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Life in Authoritarian States: Fascist Italy - Coggle Diagram
Life in Authoritarian States: Fascist Italy
economic policies
In its efforts to ‘nationalize’ the Italian masses, fascism applied the imagery and metaphors of war to economic production, as evident in highly propagandized, but largely unsuccessful, ‘battles’ for national autarchy in raw materials and wheat.
In practice, the regime favoured employers over workers. In the wake of the economic depression of the 1930s, big business benefited from the state’s intervention to save failing companies and fascism’s preparation for long-term warfare and occupation of foreign territory.
Mussolini claimed to cater to the needs of workers while rejecting socialism, according to the principle, enshrined in the Fascist Charter of Labour of 1927, that previous conflict between bosses and employees was now overcome as both became ‘producers’ for the natio
battles
battle for grain
battle for steele
battle for births
trade unions
Mussolini made all the unions fascist unions before getting rid of unions all together to suppress possible opposition form the work force.
Fascist unions did little to protect them against wage cuts and sackings. While propaganda exalted rural life, the regime’s economic policies impoverished the peasant masses in particular.
cultural policies
fascist police state
Blackshirt squad violence helped to reduce the influence of parliamentary opposition without outlawing it altogether. The regular police forces together with the OVRA secret police (created in 1927) were entrusted with the task of rooting out political opposition and controlling the population, with the assistance of Fascist Party organizations (including the Militia).
From 1926, the police benefited from enhanced powers which made them less accountable for their actions. The main targets of police oppression belonged to the working classes or underground opposition parties.
propagnada surrounding police force
Authority was enforced by the use of the Blackshirts – the nickname for the Fasci di Combattimenti. Those men in this unit were usually ex-soldiers and it was their job to bring into line those who opposed Mussolini. It was the Blackshirts who murdered the socialist Matteotti – an outspoken critic of Mussolini. The motto of the Blackshirts was “Me ne frego” (I do not give a damn”)
Leisure Pursuits and Culture
Most people were in some way affected by the regime’s attempt to exercise control over leisure activities (partly in competition with the Catholic Church). The activities of company after-work clubs (overseen by the Opera Nazionale Dopolavoro) were less focused on ideological instruction.
he state censored news and banned all direct criticism of fascism, but did not attempt to have the content of literary texts, theatrical productions or commercial films excessively ‘fascistized’, at least until the late 1930s. However, fascist newsreels and documentaries were screened at cinemas.
Moreover, in the public sphere, large numbers of citizens were obliged to participate in state-organized spectacular rituals (ceremonies, parades, etc.) which aimed to mould a patriotic and martial spirit.
youth and education
Education
Ideological penetration of education was especially evident in primary schools, where politically ‘reliable’ instructors ensured that children were drilled in fascist ‘values’, including strict obedience to authority, a spirit of sacrifice and heroism, and protection and enhancement of the Italian ‘race’.
children were the Fascists of the future and Mussolini took a keen interest in the state’s education system and the youth organisations that existed in Italy.
youth
Fascist Party youth organizations assisted the process of ideological instruction through to university, with activities focused on pre-military training for boys and forms of civic service for girls, though working-class youngsters were less likely to participate if they left school early to go into employment.
There is little doubt that the fascist regime was most successful in controlling the minds of children and teenagers.
Boys were expected to grow into fierce soldiers who would fight with glory 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.
Children were taught that Mussolini was the only man who could lead Italy back to greatness. Children were taught to call him “Il Duce” and boys were encouraged to attend after school youth movements.
youth programs
Sons of the She Wolf - ages 4-8
Ballila - ages 8-14
Avanguardista - ages 14-18
Women
traditional women
Mussolini wanted women to return to their traditionally subservient positions as wives and mothers in correspondence to his demographic campaign to increase the birth rate, which would in turn justify colonial expansion
battle for births 1927
limited female employment and encouraging marriage (as evident in the introduction of a bachelor tax), restricting the availability of contraceptives, and increasing the severity of prison sentences for illegal abortions. In spite of the parading of the nation’s most prolific mothers at official ceremonies, the ‘battle for births’ did not succeed in halting a long-term demographic decline.
Mussolini believed that his Italy had a smaller population than it should have. Women were encouraged to have children and the more children brought better tax privileges. Large families got better tax benefits but bachelors were hit by high taxation.
Families were given a target of 5 children. Mothers who produced more were warmly received by the Fascist government
Mussolini wanted Italy to have a population of 60 million by 1950. In 1920, it stood at 37 million so his target was a tall order.