Study Questions: Benito Mussolini's “The Doctrine of Fascism”

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Study Questions: Benito Mussolini’s “The Doctrine of Fascism” Italy’s leader and head of the Fascist Party, Benito Mussolini, had always resisted attempts to codify Fascism. Yet when the Enciclopedia italiana (“Italian Encyclopedia”) required an article defining Fascism, it became necessary to publish something that would give an appearance of thought and process behind what was essentially a constantly changing way of running the country. The result was his article, “The Doctrine of Fascism,” published in 1932 and written with the help of Giovanni Gentile; in fact, it has been suggested that Gentile was the actual author of the document. The essay was in places misleading and in other places seemingly contradictory and actually differed from the way Fascism operated. But to those who did not read it critically, it at least supplied what seemed to be a logical basis for the political movement. 1. The words Fascist and Fascism continue to be used in political discussions, often unthinkingly, to refer to laws, politicians, or viewpoints that are perceived to be repressive. Is this a fair and accurate use of the terms? Explain. 2. The terms of the 1919 Treaty of Versailles have been blamed for much of Europe’s political unrest in the 1920s and 1930s, producing the conditions that sparked World War II. How did the Treaty of Versailles affect Italy? How did it contribute to Mussolini’s rise to power? Compare this document with Adolf Hitler’s Proclamation to the German People (1933). What viewpoints do the documents share with regard to recent history? 3. Fascism is generally regarded as a right-wing ideology, while Communism is regarded as a left-wing ideology— the two extremes of the political spectrum. How did these two ideologies compete in the 1930s in Italy and other European countries? As a point of comparison, see Vladimir Lenin’s What Is to Be Done? 4. What was the relationship between the individual and the state under Fascism? Why was this definition of the relationship attractive to many Italians at that time? 5. Respond to the following statement: Fascism in Italy in the 1930s was not a clearly defined political ideology but an attitude or outlook. www.MilestoneDocuments.com .

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