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Life in Mussolini's Italy. By Ela Nicholson - Coggle Diagram
Life in Mussolini's Italy. By Ela Nicholson
Political Opposition
The Blackshirts maintained an iron rule in Italy.
One favoured way of making people conform was to tie a "troublemaker" to a tree, force a pint or two of castor oil down the victim's throat, and force them to eat a live frog/toad etc.
Authority was enforced by use of the Blackshirts.
All Italians were expected to obey Mussolini and his Fascist party.
Propaganda and censorship
Authorities were allowed to confiscate newspapers on the grounds that they published false information.
Meanwhile, pro-Fascist journals received money for their support of Mussolini.
This called for control of the Mare Nostrum - "our sea", as the Mediterranean was called in Rome.
Radio became a major tool for propagandising the nation.
Reviving the glories of the Roman Empire in modern Italy was a common theme.
It was used to broadcast Mussolini's open-air speeches, and as an instrument for propagandising the youth.
Women
Families were given a target of 5 children.
Mothers who produced more were warmly received by the Fascist government.
Women were encouraged to have children and the more children they had gave them better tax privileges.
In 1933, Mussolini met 93 mothers at the Palazzo Venezia who had produced over 1300 children - an average of 13 each!
Education
Boys were expected to grow into fierce soldiers who would fight for Italy, while girls were expected to be good mothers who would provide Italy with a population that a great power was expected to have.
Boys were expected to join groups such as the Balilla or the Avanguardista.
Mussolini wanted a nation of warriors.