Aspekter på den italienska fascismen Texter och tolkningar AKADEMISK AVHANDLING som med tillstånd av Rektor vid Umeå universitet för avläggande av filosofie doktorsexamen kommer att offentligen försvaras i Humanisthuset, hörsal E, lördagen den 3 oktober 1998, kl. 10.15 av Giuseppe Nencioni Giuseppe Nencioni: Aspekter på den italienska fascismen. Texter och tolkningar. Swedish text with a summary in English. Department of History, Umeå University. Umeå 1998, 317 pp. Monograph. ISSN 0280-5529 ISBN 91-7191-504-4 Publisher: Rapporter från institutionen för historia, nr 11. Institutionen för historia, Umeå universitet, SE-901 87 Umeå. ABSTRACT Initially an attempt is made to present an overview of the interpretations of the meaning of Fascism. In a presentation of the views of Renzo De Felice and Zeev Sternhell the opinions of the latter are highlighted. It appears that Stemhell's conclusions better explain Italian Fascism, as well as Nazism, although Sternhell has not extensively described Nazism. His conclusions can also be used to illustrate the fact that most characteristics of Nazism and Fascism were identical, something which De Felice denies. This also applies to anti-Semitism. Then follows an analysis of the origin of the Fascist ideology, and it is stated that this ideology, both in Germany and in Italy originated in the "frn-de-siècle crisis", the anti-positive climate which existed at the end of the 19th century. This climate included a reaction against what was regarded as "decadence". It is maintained that amongst a number of Italian and German intellectuals there existed a number of similar ideas, such as for instance contempt for monetary economy, pacifism, intellectualism, the calm bourgeois life, liberalism, democracy and socialism. In the same environments violence and youth started to be glorified, and finally the modern world was accused of being egotistical and without ideals. It is in this environment that the core of Nazi- Fascism is to be found, a core to which other elements were later added. In later chapters Fascist agricultural policy is discussed in relation to earlier Italian cultural tendencies which had placed great importance on agricultural society. It is pointed out that agricultural policy was an important part of the Fascist ideology. Finally Mussolini's ideas on this subject are described, and it is maintained that the myth of the citizen/small scale farmer/soldier in ancient Rome became, in all important aspects, a part of the agricultural ideology of Fascism. It is shown here that this idea is in harmony with the general philosophy of Fascism. Subsequently, an overview of corporativism and its predecessors in Italian history are presented. Here it is stated that corporativism was a corner-stone of Fascist ideology. Thereafter the basic principals of corporativism are described as well as its tangible contents, and some important suggestions for interpretation are presented. The role of corporativism during the short period that the Italian Socialist Republic existed, is also a subject for discussion. Although this republic was scarcely of any military, economic or political importance, it was not without interest from an ideological point of view, taking into consideration the ideas it presented concerning working life. Finally, in a chapter describing the International University of Perugia, the manner in which Fascist ideology was implemented in concrete situations within the educational sector is investigated. The public support for Fascism appears to have been almost unanimous, but at the same time mostly of a formal nature. If a general conclusion can be drawn from this study, it is that Fascism and its ideology were in reality only of minor importance to education at the university level. In the conclusion it is stated that, despite the obvious contradictions, Fascism had a relatively complete; ideology, which was quite closely related to Nazism. Key words: Fascism, Nazism, ideology, anti-Semitism, decadence, agricultural policy, right-wing radicalism, corporativism Aspekter på den italienska fascismen Texter och tolkningar Giuseppe Nencioni Umeå 1998 Giuseppe Nencioni: Aspekter på den italienska fascismen. Texter och tolkningar. Historiska institutionen, Umeå universitet Umeå 1998 ISBN 91-7191-504-^- ISSN 0280-5529 ABSTRACT Initially an attempt is made to present an overview of the interpretations of the meaning of Fascism. In a presentation of the views of Renzo De Felice and Zee v Sternhell the opinions of the latter are highlighted. It appears that Sternhell's conclusions better explain Italian Fascism, as well as Nazism, although Stern- hell has not extensively described Nazism. His conclusions can also be used to illustrate the fact that most characteristics of Nazism and Fascism were identical, something which De Felice denies. This also applies to anti-Semitism. Then follows an analysis of the origin of the Fascist ideology, and it is stated that this ideology, both in Germany and in Italy originated in the "fin-de-siècle crisis", the anti-positive climate which existed at the end of the 19th century. This climate included a reaction against what was regarded as "decadence". It is maintained that amongst a number of Italian and German intellectuals there existed a number of similar ideas, such as for instance contempt for monetary economy, pacifism, intellectualism, the calm bour­ geois life, liberalism, democracy and socialism. In the same environments violence and youth started to be glorified, and finally the modern world was accused of being egotistical and without ideals. It is in this environment that the core of Nazi-Fascism is to be found, a core to which other elements were later ad­ ded. In later chapters Fascist agricultural policy is discussed in relation to earlier Italian cultural tendencies which had placed great importance on agricultural society. It is pointed out that agricultural policy was an important part of the Fascist ideology. Finally Mussolini' s ideas on this subject are described, and it is maintained that the myth of the citizen/small scale farmer/soldier in ancient Rome became, in all impor­ tant aspects, a part of the agricultural ideology of Fascism. It is shown here that this idea is in harmony with the general philosophy of Fascism. Subsequently, an overview of corporativism and its predecessors in Italian history are presented. Here it is stated that corporativism was a corner-stone of Fascist ideology. Thereafter the basic principals of cor­ porativism are described as well as its tangible contents, and some important suggestions for interpreta­ tion are presented. The role of corporativism during the short period that the Italian Socialist Republic existed, is also a subject for discussion. Although this republic was scarcely of any military, economic or political importance, it was not without interest from an ideological point of view, taking into considera­ tion the ideas it presented concerning working life. Finally, in a chapter describing the International University of Perugia, the manner in which Fascist ideo­ logy was implemented in concrete situations within the educational sector is investigated. The public support for Fascism appears to have been almost unanimous, but at the same time mostly of a formal na­ ture. If a general conclusion can be drawn from this study, it is that Fascism and its ideology were in reali­ ty only of minor importance to education at the university level. In the conclusion it is stated that, despite the obvious contradictions, Fascism had a relatively complete ideology, which was quite closely related to Nazism. Key words: Fascism, Nazism, ideology, anti-Semitism, decadence, agricultural policy, right-wing radi­ calism, corporativism Aspekter på den italienska fascismen Texter och tolkningar Giuseppe Nencioni Forskningsrapporter från Historiska institutionen vid Umeå universitet nr 11. I serien har tidigare utgivits: 1. Kontroll och kontrollerade. Formell och informell kontroll i ett historiskt per­ spektiv. Redaktör: Jan Sundin. 1982. 2. Ericsson, Tom: Den andra fackföreningsrörelsen. Tjänstemän och tjänste­ mannaorganisationer i Sverige före första världskriget. 1983. 3. Folket i försvaret. Krigsmakten i ett socialhistoriskt perspektiv. Redaktör: Tom Ericsson. 1983. 4. Historia Nu. 18 Umeåforskare om det förflutna. Redaktion: Anders Bränd­ ström, Tom Ericsson, Agneta Guillemot och Lennart Lundmark. 1988. 5. Kvist, Roger: Rennomadismens dilemma. Det rennomadiska samhällets för­ ändring i Tuorpon och Sirkas 1760-1860. 1989. 6. Strömberg-Back, Kerstin: Kalmare stadgar 1587. 1989. 7. Icke skriftliga källor. Huvudtema I vid XXI Nordiska Historikermötet i Umeå 1991. Redaktörer: Anders Brändström och Sune Åkerman. 1991. 8. Människan och miljön. Huvudtema II vid XXI Nordiska Historikermötet i Umeå 1991. Redaktör: Lars J Lundgren. 1991. 9. Föredrag vid Nordiska Samehistoriska Symposiet i Lövånger 13-14 februari 1995. Redaktör: Roger Kvist. 1995. 10. Individ och struktur i historisk belysning. Festskrift till Sune Åkerman. Redaktörer: Tom Ericsson och Agneta Guillemot. 1997. © Institutionen för historia och författaren. Distribution: Institutionen förhistoria, Umeå universitet, SE-901 87 Umeå. Översättning: Kristina Holmström Omslagsbild: Åsa Törnkvist Sättning: Berit Eriksson, Demografiska databasen, Umeå universitet. Tryckt hos Solflädern Offset AB ISBN 91-7191-504-4 ISSN 0280-5529 Till min brorson Niccolò FÖRORD Här skriver man alltid samma saker: "Tack till den och tack till den, alla misstag är mina",