Consent & Control in fascist Italy - Press & censorship Flashcards
Cinema became ….. in the 1930s.
the most popular form of entertainment in Italy
Cinema
The regime created the….
“experimental centre of cinematography” which trained 100 students a year
Describe the films created in the 1930s under Mussolini
- Very few overtly fascist films were produced before the second world war
- Films like Luciano Serra pilota focused on an Italian pilot during the Abyssinia war which glorified the war
- Although the films weren’t strictly propaganda the news reels before and after glorified the Fascist state and in particular Mussolini
Radio broadcasting was state controlled
* By 1932 there were 300,000 registered radio sets and by 1938 there were more than 1 million
* A special rural radio agency (ERR) was set up to provide information. It was particularly impactful as you didn’t have to be literate to access the content.
* During WW2 the government 2 million radio sets were installed in market places schools and factories giving the state a huge reach with all of Mussolini’s speeches broadcast across thew nation.
Radio broadcasting was ……. controlled
state
Describe the timeline of radio establishment in Italy
- 1924-5 the first radiostation was set up
- By 1932 there were 300,000 registered radio sets
- By 1938 there were more than 1 million
Why was radio a useful propaganda tool
- radio was important in all areas of Italy to all people as you didn’t need to be literate to engage with the information being broadcast
- e.g For example, FGC member Davanzati’s Chronicles of the regime programme interviews other leading fascists
radio
Mussolinis speeches were….
- broadcast live via loud speakers in public squares and buildings
- A special rural radio agency (ERR) was set up to provide information.
- It was particularly impactful as you didn’t have to be literate to access the content.
How did the govt use radios for propaganda in WW2
- During WW2 the government installed 2 million radio sets in market places schools and factories giving the state a huge reach with all of Mussolini’s speeches broadcast across thew nation
With the press, until 1925 there was……. press freedom but…… of the fascists was rare
- a degree of
- criticism
What was introduced with the press by the end of 1926
- laws restricting the freedom of the press were sanctioned by parliament
- he government had the ability to confiscate whole editions of any newspaper, journal or magazine that produced material that could be judged as unfavourable to the fascist regime and could even shut them down completely.
What was Mussolini most interested by in the press
- Mussolini was more interested in controlling the press as opposed to banning newspapers
Describe the circulation of fascist newspapers
- Fascist newspapers only accounted for 10% of the entire newspaper sales in Italy.
- His fascist newspaper Popolo d’Italia only had a circulation of around 100,000, compared to 600,000 for the Corriere della Sera.
How did the press display Mussolini’s views
- That said the press consistently provided the Italian people with government approved stories and opinions.
- Other forms of control were used, such as increased subsidies for those newspapers that printed positive stories about Mussolini.
How did press control strengthen post 1935
- In 1935 the press off ice who controlled became the Ministry of Press and Propaganda. There was from then strict censorship of newspapers, radio film, theatre of foreign publications. The press was not fully coordinated by the state but editors themselves self-censored.
What were the weaknesses of the cult of Il Duce
- cult of il Duce did not achieve aim of transforming Italian people into more militaristic culture
- focused on one leader, rather than an ideology that could continue after M died - therefore to difficult to consider fascism surviving beyond M
- difficult to maintain image as M aged
Why in the 1930s could it be argued that Mussolini began to believe in the myth
- could explain his more radical and aggressive foreign policy from 1935
Cult of Il Duce was arguably…
The most powerful and successful aspect of fascist propaganda
What was the Cult of Il Duce
an image spread through posters, cinema news reels and radio broadcasts that sought to portray Mussolini as a leader of immense ability who was leading Italy to greatness
What was the aim of the cult of il duce
- The aim was to present Mussolini as an infallible leader who had singlehandedly saved Italy from socialism and economic backwardness.
- This was to help him control the county but also the party
What were the different aspects of the cult of il duce
- Slogan: ‘Mussolini is always right’
- 30 million pictures were circulated of Mussolini in 2,500 different poses
- Described as a superb swimmer and aviator
- Frequently photographed shirtless
- It presented him as a wrestler a swimmer, an intellectual, an engineer a musician – essentially superman who worked for 20 hours a day
- He associated himself with Roman emperors like Caesar
Cult of Il Duce
Why was Cult of Il Duce so strong
- Contradictions, rather than weakening the cult, helped to strengthen it; M was a leader who appealed to everyone
- Sustaining myth of the regime, uniting Italians in support for the dictatorship (PN and fascist ideology may not have been popular with the majority of Italians, but M stood above the party as a leader Italians could believe in)
What was the weakness of Mussolini’s influence on Fascist culture
- Not overly successful at transforming Italians into loyal fascists /questionable to what extent, if at all, it had any transformative effect on the Italian nation)
- No coherent focus with key message
- Lacked an intellectual giant e.g. d’Annunzio, who could inspire the population
weakness of culture
….% of box office takings came from showings of Hollywood-produced films
87%
What was the style of art under Mussolini
- eo-classicists looked to ancient Rome for inspiration and used it as a way to compare Rome with Mussolini’s Italy
- Some modernists preferred favoured clean lines and geometric shapes Mussolini favoured the classical approach
The government put on around …. exhibitions a year that focused on…..
- The government put on around 50 exhibitions a year that focused on portraying rural and industrial workers and all art increasingly glorified the regime.
1932: Exhibition of the ………………..held to celebrate 10 years of fascist rule - ………..
1932: Exhibition of the Fascist Revolution held to celebrate 10 years of fascist rule - artists commissioned to create artwork representing this achievement (over 4 million visitors)
Describe architecture under Mussolini
- new fascist buildings modelled on neo-classical Roman style
- e.g The Esposizione Universale Roma (EUR) was the largest building project during Mussolini’s regime and one of the largest in Europe.
- This was in Rome and consisted of apartments, monuments, and government buildings
What was the fascist aspiration for art
PNF produced policies for artists and intellectuals: all art should serve the goals of the fascist state and help to create/maintain the fascist myths and images
What was produced in 1926 for culture
- 1926: National Institute of Fascist Culture created (artists and intellectuals organised into particular associations) - organised cultural
- events, free concerts and publications that would encourage mass participation
- Organisation of artists and intellectuals efficient in controlling what was produced, and ensuring it helped boost the image of M and PNF
Why was it a strength for Mussolini to be so chill about art
- Mussolini never attempted to control artistic styles e.g. much fascist art was quite modern (just had to help to glorify fascism)
