ROME O R DEATH The Story of F ascism CARLETON BEALS “ u or of Me co A n Inte r reta tion A th xi , p fillustrateb THE CE NT URY CO . New York a nd London 1923 Co r i ht 1923 b py g , , y TH E CENTURY Co . PRI NT E D I N U. S . A . CONTENT S PART I BA C ! GROUN D A ND ORIGIN S CIVI L STRI F E E URO P E A N D THE RIS ORGIMENTO THE POST- WAR EARLY A CT IVI T IE S E ARLY TENDEN C IE S PART I I THE AGRAR IAN STRUGGLE VI AGRARI AN CON DI T ION S VI I RI SE OF THE COOP ERATIVE M OVEMENT VI I I RI SE OF THE P O P ULAR PARTY I! RISE OF THE AGRAR IAN F A SC I ST I PART I I I CLAR I F I CATION RI SE OF LAB OR F A S C I SM ! I DE C LINE OF THE SO C IALIST PARTY ! I I CLAR I F I C A T I ON OF THE F A SCIST PROGRAM ! I I I A DO CTRI NE OF VIOLEN CE CONTENTS ! IV F ORE I GN POLI CIES ! V VERSUS THE LI B ERAL STATE PART IV THE MAR C H ON ROM E THE BREA ! ER OF B ALLOT - B O! E S GROWING TENSION THE M I LITARY H IERAR CHY THE NA P LES CONVENTION THE M AR C H ON ROM E PART V THE FAS C IST STATE ! ! I THE D I CTATORSHI P IN DE! LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS l s Gr ee i n i ven to B en At the conven ti on of Na p e . t g g ito M u ssoli ni a n d M i chele Bi an chi F ron tispiece F A CI NG P A GE Th B e te NOire of I a i a n o i i c Abbé u i i S u r o 2 8 e t l p l t s , L g t z ’ Deva stati ng the T ypogr a phic a l Worker s H a ll 5 6 The la st bon fi re of the e ff ects Of the deva st a ted P aes e Offi e T i a er h a s n e er re u med u i ca c s . h s p p v s p bl ti on 5 6 Conventi on of the Pop u la r p a rty i n Rome 1 16 M u o ini e ore the u i rina e ca in u on the in 1 80 ss l b f Q l , ll g p k g T u r a i a nd M odi i a ni ea der of the Uni a ria So t gl , l s t n ci alistic p a rty 1 80 The Rome con en i on of the Fa ci i i n No em er 19 2 1 24 v t s st v b , 8 In sta llin g a n ew Fa scio in a sma ll vill age 264 Bla ck- Shi rt Ca va lry 2 72 Fa s ci st ca va lry entering Rome 2 72 m n a i i C n i Wo e c . on e o T i ic F s st v t n of Na ples . h s p tu re w a s ta ken in the r a in F a sci sti r om Si en a Rome Oc o er 3 0 f , , t b F asci sti rom Ar e o Rom e Oc o er 3 1 19 22 f zz , , t b , a ci i rom Floren ce a n d S a n oren o Rome via F s st f L z , , T ri on e Oc o er 3 1 1 9 2 2 t , t b , — Bla ck Shi rts comin g i nto Rome LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Pa r of th e in a di n a r m B lu e - S i rts t v g y, h F a sci sti vi a Ven e o Rom e Octo er 3 1 1 9 22 , t , , b - S i r in fr on t Of the r o a a a ce The in Black h ts y l p l . k g i s on the b a lcon y M u ss olin i mou n tin g the Atla r of the Cou n try from the Pi a a Ven e 1a on No em er 5 1 9 22 i n memor zz z v b , , y of the vi ctory of the Pi ave The fi r mee i n of M u o i n i ca in e No em er st t g ss l s b t, v b 1 9 2 2 F a sci sti e ore the A a r O the P a ri a No em er 5 b f lt f t , v b 1 9 2 2 PAR T I BAC! GROUND AND ORIGINS ROME O R DEATH CHAPTER I CIVIL STRIP E ILAN may well boast of having more burdy-gu r dies than any other city in the i e n ot e e e . world . Civ l strif has sil nc d th m A l f e ension i e young cava ry o fic r from my p , qu t e e e red- e respl nd nt in his blu , strip d pantaloons S e w a s and hiny black l ggings , guiding me down a slot of a street nea r the Porta Venezia in that e the - e of city wh n rollicking, Old World tun “ ” i u l e F u n c a e . Funiculi , , float d around a corn r Picking our way in the shadow of the high grimy tenements and across a garbage - cluttered e e e w e a e spac b sid a small church , c m upon a smeary bambin o dancing hilariously in the e T he f e e b n gutt r . o fic r point d with his asto e at a small yellowe d poster above the frowsy h e : head of the woman turning t e crank . I r ad 4 ROME OR DEATH Pr olet a r ia t : 300 of you r comr a des wer e killed in this str eet du ring the pa st fou r teen months by F a s cisti a n o a u r d R y l G a ds . Wh e ile I was still marv ling, my companion grasp ed my arm and shoved m e roughly into an - fi le a inky charcoal shop . A Of F scisti , with e e e the e h avy load d can s , swung around corn r , “ e e a ezz singing th ir quickst p , Giov n a , Gio v anezza A S a e . though a button h d b e n e e the Of the a e e - S pr ss d, doors d rk littl win hops e tra ttorie e a e e and dingy, clatt ring lit r lly xplod d w ho e the a Communists , f ll upon F scisti with e e . fists , kniv s , and revolv rs The conflict ebbed and flowed and swirled the e - - W We around barr l organ . A Show indow nt e a e the smash . Isolat d comb tants roll d in black ’ e for ea e mir at our doorway, clutching ch oth r s throats . e e one e a a Pr s ntly some rais d a cry, Gu rdi ” Re gia ! A platoon of Olive - green uniforms few and gray iron helm ets swept into View . A he of ee sporadic Shots , t scurrying many f t , and the e e e e disturbance nd d , lik a tropic thund r S e e e e . how r, as pr cipitat ly as it had b gun the a a - Emerging cautiously from ch rco l Shop , I caught a glimpse of a laughing bambino CIVIL STRIFE 5 e the of crawling from und r organ , and a group battered and disheveled Fascisti beating a r e e he treat around the corn r . T only mortal casualty w a s a donkey that had bee n hitched to a wine - cart over whose twitching carca ss a - ru nty raccoon faced Neapolitan wept copiously . A S w e passed on I he ard the rollicking strains of “ ” F u nicu la Funiculi , , and , glancing back , saw t he e he bambino dancing hilariously in t gutt r . the zza e zi Our room, overlooking Pia V ne a , proved better than box - s eats at a series of per forman ces which at that early date still possessed e The a nov lty . communists and F scisti fought e e e e e ou r e e a numb r of pitch d battl s b n ath y s , tw o of the victims being a woman in her fina l month of confinement and a servant - girl Shak ou t o a terra zzo one ing a rug n a dist nt .