Benito Mussolini Fascism Research Paper

In 1919, Benito Mussolini formed the Nationali Fascist Party (Partito Nazionale Fascista; PNF), in Italy. In 1922, he rose to power and become the Prime Minister of the country. Described as a 'refuge from the menaces of modernity', Mussolini's brand of fascism was highly valued and believed to have to represented 'Italianness.’ This idea of ‘Italianness’ which Mussolini represented was one which gave life to the rise of fascist ideology within Italy during the 20th century. It was this 'Italianness' itself which gave way to the symbolism of Italy’s strength going back as far as the Roman Empire, a symbol which the regime in Fascist Italy endlessly strived to recreate, honouring the power which the Roman Empire was so known for. A central

According to Nelis in Constructing Fascist Identity: Benito Mussolini and the Myth of Romanita, 'fascism placed itself ideologically in history as the fulfilment of Italy's destiny.' The idea of Rome gave Italians something to hold onto with an emphasis on a united italy, 'there was also now the concept of the Italians as one united people.' Roman civilisation was seen as as a period in which "the empire flourished, incorporated all the vital and substantial elements of western civilization, which were made eternal in the Roman virtues, the organic concept of the state and, last but not least, the empire. Roman policy was conceived as a policy of action, which was pursued with a continuous intuition of what was right for the country and its empire. In this way, the virtus romana and the above mentioned connotations were conceived as being ideologically instrumental to Roman imperialism.' Though fascism was seen as an immediate response to the economic crisis problems within Italy after world war I, the ideological components of Italian Fascism went beyond being only a response to the political and economic landscape at the time and it became more culturally rooted with Romanita being a shining example of

Italian history and media shaped the way in which Italians viewed their shared cultural identity in a uniquely Italian way; 'many people saw in fascism the realisation of their own ideals and interests; they then acted to ensure their triumph and, over the ruins of liberal civilization, to see them hallowed in the temples and rites of a new political civilization.' The question of whether or not Fascism transformed Italy or if Italy transformed fascism is one which remains unanswered and undecided by historians. On one hand, Mussolini tried to recreate a unique Italian nationalist idea by recreating the idea of the Roman Empire, this could be seen as Italy transforming fascism in a sense. However, when examining the deeper culture surrounding fascism and more so how it impacted Italian culture, it could also be said that fascism transformed Italy. In the words of Gentile, perhaps the Italian fascist experience can be best summed up by his notes that 'the choice of these people depended on the social situation they found themselves in and even more on the consideration of what they thought was in defence of their interest and would bring about the satisfaction of their