Domestic Policy Flashcards
What were Mussolini’s aims in regards to his domestic policy?
- Control the population
- Create a loyal nation of fascists
- To be popular
Name 7 ways Mussolini aimed to fulfil the aims of his domestic policy
- Indoctrination of education and the youth
- Opera Nazionale Dopolavoro (OND)
- Press control and censorship
- Propaganda
- Creating the cult of il Duce
- Creating a fascist culture
- Making a terror state
How did Mussolini indoctrinate the boys of Italy?
- April 1926 the Opera Nazionale Balilla (ONB) was created for the ‘physical and moral benefit’ of boys aged 8-18 based mainly around physical fitness
- Membership compulsory 6-11, but in 1939 it was made compulsory for all ages
- Prior to 1939 membership provided access to jobs, scholarships, not being a part made it hard to enrol in further education and barred from future civil service employment
How did Mussolini indoctrinate the girls of Italy?
• Figlie della Lapa (6-8), Piccole Italiane (8-13) and Giovane Italiane (14-17) were the girls equivalent of the ONB, focused around physical fitness too
In what other ways were youth indoctrinated in fascist Italy?
- 1929 Ministry of National Education created and all youth organisations placed under its control (only Catholic Action allowed to remain)
- All teacher had to be part of the PNF by 1933
What was the point of indoctrinating children in fascist Italy?
- Wanted to make Italy a great nation - turn boys into fascist soldiers and girls into good fascist wives
- Centralising the education system and extracurricular activities made this easier
Evidence of the success of Mussolini’s youth policy
- 1937 prior to compulsory membership youth organisations had 7 million members
- Northern children seen to enjoy activities more
- Boys tended to enjoy participation in activities
Evidence of the failure of Mussolini’s youth policy
- Motivation to participate not necessarily out of loyalty to the PNF - preferable to learning in class, social occassions, easier to get future employment
- Girls disliked groups due to being too focused on being mothers, 1937 survey said they were more interested in the boys’ activities
- In the south, as children left school earlier to become agriculture workers, it was harder to indoctrinate
What was the OND?
- The National Afterwork Organisation
- Set up 1925 after the closure of socialist organisations
- Provided recreation and welfare
What benefits did the OND provide?
- Bars, billiard halls, cycling groups, libraries and radios, discounts on rail tickets
- Each section had a clubhouse where activties were provided. Plays, films and concerts provided
- Acted as a welfare organisation at times relief was needed
- Subsidised holidays and excursions
What was odd about the OND?
• It was politically neutral
What evidence is there of the OND being a successful piece of domestic policy?
- 4 million members
- Argument from Mussolini that through creating l better lives for workers that people were more likely to tolerate/accept fascism and not challenge it
What evidence is there of the OND being an unsuccessful piece of domestic policy?
• Political neutrality means that members could just join for benefits and not necessarily creating a loyal nation of fascists
How was the press censored in fascist Italy?
- 1926 saw laws restricting freedom of press sanctioned
- Government able confiscate whole editions of newspapers, journals or magazines that was deemed unfavourable
- Could shut down press organisations completely - Avanti! and L’Unita (left-wing press) an example of this
- Journalists had to be part of a fascist union which controlled access to jobs and promotions
- Stories remained government approved as well as subsidises given to newspapers that printed positive stories about Mussolini
What did Mussolini still allow in terms of censorship?
- Did not focus on banning news but more censorship
* Only 10% of newspaper sales was Fascist newspapers
How effective was censorship in Italy?
Very
• Made it hard to challenge fascist control
• Helped to conceal problems from public consciousness
What propaganda used to contribute to Mussolini’s domestic policy aims?
- Emphasises what united Italians
- The cult of Ancient Rome was emphasised - 1 million visited exhibitions of Roman history that emphasised its greatness & tied it with modern Italy
- Mussolini linked to being the heir of Augustus who rebuilt Italy to be a great power after war and chaos
- World cup victories in 1934 and 1938 used as propaganda tools
- Spread via newspaper, radio, cinema and posters
Was the propaganda effective in Italy?
It was hard for people to hold opposing views due to censorship but
• Ministry of propaganda not set up till Ministry of Press in 1935, became Ministry of popular culture in 1937. It wasn’t very sophsitocated failured to utilse modern mediums
• Lack of mass media in the south anyway
• Questionable of how transformative it was for attiudes in Italy
How was the cult of il Duce created?
- Through posters, cinema, newsreels, radio broadcasts that sought to portray Mussolini as a leader of immense power and ability
- Slogan ‘Mussolini is always right’
- 30 million pictures circulated of Mussolini in 2500 poses
- Described as a superb swimmer and aviator
- Frequently photographed shirtless
What was the purpose of the cult of il Duce?
- Establishment of personal dictatorship
- Show he was the head figure of the PNF
- Convery him of being of traditional family values
- Link him with Ceaser and Augustus and leading the nation to greatness
