Mussolini's Facism

Joseph Tafoya

AP Euro Hist.

Mr.Arnt

4 February 2013

Mussolini's Facism

Fascist Italy was a totalitarian state, though not to the extent of Hitler's Germany or Stalin's Russia. It was led by Benito Mussolini. Population was a big issue then, and fascism was a big part of life as well. Both can be seen to have affected various parts of Italian society. Italy was a one party state, was radical on gender roles/issues of the time, Fascists took and kept power with popular support, and Italy was weak economically. Fascism and the population policy were large pieces of the Italian puzzle.

Italy was a one party state in that only one party was actually legal. There were Italians such as Gaetano Salvemini who disapproved of Fascism, but they were forced to live outside of Italy and thus minimally affected the going ons therein (Doc 4). These other parties that were forced to live outside Italy had a different view on the population problem, which may have been one of the reasons why they were banished/outlawed or why their feelings were so strong (Doc4). Salvemini went so far as to say that thin women, who bore fewer children than fat women, would be put before a firing squad by Mussolini! This one party government can also be seen in a decree by the Italian parliament (Doc1). The decree required a lot money seeing as each pregnant woman was to be protected and assisted with nursing for children under 5 by the state. In addition, clinics for these women's care were to be provided. These clinics however, may have been created less for a desire to actually care for the women as to make sure that the children would be born in good condition, thereby benefitting Italy. This decree would probably not have been passed if a conservative party had existed in Italy. The conservatives probably would not have approved the funds needed to carry out this decree.

Italy was rather radical when it came to the issue of gender and women doing things other than reproducing. Mussolini himself believed that a woman having to work made her husband feel ashamed, that she "castrated" him (Doc5). While examining this view, one must keep in mind that Mussolini wanted to increase the birthrate, so he might have said this in his speech in order to sway men into thinking they were ashamed of themselves. This way the women would have stayed home and had more kids. To some extent, it may have worked. Mussolini's daughter remarked in her memoirs that she was frustrated because, only two years after having her first child, she was pregnant again (Doc7). Mussolini's daughter was also angry that she was being forced to leave China, which she found to be a wonderful place to live, and more back to Italy. She may have been angry, and might have expressed said anger in regards to being pregnant again so soon. Italy's radicalness in regards to women's place in society can also be seen in a book by Paolo Orano (Doc8). In this book, Orano expressed his belief that women are the cause of Italy's declining birth rate. He thought that a woman who "renounced the idea of becoming a good mother" was akin to "female insubordination". Paolo was a journalist though, so while he mnay have been expressing his genuine opinion, he may also have been trying to gain Mussolini's favor. This same radical view can also be seen in a fascist party magazine which talked about a