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Mediterranean Fascism 1919-1945 A volume in THE DOCUMENTARY HISTORY of WESTERN CIVILIZATION Mediterranean Fascism 1919-1945 Edited by CHARLES F. DELZELL MACMILLAN MEDITERRANEAN FASCISM, 1919-1945 Introduction, editorial notes, translations by the editor, and compilation copyright© 1970 by Charles F. Delzell. Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1970 978-0-333-0343 7-8 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without permission. First published in the United States 1970 First published in the United Kingdom by The Macmillan Press Ltd. 1971 Published by THE MACMILLAN PRESS LTD Associated companies inNew York Toronto Dublin Melbourne Johannesburg and Madras SBN 333 03437 6 ISBN 978-1-349-00242-9 ISBN 978-1-349-00240-5 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-00240-5 Contents Introduction Xl I. FASCISM IN ITALY I. The Birth of Fascism 1 Report of Inspector-General of Public Security, G. Gasti, Regarding Mussolini 4 The Birth of the Fascist Movement 7 Program of the Italian Fascist Movement 12 Postulates of the Fascist Program 14 Fascist Agrarian Program 18 Mussolini's First Speech in the Chamber of Deputies 22 New Program of the National Fascist Party (PNF) 27 ltalo Balbo's Squadrismo 37 Mussolini's Speech Regarding the House of Savoy 38 Prelude to the March on Rome: Mussolini's Speech 40 2. The Path to the Totalitarian State 44 Mussolini's First Speech as Premier to the Chamber of Deputies 45 Mussolini's First Speech as Premier to the Senate 51 Decree Establishing the Fascist Militia (MVSN) 52 Decree Regulating tJ.le Press 53 Mussolini's Coup d'Etat of January 3, 1925 57 Decree on Powers of the Head of the Government 62 Decree on Public Safety 64 The Exceptional Decrees: Law for the Defense of the State 67 The Fascist Electoral Law of 1928 70 The Fascist Grand Council 75 Statute of the National Fascist Party 77 Mussolini's Doctrine of Fascism 91 3. The Corporative State 107 The Palazzo Chigi Pact 108 The Palazzo Vidoni Pact 110 Vlll CONTENTS The Rocco Labor and Antistrike Law Ill The Labor Charter 121 Law on Formation and Functions of the Corporations 126 Law Creating the Chamber of Fasces and of Corpo- rations 129 4. Social, Economic, and Youth Programs 13 3 Law Creating the Dopolavoro Organization 13 3 Law Creating the National Organization for Mater- nity and Child Welfare 134 Law Creating the Balilla Youth Organization 139 Law Creating Italian Youth of the Lictors 14 3 The Fascist Decalogue 145 Fascist Loyalty Oath Imposed upon Professors 14 7 The Fascist School Charter 148 5. Fascism, the Catholic Church, and the Jews 156 Treaty Between the Holy See and Italy 157 Concordat Between the Holy See and Italy 160 The Church and the Fascist-Type Corporative State: Quadragesimo anno 167 Pius XI on Catholic Action: Non abbiamo bisogno 169 Manifesto of the Racist Scientists 17 4 Mussolini's Defense of Racist Policy 177 Provisions for the Defense of the Italian Race 17 8 6. The Day of the Lion 185 Fascism a Universal Phenomenon 186 The Stresa Conference 190 Mussolini Launches the War in Ethiopia 193 League of Nations Sanctions Against Italy 195 The Fascist Grand Council's Resolution 198 Mussolini Proclaims Victory in Ethiopia 199 Mussolini's Announcement of the Rome-Berlin Axis 201 Mussolini Reaffirms the Rome-Berlin Axis 202 Italy's Accession to the Anti-Comintern Pact 206 "Pact of Steel" Between Germany and Italy 208 Mussolini's Message to Hitler Regarding Italian Sup- port 211 Hitler's Message to Mussolini 212 CONTENTS ~ Mussolini's Speech Declaring War 213 Three-Power Pact of Germany, Italy, and Japan 216 The Italian Ultimatum to Greece 217 7. Monarchist Coup d'Etat and Republican Fascism 221 Dino Grandi's Resolution at the Fascist Grand Council 222 Marshal Badoglio's Continuation of the War 223 Marshal Badoglio's Proclamation of the Armistice 224 Instrument of Surrender of Italy 225 Tripartite Declaration of Moscow Regarding Italy 228 King Victor Emmanuel III's Announcement of With- drawal 230 The Sforza Purge Law Regarding Fascist Crimes 2 31 Mussolini's Denunciation of the House of Savoy 235 The Verona Manifesto of Mussolini's Italian Social Republic 2 37 Mussolini's Last Public Address 243 The Execution of Mussolini 254 II. FASCISM IN SPAIN 8. The Falange Espanola 257 Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera on the Foundation of the Spanish Falange 259 Basic Points of the Falange 266 The Falangist Oath 272 The Twenty-Six-Point Program of the Falange 273 Jose Antonio's Statement Regarding the International Fascist Congress 27 8 Jose Antonio's Instructions from Prison 280 9· The Civil War and Franco's Triumph 283 German and Italian Policy Toward the Spanish Civil War 284 German-Nationalist Spain Protocol of March 20, 1937 285 German and Italian Policy Toward the Falange and General Franco 287 Franco's Call for Unification of the Fighting Forces 289 Franco's Call for Unification of the Militias 293 X CONTENTS Statutes of the Falange Espanola Tradicionalista y de las JONS 296 The Labor Charter 304 Law Regarding the Press 312 Order Restricting Meetings, Manifestations, and Pub- lic Activities 314 Law Suppressing Masonry and Communism 316 Decree Regulating the Right of Association 317 German-Spanish Treaty of Friendship 318 Italian-German-Spanish Secret Protocol 322 Hitler-Mussolini Conference Regarding Vichy France, Franco's Spain, and Greece 324 Ostracism of Franco's Spain by Potsdam Conference 329 III. SALAZAR'S PORTUGAL 10. The Clerico-Corporative Estado Novo 331 Political and Economic Doctrines of Salazar 33 3 Political Constitution of the Portuguese Republic 338 Salazar's Views of World War II as Reported by the German Minister in Lisbon 348 Select Bibliography 3 51 Index 357 Introduction IN THE aftermath of World War I much of Europe found itself engaged in a three-cornered ideological struggle, while the United States withdrew into smug isolationism. Parliamentary and demo­ cratic liberalism, undergirded by commercial capitalism and agrari­ anism, was in serious crisis in a continent that was rapidly becom­ ing disrupted by the impact of industrialization and the problems and frustrations brought about by modern "mass" society and aggravated by the war. On the left it was challenged by Marxism, which burst upon the political scene in totalitarian Communist garb in Russia in November, 1917, and in milder democratic-socialist forms elsewhere in Europe. On the right it was attacked by a militantly ultranationalist and radical ideology that emerged as a reaction to the threat (real or imagined) of Communism, the frustrations of the war and peace settlement, the economic disloca­ tion, and the political breakdown of liberal parliamentary govern­ ment. Coming to be known as fascism, this radicalism of the right manifested itself chiefly in three areas: the Mediterranean region in its original and most authentic dress; in east-central Europe in a somewhat mixed and often racist guise; and in Germany in a strongly racist form and with dreams of unlimited conquest. The fascistic movements pushed forward in three distinct waves -from 1919 to 1923; from 1929 to the mid-1930's; and again from 19 39 to 194 3. Italy was the major beachhead of the first wave, Benito Mussolini's Fascist party gaining political power by the end of October, 1922. In Germany, Adolf Hitler's Nazis were frus­ trated in the Munich Beer Hall Putsch of November, 1923. The coming of the Great Depression, however, served to resuscitate Hitler's National Socialist movement and to stimulate a variety of other fascistic movements throughout Europe. Finally, the years of the Axis military offensive in World War II saw the temporary imposition of other more or less fascistic regimes in many parts of the Continent. It is the Mediterranean region, and more precisely the Italian and Iberian peninsulas, with which this documentary history is con- xu INTRODUCTION cerned. Mussolini's Italy was, of course, the country par excellence of authentic fascism. In contrast to the very brutal National Social­ ism of Hitler's Germany, Mussolini's regime seemed to many foreigners relatively moderate and respectable, at least until the last half of the 1930's, when it, too, became bellicose and racist. Mussolini's much-touted Charter of Labor and various socio­ economic innovations, along with several aspects of his political mystique and Party-Militia-State structure, attracted a number of willing imitators, especially in the Latin world (though Hitler's movement also found converts in Spain and elsewhere). Drawing much of his initial support from returning World War I veterans who were outraged by "leftist" subversion, Mussolini and his handful of backers soon organized blackshirted squadristi (militiamen) to fight the "Reds" (and also the democratic liberals and Catholics) and to impose their own peculiar brand of "law and order." Hoodlums and semicriminal elements of the cities and countryside were drawn to fascism by the opportunities for violent action. Starting out with a program that was a curious blend of republicanism, anticlericalism, and socio-economic reformism, the Italian Fascists soon discovered that they could gain political power much faster by working out opportunistic and cynical bargains with such "established" power groups as the large landholders, industrialists, Army, Monarchy, and Church. Many leaders of these latter groups were inclined to pursue a misguided strategy: they were willing to let the Fascist squadristi demolish the left­ wing labor and farm organizations, expecting that afterward the Fascists could be "tamed" and brought into the existing political "system." In due course the Fascist movement fused with the prewar Nationalist party, thereby gaining new strength and a more respectable philosophical foundation.

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