Paul Corner
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198730699
- eISBN:
- 9780191741753
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198730699.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
The enigma of how ordinary people related to would-be totalitarian regimes is still far from being resolved. The tension between repression and consensus renders analysis difficult; where one ends ...
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The enigma of how ordinary people related to would-be totalitarian regimes is still far from being resolved. The tension between repression and consensus renders analysis difficult; where one ends and the other begins is never easy to determine. In the case of fascist Italy, recent scholarship has tended to tilt the balance in favour of popular consensus for the regime, identifying in the ideological and cultural aspects of Mussolini's rule a ‘political religion’ which bound the population to the fascist leader. This book presents a different picture. While in no way underestimating the force of ideological factors, the book argues that ‘real existing Fascism’, as lived by a large part of the population, was in fact an increasingly negative experience and reflected few of those colourful and attractive features of fascist propaganda which have induced more favourable interpretations of the regime. Distinguishing clearly between the fascist project and its realisation, the study examines the ways in which the fascist party asserted itself at the local level in the widely-differing areas of Italy, at its corruption and malfunctioning, and at the mounting wave of popular resentment against it during the course of the 1930s which, in effect, signalled the failure of the project. The study, based largely on archival material, concludes by suggesting that the abuse of power by fascists at the local level mirrors a wider problem related to the utilisation of power within Italy, both past and present.Less
The enigma of how ordinary people related to would-be totalitarian regimes is still far from being resolved. The tension between repression and consensus renders analysis difficult; where one ends and the other begins is never easy to determine. In the case of fascist Italy, recent scholarship has tended to tilt the balance in favour of popular consensus for the regime, identifying in the ideological and cultural aspects of Mussolini's rule a ‘political religion’ which bound the population to the fascist leader. This book presents a different picture. While in no way underestimating the force of ideological factors, the book argues that ‘real existing Fascism’, as lived by a large part of the population, was in fact an increasingly negative experience and reflected few of those colourful and attractive features of fascist propaganda which have induced more favourable interpretations of the regime. Distinguishing clearly between the fascist project and its realisation, the study examines the ways in which the fascist party asserted itself at the local level in the widely-differing areas of Italy, at its corruption and malfunctioning, and at the mounting wave of popular resentment against it during the course of the 1930s which, in effect, signalled the failure of the project. The study, based largely on archival material, concludes by suggesting that the abuse of power by fascists at the local level mirrors a wider problem related to the utilisation of power within Italy, both past and present.
Chris Millington
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780719085505
- eISBN:
- 9781781702680
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9780719085505.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
The most up-to-date and comprehensive English-language study of its kind, From victory to Vichy explores the political mobilisation of the two largest French veterans’ associations during the ...
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The most up-to-date and comprehensive English-language study of its kind, From victory to Vichy explores the political mobilisation of the two largest French veterans’ associations during the interwar years, the Union fédérale (UF) and the Union nationale des combattants (UNC). Drawing on extensive research into the associations’ organisation, policies and tactics, this study argues that French veterans were more of a threat to democracy than previous scholarship has allowed. As France descended into crisis, the UF and the UNC sought to extend their influence into the non-veteran milieu through public demonstrations, propaganda campaigns and the foundation of auxiliary groups. Despite shifting policies and independent initiatives, by the end of the 1930s the UF and the UNC had come together in a campaign for authoritarian political reform, leaving them perfectly placed to become the ‘eyes and ears’ of Marshal Pétain’s Vichy regime.Less
The most up-to-date and comprehensive English-language study of its kind, From victory to Vichy explores the political mobilisation of the two largest French veterans’ associations during the interwar years, the Union fédérale (UF) and the Union nationale des combattants (UNC). Drawing on extensive research into the associations’ organisation, policies and tactics, this study argues that French veterans were more of a threat to democracy than previous scholarship has allowed. As France descended into crisis, the UF and the UNC sought to extend their influence into the non-veteran milieu through public demonstrations, propaganda campaigns and the foundation of auxiliary groups. Despite shifting policies and independent initiatives, by the end of the 1930s the UF and the UNC had come together in a campaign for authoritarian political reform, leaving them perfectly placed to become the ‘eyes and ears’ of Marshal Pétain’s Vichy regime.
Paul Corner
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198730699
- eISBN:
- 9780191741753
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198730699.003.0010
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
The chapter starts with a survey of fascist policies designed to give a fresh dynamism to a stagnant regime in the later part of the 1930s (these included the Racial Laws of 1938) and then passes to ...
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The chapter starts with a survey of fascist policies designed to give a fresh dynamism to a stagnant regime in the later part of the 1930s (these included the Racial Laws of 1938) and then passes to a survey of popular responses to an increasingly ‘totalitarian’ assertion of the regime's authority. It charts mounting hostility to the regime among large sections of the population, tired of fascist rhetoric, disgusted by the behaviour — particularly at the provincial level — of the ‘new caste’ of fascist leaders, and dismayed by the prospect of a generalised European war with fascist Italy fighting alongside Mussolini's ally, Nazi Germany.Less
The chapter starts with a survey of fascist policies designed to give a fresh dynamism to a stagnant regime in the later part of the 1930s (these included the Racial Laws of 1938) and then passes to a survey of popular responses to an increasingly ‘totalitarian’ assertion of the regime's authority. It charts mounting hostility to the regime among large sections of the population, tired of fascist rhetoric, disgusted by the behaviour — particularly at the provincial level — of the ‘new caste’ of fascist leaders, and dismayed by the prospect of a generalised European war with fascist Italy fighting alongside Mussolini's ally, Nazi Germany.
Paul Corner
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198730699
- eISBN:
- 9780191741753
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198730699.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
The chapter examines the formation of the fascist project. It illustrates the objectives of the fascist movement in the light of pre-First World War intellectual currents of both left and right, of ...
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The chapter examines the formation of the fascist project. It illustrates the objectives of the fascist movement in the light of pre-First World War intellectual currents of both left and right, of the experience of the war itself, and of problems of the immediate post-war. It discusses the utopian project of national transformation, to be realised through the transformation of Italians. While arguing that the project, in its utopian form, was bound to fail, the chapter does point to ways in which the aim of social transformation could have been at least partially implemented.Less
The chapter examines the formation of the fascist project. It illustrates the objectives of the fascist movement in the light of pre-First World War intellectual currents of both left and right, of the experience of the war itself, and of problems of the immediate post-war. It discusses the utopian project of national transformation, to be realised through the transformation of Italians. While arguing that the project, in its utopian form, was bound to fail, the chapter does point to ways in which the aim of social transformation could have been at least partially implemented.
Joshua Arthurs
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780801449987
- eISBN:
- 9780801468841
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9780801449987.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
The cultural and material legacies of the Roman Republic and Empire in evidence throughout Rome have made it the “Eternal City.” Too often, however, this patrimony has caused Rome to be seen as ...
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The cultural and material legacies of the Roman Republic and Empire in evidence throughout Rome have made it the “Eternal City.” Too often, however, this patrimony has caused Rome to be seen as static and antique, insulated from the transformations of the modern world. This book revises this perception, arguing that as both place and idea, Rome was strongly shaped by a radical vision of modernity imposed by Benito Mussolini's regime between the two world wars. Italian Fascism's appropriation of the Roman past—the idea of Rome, or romanità—encapsulated the Fascist virtues of discipline, hierarchy, and order; the Fascist “new man” was modeled on the Roman legionary, the epitome of the virile citizen-soldier. This vision of modernity also transcended Italy's borders, with the Roman Empire providing a foundation for Fascism's own vision of Mediterranean domination and a European New Order. At the same time, romanità also served as a vocabulary of anxiety about modernity. Fears of population decline, racial degeneration and revolution were mapped onto the barbarian invasions and the fall of Rome. Offering a critical assessment of romanità and its effects, the book explores the ways in which academics, officials, and ideologues approached Rome not as a site of distant glories but as a blueprint for contemporary life, a source of dynamic values to shape the present and future.Less
The cultural and material legacies of the Roman Republic and Empire in evidence throughout Rome have made it the “Eternal City.” Too often, however, this patrimony has caused Rome to be seen as static and antique, insulated from the transformations of the modern world. This book revises this perception, arguing that as both place and idea, Rome was strongly shaped by a radical vision of modernity imposed by Benito Mussolini's regime between the two world wars. Italian Fascism's appropriation of the Roman past—the idea of Rome, or romanità—encapsulated the Fascist virtues of discipline, hierarchy, and order; the Fascist “new man” was modeled on the Roman legionary, the epitome of the virile citizen-soldier. This vision of modernity also transcended Italy's borders, with the Roman Empire providing a foundation for Fascism's own vision of Mediterranean domination and a European New Order. At the same time, romanità also served as a vocabulary of anxiety about modernity. Fears of population decline, racial degeneration and revolution were mapped onto the barbarian invasions and the fall of Rome. Offering a critical assessment of romanità and its effects, the book explores the ways in which academics, officials, and ideologues approached Rome not as a site of distant glories but as a blueprint for contemporary life, a source of dynamic values to shape the present and future.
Paul Corner
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198730699
- eISBN:
- 9780191741753
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198730699.003.0012
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
The concluding chapter summarises the various ways in which the fascist party failed in its objectives of national transformation. It argues that the party was central to fascist objectives and that ...
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The concluding chapter summarises the various ways in which the fascist party failed in its objectives of national transformation. It argues that the party was central to fascist objectives and that the failure of the party signified, in effect, the failure of Fascism. Lack of success is linked to a weak political message and to the unhappy relationship between local and national, with local fascists following narrow, parochial, and personal priorities rather than national, public, objectives, usually to the detriment of the regime, and the central authorities unable to dominate totally these tendencies. The chapter ends with some observations on the fact that, in Italy, use of political power for private ends has not been confined to the fascist period.Less
The concluding chapter summarises the various ways in which the fascist party failed in its objectives of national transformation. It argues that the party was central to fascist objectives and that the failure of the party signified, in effect, the failure of Fascism. Lack of success is linked to a weak political message and to the unhappy relationship between local and national, with local fascists following narrow, parochial, and personal priorities rather than national, public, objectives, usually to the detriment of the regime, and the central authorities unable to dominate totally these tendencies. The chapter ends with some observations on the fact that, in Italy, use of political power for private ends has not been confined to the fascist period.
Paul Corner
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198730699
- eISBN:
- 9780191741753
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198730699.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
The Introduction points first to the persistence of strong local and regional differences in Italy after Unification and to the ways in which the powerful centrifugal forces in respect of the Italian ...
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The Introduction points first to the persistence of strong local and regional differences in Italy after Unification and to the ways in which the powerful centrifugal forces in respect of the Italian State generated by these differences were reflected in the early fascist movement and in its later organisation and functioning. It suggests that the preference given to local priorities was in persistent conflict with the nationalising and centralising project of the fascist regime. The Introduction also presents the second aspect of the book, that of the inefficiency of local fascist officials and their abuse of power, factors which provoke an extremely negative popular reaction.Less
The Introduction points first to the persistence of strong local and regional differences in Italy after Unification and to the ways in which the powerful centrifugal forces in respect of the Italian State generated by these differences were reflected in the early fascist movement and in its later organisation and functioning. It suggests that the preference given to local priorities was in persistent conflict with the nationalising and centralising project of the fascist regime. The Introduction also presents the second aspect of the book, that of the inefficiency of local fascist officials and their abuse of power, factors which provoke an extremely negative popular reaction.
Paul Corner
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198730699
- eISBN:
- 9780191741753
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198730699.003.0003
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
The chapter stresses the provincial origins of the fascist movement and underlines the degree to which the first Fascism was made up of a constellation of local initiatives, often with little contact ...
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The chapter stresses the provincial origins of the fascist movement and underlines the degree to which the first Fascism was made up of a constellation of local initiatives, often with little contact between them. The unifying element was the reaction against central government in Rome, thus reflecting the strong centrifugal thrust of the movement. The chapter examines the ways in which local strongholds were established by fascist leaders (the intransigent ras) — leaders often more concerned with their own personal positions of provincial power than with the establishment of a strong central government — and discusses the tensions between centre and periphery which become evident with the murder of Matteotti in 1924.Less
The chapter stresses the provincial origins of the fascist movement and underlines the degree to which the first Fascism was made up of a constellation of local initiatives, often with little contact between them. The unifying element was the reaction against central government in Rome, thus reflecting the strong centrifugal thrust of the movement. The chapter examines the ways in which local strongholds were established by fascist leaders (the intransigent ras) — leaders often more concerned with their own personal positions of provincial power than with the establishment of a strong central government — and discusses the tensions between centre and periphery which become evident with the murder of Matteotti in 1924.
Paul Corner
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780198730699
- eISBN:
- 9780191741753
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198730699.003.0009
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
The chapter examines the popular reactions to the many kinds of abuse of power within the provincial fascist organisations during the 1930s and seeks to illustrate the diverse expressions of ...
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The chapter examines the popular reactions to the many kinds of abuse of power within the provincial fascist organisations during the 1930s and seeks to illustrate the diverse expressions of political disaffection in a context of increasing apathy. It argues that the discontent with the functioning of the fascist party was also evident among fascists themselves, as is made clear by the open criticisms of the malfunctioning of the local federations and the arguments about the direction Fascism should take in the future. The chapter also looks at the role of the so-called ‘second generation’ of young fascists and examines their attitudes towards the regime.Less
The chapter examines the popular reactions to the many kinds of abuse of power within the provincial fascist organisations during the 1930s and seeks to illustrate the diverse expressions of political disaffection in a context of increasing apathy. It argues that the discontent with the functioning of the fascist party was also evident among fascists themselves, as is made clear by the open criticisms of the malfunctioning of the local federations and the arguments about the direction Fascism should take in the future. The chapter also looks at the role of the so-called ‘second generation’ of young fascists and examines their attitudes towards the regime.
Susanne C. Knittel
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- May 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780823262786
- eISBN:
- 9780823266500
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Fordham University Press
- DOI:
- 10.5422/fordham/9780823262786.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, European Modern History
The Historical Uncanny explores the ways in which cultural memories that pose uncomfortable challenges to the self-understanding of the remembering public are often systematically disregarded. The ...
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The Historical Uncanny explores the ways in which cultural memories that pose uncomfortable challenges to the self-understanding of the remembering public are often systematically disregarded. The “historical uncanny” is that which resists reification precisely because it is uncomfortable or unassimilable to the dominant discourses of commemoration. The book focuses on two marginalized aspects of the memory of the Holocaust: the Nazi “euthanasia” program directed against the mentally ill and disabled, and the Fascist persecution of Slovenes, Croats, and Jews in and around Trieste. The two memorials under consideration, Grafeneck, a former Nazi euthanasia killing center in Germany, and the Risiera di San Sabba concentration camp memorial in Trieste, bookend the Holocaust, revealing a trajectory from the eugenicist elimination of socially undesirable people, such as the mentally ill and disabled, to the full-scale racial purification of the Final Solution. The analysis of these memorials is coupled with an examination of the literary and artistic representations of the traumatic events in question. This approach leads to an expanded definition of “site of memory” as an assemblage of cultural artifacts and discourses that accumulate over time; a physical and a cultural space that is continuously redefined, rewritten, and re-presented. This comparative and interdisciplinary study brings together perspectives from literary studies, memory studies, disability studies, and postcolonial studies that contribute to a broader and more differentiated understanding of the Holocaust and its place in contemporary European memory culture.Less
The Historical Uncanny explores the ways in which cultural memories that pose uncomfortable challenges to the self-understanding of the remembering public are often systematically disregarded. The “historical uncanny” is that which resists reification precisely because it is uncomfortable or unassimilable to the dominant discourses of commemoration. The book focuses on two marginalized aspects of the memory of the Holocaust: the Nazi “euthanasia” program directed against the mentally ill and disabled, and the Fascist persecution of Slovenes, Croats, and Jews in and around Trieste. The two memorials under consideration, Grafeneck, a former Nazi euthanasia killing center in Germany, and the Risiera di San Sabba concentration camp memorial in Trieste, bookend the Holocaust, revealing a trajectory from the eugenicist elimination of socially undesirable people, such as the mentally ill and disabled, to the full-scale racial purification of the Final Solution. The analysis of these memorials is coupled with an examination of the literary and artistic representations of the traumatic events in question. This approach leads to an expanded definition of “site of memory” as an assemblage of cultural artifacts and discourses that accumulate over time; a physical and a cultural space that is continuously redefined, rewritten, and re-presented. This comparative and interdisciplinary study brings together perspectives from literary studies, memory studies, disability studies, and postcolonial studies that contribute to a broader and more differentiated understanding of the Holocaust and its place in contemporary European memory culture.
