Booklet 5

• What changes did the Fascists make to Italian education in terms of religion?

  1923 - Compulsory RE in elementary schools1929 - Compulsory RE in secondary schools
• What changes did the fascists make to education in terms of the cult of Mussolini?

  1) Portrait of Mussolini in all classrooms.2) All pupils given a notebook with Mussolini on the cover and a free copy of The Life of Mussolini.3) Day began with rising of the tricolour flag and there were prayers twice and daily prayers and songs about the leader.
• What changes did the fascists make to education in terms of government intervention?

  1926 - 101 of 317 history texts were banned.1928 - libro unico was introduced to elementary schools covering all subjects. Official course plans were introduced.All dialects were banned.1935 - military education in secondary schools covering History, weapons and tactics.1936 - lessons in Fascists culture introduced in elementary schools.1938 - anti-Semitism taught in schools.
• What changes did the fascists make to education in terms of control over teachers?

  1925 - public employees with views 'incompatible with the general political aims of the government' could be dismissed.1929 - teachers took an oath of loyalty to the party to try and counter religious influence.1931 - all teachers associations merged into a Fascist Association. Membership was made compulsory in 1937. It organised indoctrination courses needed for promotion.
• What changes did the fascists make to education in terms of control over teachers part 2?


  1931-2 professors told to take a loyalty oath. Only 11 out of 1250 refused. Others crossed fingers.1933 - all new teachers and professors had to be party members.1934 - teachers to wear fascist uniforms for official occasions. Urged to join ONB as leaders.1938 - Jewish teachers/students were dismissed.
• What changes did the fascists make to education in terms of universities?


  1) Universities were largely left alone as long as they did not become involved in any hostile political activity.2) By the late 1930s many teenage students were likely to be fascist-orientated anyway as they had been indoctrinated in elementary schools and the Balilla.
• What values did the Fascists want young people to have?

  1) A strong identity and allegiance to the fascist regime.2) A strong sense of discipline + willing to sacrifice.3) Obedience to superiors and strong patriotic duty.
• What was the Fascist Youth officially known as?

  Gioventu Italiana Del'Littorio (GIL).It meant fascist youth of the lictors.
• How was the GIL divided?

  Children of the Wolf - 0 to 8 years.Balilla - 8 to 11 years.Balilla musketeers - 11 to 14 years.Vanguard - 14 to 16 years.Vanguard Musketeers - 16 to 18 years.
• What was the name of the Fascist Youth for girls?

  Fascio Femminile.
• When was the fascist youth organised?

  October 1922.
• Why was the Fascist Youth originally called the Balilla?

  It was named after a boy from Genova, Italy who incited a riot against the invading Austrian troops by throwing a stone at a rolling field cannon.
• What was the pre-avieri?


  Once joining the fascist youth they could choose to sign up to eventually go into the air-force.
• What happened at the age of 18 after people had left the fascist youth?


  All makes were either conscripted into the Royal Army or they volunteered for the Black Shirts, Navy or Air Force.
• What was the OND?

  A lesiure programme that replaced socialist organisations for worker recreation.
• What benefits did members of the OND recieve?

  1) Access to bars, billiard halls, cycling groups and football clubs.2) Rail discounts and other consumer benefits.3) Subsidised holidays and excursions.4) Acted as a welfare organisation providing relief for workers and social insurance.
• Why did the OND exist?

  Mussolini thought that participation with fascism was important and it boosted his popularity.
• What were the main features of the cult of Il Duce?


  1) Trying to create a god complex surrounding Mussolini.2) Presenting Mussolini as a strong and charismatic entity, separate to that of the Fascist party.
• In what ways was the cult of Il Duce created?

  1) Around 30 million photos of Il Duce in 2,500 different poses were circulated around Italy.2) Photographs of Il Duce were provided in every classroom of every school.3) Students were offered free notebooks with a photograph of Mussolini on the cover as well as the Life of Mussolini.
• What were the main strengths of the cult of Il Duce?


  1) He managed to make himself the central point of the dictatorship separate from the party.2) He was able to absorb those who did not like the party, but liked him.3) He created a god complex with himself at the centre.
• What were the main weaknesses of the cult of Il Duce?

  1) The dictatorship focussed on Mussolini which meant that, if he died the dictatorship would be likely to not be able to continue on without him. The PNF or fascist ideology were simply not as popular
• How did the Fascists use newspapers?


  1) Prefects were given the ability to confiscate whole editions of any newspaper if it was unfavourable to the fascist regime. 2) Journalists were incorporated into a fascist union.
• What were the main successes of the fascist use of newspapers?


  1) The fascist newspaper Il Popolo d'Italia had a circulation of 100,000.2) Newspapers were allowed to exist under strict guidelines meaning a false image of the nation was presented to the Italian society.
• How was art used by the fascist regime?

  1) Decided that all art should serve the goals of the fascist state and help to create and sustain the fascist myths.2) The National Institute of Fascist Culture was created in 1926 and organised artists and intellectuals into associations.3) Exhibition of the Fascist Revolution commissioned artists to make fascist art and over four million people visited the exhibition.
• What were the failures of the use of art by the fascist regime?

  Mussolini never attempted to control artistic styles and art was never focussed in a coherent way that would resonate with all Italian people.
• How was cinema used by the fascist regime to control society?

  1) The PNF funded the Italian Film Industry.2) In the late 1930s created a state of the art film production complex known as film city.3) Many films including Vecchia Guardia glorified fascism and its achievements.
• What were the failures of cinema used by the fascist regime?

  87% of all box-office takings in Italy came from showing of Hollywood-produced films.
• How was architecture used by the fascist regime?

  1) New fascist buildings were modelled on a neo-classical Roman style to make connections between Ancient Rome and Fascist Italy.
• What were the failures of architecture used by the fascist regime?


  It was not focussed in a coherent manner and lacked intellectual respect like the poet d'Annunzio had.
• What could be the reason for why Italy pursued anti-semitic policies in the 1930s?


  It could have been because of Germany, Austria, Hungary etc. However, it seems that Mussolini felt that hatred towards the Jews would make a militaristic, radicalised society that would be united against their hatred for the Jewish people. He felt this would make them ready for the war he thought was coming.
• How did politicians work in exile outside Italy in 1924?


  1) Many major politicians left Italy after 1924.2) Thousands in exile published horrors of Fascism from abroad.3) They smuggled anti-fascist literature into Italy and advocated for the overthrow of fascism.
• How many anti-fascist volunteers were fighting?

  From 1936 there were 3000 anti-fascist volunteers fighting in Spain.
• Who defeated Fascist troops at Guadulajora in March 1937?

  Italian Garibaldi Legion defeated Italian Fascist Troops at Guadalajara in March 1937.
• How did the Italian Anti-fascist Concentration (CAI) oppose fascism in Italy?

  1) The anti-fascist concentration was established in Paris in 1927. 2) It was mainly made up of Socialists but some liberals tried to overcome the previous divisions.3) They concentrated on informing Europe of the evils of Fascism.4) In 1934, it dissolved itself after losing support to the radical GL.
• How did the Communist Party oppose fascism in Italy?

  1) It had 2,000 - 8,000 members.2) In 1926, most leaders were arrested but local parties and the newspaper unit survived illegaly.3) Some succession in the North where some infiltrated factories and trade unions to form strikes and demonstrations.4) Helped by Soviet money, but anti-comintern Policy of 1928 - 34 limited it's impact.5) The Great Depression and new popular front policy meant that it's support increased.6) From 1943 onwards it had a major role in resistance movements in Northern Italy.
• How did the GIL oppose fascism in Italy?

  1) GIL stood for Justice and Liberty.2) Tried to galvanise Italians into anti-fascist action.
• What types of opposition existed within Fascist Italy?

  1) Assassination attempts.2) Non-conformity.3) Armed uprising.4) Propaganda5) Strikes and demonstrations.6) Intellectual criticisms.
• How did assassination attempts threaten the fascist regime?

  1) Anarchists had four attempts on Mussolini's life in 1925 and 1926.2) In 1936, bombs were planted in Turin, Genoa and Bologna.
• How did non-conformity threaten the fascist regime?

  1) The fascists became the butt of many jokes and insults.2) Many refused to salute or wear uniform.
• How did propaganda threaten the fascist regime?

  1) Underground printing of anti-fascist propaganda.2) Secret press had varying success, particularly in the north, but periodically disrupted by the police force.3) There was strong distribution of anti-fascist pamphlets with instructions to pass on to others.