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Fascist Italy Style Over Substance Essay, Research Paper

Fascist Italy Style over substance To what extent is this true of Italy 1924-39

Mussolini did not rule with hand of iron in Italy and he was much more into propaganda and his own popularity. Yet he did achieve some victories for Italy. The substance Vs style issue can be looked at in a number of places e.g. social policy, cult of Mussolini etc

Mussolini came to power in 1922 without any clear ideas about foreign policy but in just under a few months he had established a general aim, to make Italy great, respected and feared . Italy would achieve this through a military strengthening diplomatic intrigue and if necessary war. Yet he did not have the opportunity to expand because there were no suitable opportunities and domestic issues required close attention. Mussolini was attempting to take Yugoslavia and In 1926 Albania became a satellite state for Italy and was threatening Yugoslavia with greater force. This maintained Italy s aggressive foreign policy was a promising start. Yet he was improving European relations in the west by signing such treaties as the Lucerne pact and the Kellogg- Briand pact. These meant little to Mussolini who often would not even read them. He was interested being taken seriously as a European statesman and hoped it would enhance his prestige at home. He often made extravagant entrances at international conferences which were always extensively covered by the press. This is an obvious example of style over substance. The Italians were led to believe that Mussolini was equal in Europe his input was crucial. This was a gross exaggeration. He only attended one session at the Lucerne pact and did not even read the final treaty.

In 1933 when Hitler came to power the nazi regime scared and horrified Britain and France. Mussolini used this, he knew that they feared Germany allying with other countries so he agreed to the Stress front on condition he was allowed to continue Italian expansion in to Ethiopia. It was a low risk opportunity to expand his colonial empire and show Italians some substance behind his style. In 1934 Mussolini got his excuse to invade a skirmish took place at wal wal where 300 Italians had been killed. Mussolini called for an investigation by the League of Nations but did not wait for its result He invaded in October 1935. The Ethiopians were not equipped to fight a modern war and could not deal with aerial bombings and poisonous gas. In April 1935 the Ethiopians suffered a massive defeat at the capital Addis Ababa The emperor fled to Britain. Mussolini now bombarded the country enforcing brutal tactics and killing hundreds. This victory increased Mussolini s popularity immensely as the people saw fascism in action. It was hyped greatly and showed that Mussolini was the only man who could restore the countries glory since Italy had lost a war with Adowa in 1896. The league condemned it, which just made Mussolini more popular as the people rallied around the regime. This was proved again that fascism had substance but the war was an easy and Mussolini produced a lot of propaganda to prove otherwise.

After this incident had was not impressed with the French and British governments and felt they were too weak. He looked to Germany in more favour now. And there was a reconciliation in 1936 when Hitler promised he wouldn t make an anschluss with Austria The Berlin-Rome Axis was confirmed by Italian foreign minister it was a public declaration of friendship and both countries agreed they would expand in different areas and would not conflict. They then both fought on the same side in the Spanish civil war to overthrow the republicans but Mussolini put in his troops at the last minute because he was not that dedicated to the war but did not want to lose. In March 1938 Germany formed the Anschluss without consulting Italy. Yet this was soon over. In September 1938 Hitler took over the Sudetenland and Mussolini was made mediator in the talks with Britain and Germany. Germany won and the Sudetneland was handed over to the third Reich. Mussolini tried to be seen as an equal to Hitler but this again was myth and Hitler was always more threatening and brave in his advances in Europe. Hitler saw Mussolini as a joke while Mussolini looked up to him and his dynamism the fact that he was as powerful as Hitler was myth and stylised propaganda for his country. Another myth was the taking over of Albania in 1939. It had been a satellite state for many years but Mussolini said it was a major military achievement.

The pact of steel between Italy and Germany this culminated in Mussolini being to scared of defeat and felt that Italians would not be happy fighting a war that would not benefit their own country. He claimed Germany had been treacherous and declared the pact defunct. When Germany went to war with western democracies over Poland Italy declared itself non-belligerent

Mussolini was never brave enough to war with another country of similar status and therefore did not do much. His foreign policy was one of myth rather than substance. He would not dare fight against Hitler or the Western Democracies and so never became great respected or feared although he made many Italians believe otherwise.

One of Mussolini s aims was to transform and revolutionise Italian society. One of the ways in which he aimed to do this was by winning the support of the Catholic Church, which, as the most popular religion in Italy, would give him the support of the people. He did this through the Lateran Pacts, which made Catholicism the state religion, made Religious Education compulsory, and paid the Church 30million for lost land.

The myth was that Mussolini managed to establish a working relationship with the church, a feat not managed by any government since 1871. This was true at first. However, the reality was that he could not maintain

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