1922 – Rome: Political Religion and the Cult of the Leader Flashcards
What happened 1922?
Mussolini takes Italian state by force, this show of force is a threat, a enactment, a performance. He only takes power because he is made prime minister as a result, not a coup more a threat.
He also marched on Rome in 1922.
Was fascism on the rise?
The rise in fascism was at the time mussolini came to power. He was almost a imperial contributor to power militarism.
Mobilizing a paramilitary movement, blurring lines between peace, war, violence,peace.
Black shirts (his police)
Not foreseen at time, but the march changes politics in interwar period – introduces new kind of politics to EU (fascism)
Was fascism popular?
Fascism was popularism. It was about individual leaders talking direct to rhe people, enacting the will of people/nation.
What did Italian fascism introduce?
Italian fascism introduced new model of counter politics, the idea of a glorious nation/future intrinsic to fascism.
It involved politics of action. Explicitly antidemocratic. Talks the language of anti-politics. Mass parties of fascism created (the regime however is characterised by single party, only one allowed to exist and is defined as anti-party).
Organisations and no other party is to compete. Language of anti-party/politics.
The mood in Italy?
The rise is a reflection of the fact fascism is anti-liberal. Italy rejects democract, sees it comprised of atomised individuals. There is a greater focus on collective identities, nation, the community, not atomised individuals.
Italy rejects parliamentralism, and so parliamentary structures ect, sees them as ‘talking shops’ as no problems are addressed and the needs of ordinary people are ignored by the establishment.
So, is liberalism discredited?
Italy 1922: liberalism discredited – this is the dislocating effect of WW1, following Italy poor outcome in peace agreement and previous liberal structures are discredited.
The liberal system is seen to operate as a spoil system. Operates essentially at patronage network that is genuinely about corruption. Urban liberal elites are favoured by the corrupt system and the working people left out – discredited.
What did fascism offer Italy?
Fascism offered new solution to problems, and worked in the interest of people. It played into the popularist agenda.
It emphasized action and Mussolini understood the needs/ambition of the nation and provided direction. They believed that liberal corruption stopped the nation achieving glorious future.
Idea that new politics legitimized in part by the fact Mussolini was a prominent socialist figure, Mussolini wanted military/ national glory prepared to used violence (not popular socialist idea)
Fascism claimed to be offering radical new alternative.
The rise in dictatorship?
Over the course of 1920s inextricable rise in dictatorships.
Mussolini was made prime minister in a attempt by established elites to incorporate mussolini into government with the believe they can control him.
After 1945 the last of liberalism in Italy is destroyed.
Mussolini introduces new model of rule, new authoritarian of one person rule (now called dictatorship, relatively new term).
Totalitarianism and Dictatorship?
Italian fascism regime coins terms totalitarianism.
Idea of totalitarianism defined in terms of state power/ capacity, another example of self conscious and Italian modernity.
Mussolini used language of modernity and power
This new kind of politics offers new idea to public, transforming the nation/ society and the individual. Talks about making Italians and making Italy.
What is hyper nationalism?
Violent distorted patriotism, everything done for glory of nation, ambition (territorial etc) become discourse of political life.
Palingenetic (concept of rebirth) - nationalism depends on rebirth/ transformation of fascism. New form of politics in Italy, to be reborn you have to be transformed, fundamental to ideas/practise of fascism.
What is the fascist Man? Or by charismatic leader?
Man here is not a term to signify all human beings.Man here means man.
The agent of transformation is the male body.
It refers to a masculine form of politics , Italian men will be transformed into fascist men. Italians are seen doing fascist marches rather than stereotypically serenading women
Mussolini the visionary, embodies new idea of fascism. This is the model of 20thc dictator, emphasis on masculinity/ virility/ leadership in action.
Mussolini presents himself as epitome of new fascist styles, embodies new age radicalised by war. Omniscient, man of vision, the only leader can see what is wrong with the nation and address problem and see where nation should go.
Spanish civil war and charismatic leader?
‘El caudillo’, same idea of cult leader. Rallies modelled by Mussolini , but Franco is a terrible charismatic leader, he is short and his voice is high pitched, idle aged, ugly, not natural heroic figures.
The idea of leader matters in fascist cults. You imagine a role for a leader and find someone to fill it, it is the immaterial idea of leadership/direction.
Oswold Mosley – charismatic but failed, as political leader failure.
What was the appeal of fascism?
There is a collective identity - The ‘shirted movements’, fascists defined by shirts.
The shirts indicate the new politics, and they are deliberately informal so there is no status.
Shirts emblematic represent new styles aesthetic of new politics. Once new fascist man is reborn, as a individual he doesn’t matter, he is now part of the collective.
This style reinforced that fascism was a young male movement and so reinforces gender hierarchies but, subverts age hierarchies. Old politics associated with corrupt liberalism (this is the transformation).
Violence and the Black Shirts?
They were a source of spontaneous violence apart of paramiliterism that characterised the period. Nearly 100 deaths on streets as result of political violence.
Blackshirts targeted socialists, to be expunged from Italian nation if it were to be reborn/purged.
This punitive expedition relied on local cooperation, blackshirts would beat up, remove kill socialists, and commonly humiliate them public. Caster oil – laxative.
Squad violence was a feature of the rise to power.
Was Mussolini’s regime murderous??
Mussolini’s regime was not murderous, he did not attempt to purify Italy by extermination but by censorship/ surveillance (spies).
