they resigned.
King Victor Emmanuel had the constitutional duty to appoint a new prime minister, who would form the next government. With his Blackshirts and other supporters swarming the streets of Rome, Mussolini demanded that the king appoint him prime minister.
Mussolini chose Giovanni Gentile, a noted Italian philosopher, as his minister of education. He also wrote many articles and books, clarifying the basic ideas of fascism.
The fascist state, he said, put this will of the people into action. Therefore, individuals must submit to the fascist state in order to be truly free. Building on the ideas of earlier European philosophers like Friedrich Nietzsche, Gentile claimed that the peoples of the world are engaged in a survival of the fittest. He declared it is the natural right of the stronger to conquer and rule the weaker. Gentile stated that war has another function in the fascist state: It unites the people and proves their superiority as a nation.
Gentile, sometimes called the philosopher of Italian fascism, believed he could combine philosophy with raw power. Mussolini called new elections for the Italian parliament in Intimidation and fraud marred the election. After the election, Mussolini closed opposition newspapers and banned public protest meetings.
He declared all political parties illegal except for his own Fascist Party. He outlawed labor unions and strikes. He also established a political police force, the Organization for Vigilance and Repression of Antifascism.
By , Mussolini had adopted the title, Il Duce the Leader. He delivered emotional public speeches, swaying back and forth, puffing his chest, and holding his hands on his hips. Ironically, Mussolini liked this term and began to use it himself to persuade Italians to come together under his leadership for a rebirth of society.
His father, Alessandro, was a blacksmith and an impassioned socialist who spent much of his time on politics and much of his money on his mistress. His mother, Rosa Maltoni , was a devout Catholic teacher who provided the family with some stability and income.
The eldest of three children, Mussolini showed much intelligence as a youth but was boisterous and disobedient. His father instilled in him a passion for socialist politics and defiance against authority. Though he was expelled from several schools for bullying and defying school authorities, he eventually obtained a teaching certificate in and, for a brief time, worked as a schoolmaster. In , Mussolini moved to Switzerland to promote socialism. He quickly gained a reputation for his magnetism and remarkable rhetorical talents.
While engaging in political demonstrations, he caught the attention of Swiss authorities and was eventually expelled from the country. Mussolini returned to Italy in and continued promoting a socialist agenda. He was briefly imprisoned and, upon release, became editor of the organization's newspaper, Avanti meaning "Forward" , which gave him a larger megaphone and expanded his influence. While Mussolini initially condemned Italy's entry into World War I , he soon saw the war as an opportunity for his country to become a great power.
His change in attitude broke ties with fellow socialists, and he was expelled from the organization. In , Mussolini joined the Italian army and fought on the front lines, reaching the rank of corporal before being wounded and discharged from the military. On March 23, , Mussolini founded the Fascist Party , which organized several right-wing groups into a single force.
The fascist movement proclaimed opposition to social class discrimination and supported nationalist sentiments. Mussolini hoped to raise Italy to levels of its great Roman past. Read more. This page is best viewed in an up-to-date web browser with style sheets CSS enabled. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience.
Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets CSS if you are able to do so. This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Find out more about page archiving. World War One Centenary. Settings Sign out. In October , Mussolini threatened to march on Rome to take control of the government through violent force if it was not handed over.
The government was slow to act, eventually dispatching troops, though Fascists had already seized control of some local governments. He dissolved the government and asked Mussolini to form a new one. Mussolini did not become a dictator overnight, but a speech he gave to the Italian parliament on January 3, asserting his right to supreme power is generally seen as the effective date that Mussolini declared himself dictator of Italy.
Soon after, the Italian parliament made suspicion of being anti-Fascist punishable by imprisonment without trial. The next year police rounded-up Socialists, and the government restricted their publishing activities. A Socialist deputy plotted to assassinate Mussolini, but the betrayal of a friend led to his arrest just before the attempt.
Several other assassination attempts followed. In , Fascists created a youth group called the Opera Nazionale Balilla, pressuring children to join. The Catholic Boy Scouts were dissolved and the formation of other youth groups became illegal. The same year, all Communist members of Parliament were arrested, and all Socialist members expelled. Anyone who could not be prosecuted for a crime was detained for up to five years and placed in island internment camps.
Cinemas were required to screen government propaganda in the form of newsreels. Fascists owned 66 percent of the newspapers and controlled reporting, issuing daily editorial guidelines and threatening editors with arrest.
The Order of Journalists was created and membership was mandatory. Newspapers were allowed to criticize the government as long as they generally expressed support. Mussolini wrote an article in that aligned Italians with the German concept of the Aryan race.
When anti-Jewish laws began to appear in Italy, Germany felt they were weak, but Mussolini was prepared to increase their severity as needed. Soon after, Mussolini called for the expulsion of foreign Jews from Italy. Soon Holland and Belgium also fell to Hitler.
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