Benito Mussolini & The Italian Facist Party | Our History

in today's history in action we look at mussolini the italian fascist dictator as he might have been presented in a television program made in 1934 when he was at the height of his career last month two of europe's most powerful political leaders met for the first time benito mussolini and adolf hitler they met in venice where the fascists put on a big show adolf hitler is a rather new arrival on the world scene although his dynamic leadership has already had effect well beyond the germany he governs but it was noticed that beside his very self-confident host hitler looked rather nervous although italy has a king it's benito mussolini who is the leader he's no newcomer but a powerful dictator who's written fascism wants men to be active and to engage in activity with all their energy and has stirred italy into action a dictator who seems already to have gone far towards carrying out his aim i will make italy great respected feared [Applause] [Music] to those of us used to being ruled by parliament with free speech in a free press mussolini's political style with dramatic gestures and movement he leads which is called fascism may appear odd at times even laughable but there's little mercy for those who oppose him mussolini on a public platform certainly looks very different from other modern political leaders such as stanley baldwin i cherish the hope that the national government will carry into fruition those things to which we were pledged to which we watch ramsay mcdonald in order to perform that national duty i've had to risk everything that is near that is dear to a public man compare mussolini's style with president great nation will endure as it has endured will revive and will prosper and mussolini is very much more self-confident than hitler [Applause] the reaction mussolini gets clearly shows the power of his way of making speeches and the great support given to him by 40 million italians [Music] and his followers look very different from the political parties and rallies we're used to the uniforms banners regimental shouting and the old roman salute the upraised arm have served as a model for leaders like him elsewhere especially for hitler in germany [Applause] [Music] and in britain oswald mosley and his black shirts have copied mussolini's political style and his violent methods in this hour [Music] has mussolini learned any publicity tricks from the communists or influenced their propaganda methods the movements look the same in many ways [Music] like the russians who've used film with great effect to glorify their revolution mussolini also knows that film can be useful in politics as american movie tone showed us in the late 20s premier mussolini was the first foreign personage to make a talking picture i am very glad to be able to express my friendly feelings towards the american nation friendship with which italy looks at the millions of citizens who from alaska to florida project pacifica to the atlantic live in the united states is they deeply rooted in our hearts mussolini seems to have such confidence in himself how many other leaders might now copy him into how many countries will fascism spread in the life of both nations but of course it's not just as a brilliant persuader or propagandist that el duce is known much more it's for what he claims he's done for his country which used to be thought of as something of a joke by other europeans between 1919 and 1925 mussolini promised many things to his people political stability law and order prosperity social reform and empire italy wants peace and quiet work and calm i will give these things with love if possible and with force if necessary the workers he said know that fascism wants to put nothing more than order and discipline upon the nation and to help give it strength to renew progress and prosperity they've nothing to fear from the fascist government their just rights will be protected carpente's painting gives this official view well how far has mussolini kept his promises is the charge that little is happening in italy except propaganda justified [Music] albertini a liberal not a fascist has said mussolini has given the government freshness youth and vigor and one favor at home and abroad he has saved italy from the socialist danger which has been poisoning our life for 20 years this fear of socialism has made many at home and abroad turn a blind eye to mussolini's harsh methods but as italy now has firm government and law and order long-term planning is possible it's prepared the way for mussolini's most original idea the corporate state anti-fascist cartoons show how the working classes are often being held down by a brutal fascist regime beatings and forcing people to drink castor oil have indeed happened cartoons also show mussolini supported by big business and other powerful groups with money wanting their own way so how do these views fit with the official description of the aims of his new corporate state the fascists claim that each person should work for everyone's benefit not for selfish gain and that neither socialism nor capitalism can produce this so both must be held back in 1925 union power which had caused so much trouble and damage trade after the war was checked by the vidoni palace pact which forbade strikes negotiations on wages hours and conditions of work now must take place within corporations which have developed since 1926 in each corporation employers and employees are equally represented with expert advisors and as well three fascists there to see that decisions are in the interests of the state soon there will be 22 corporations each responsible for one type of employment for example education local councils now elect regional councils which elect a national council last year mussolini as minister of corporations announced that the national council would replace the parliament so that laws would be made directly by those who work in the factories and fields rather than by politicians churchill is one of the many politicians who praise these plans as a very promising development and the idea seems to have influenced men as different as mostly and roosevelt but the promise is for the future critics point to the present corruption of the fascist leadership well what's the economy like if we look at how our press and newsreel companies show us modern italy we might think italy is still a country of peasants orchards vineyards and wine festivals but remember modern industries have grown industries such as fiat pirelli and monte catini chemicals oil refineries have been built production of artificial silk has gone up by eight times in the textile industry the production of iron and steel has almost doubled each by the same amount from 0.3 million tons in 1918 to 0.5 million tons in 1930 railways have been modernized and now run on time some steam trains have been replaced as five thousand kilometers of line have been electrified indeed electrical power has almost doubled [Music] trunk roads or auto strada sweep their way across the country as the times described on october 29 1928 the road connecting rome and austria and called the road to the sea has been made as far as possible in a straight line and will also have two tracks for slower vehicles the road will be lit by special lamps which will avoid dazzling headlights because the state has put a lot of money into these projects and in the building of sports grounds schools and flats there's much less unemployment in agriculture the battle for grain has nearly doubled wheat production but prices are very high at harvest time mussolini knows the publicity value of giving a hand the draining of malaria-ridden swamps such as the pontine marshes near rome and the voltorno valley will improve health bring new land into use and has already given work to thousands as yet the battle for births an attempt to increase the population to 60 million by 1950 has had only limited success though mussolini is known to take a very personal interest in this simply having a job has meant life is better for thousands but the best jobs seem to go to party members more money has been spent on education the illiteracy rate's been halved but teachers must be fascists and there's little freedom in education even the children's free time has been planned for them as the child's guide to fascism explains from the age of 8 to 14 the boy as a member of the balila is trained both physically and morally on reaching 14 he passes into the avant-gardisty while as a youth of 18 he can take his place with the fascist levy in the ranks of the national fascist party they must learn as part of a fascist creed i believe in the genius of mussolini in our holy father fascism and in the communion of its martyrs in the conversion of the italians in the resurrection of the empire the youth of italy are told by the fascist party the young must know how to obey it's clear that mussolini sees control over young people as essential to his plans for his fascist state mussolini has always been a sportsman and he's encouraged italians of all ages to take part in many kinds of leisure activities by doing them himself the state organization for leisure now controls thousands of theaters libraries dramatic societies brass bands orchestral societies and all football clubs mussolini claims the fascist view of life is a religious one religion and the family have always played a big part in fascist propaganda [Music] [Applause] so there was little surprise when five years ago mussolini and the pope agreed to recognize each other's authority roman catholicism was to be the state religion religious marriages were to be recognized and religion taught in school king and queen of italy paid a state visit to the pope to celebrate the event the pope gave up his claim to rule any area other than the vatican city and gave his blessing to the italian state for many italians this is still the best thing the regime has managed to do it seems to have made them feel that mussolini has got rid of his socialist past and led them to overlook the disturbing facts of this fascist regime outside italy important public figures we think as good judges of men also seem blind to mussolini's faults in 1924 austin chamberlain described mussolini as a wonderful man working for the greatness of his country in 1927 winston churchill said i could not but be charmed by the friendly and simple attitude of senior mussolini it was easy to see that his sole thought is the lasting well-being of the italian people as he sees it churchill went on to say italy has shown that there is a way to combat subversive forces italy has demonstrated that the great mass of the people when it is well led appreciates and is ready to defend the honor and stability of civil society it provides the necessary antidote to the russian virus lord rothermere has described him as the greatest figure of our age in the early twenties the american ambassador to rome richard child reported he has not only been able to change the lives of human beings but he has changed their minds their hearts their spirits arrested breond of france considers he is not only a great man he is a good one praise indeed but is it all as good as it looks what about the loss of the liberties we value remember mussolini is also an expert newspaper editor whose job is to persuade are we just being persuaded is there a hidden cost is the price too high critics like benedetto crochet the historian say that the italian worker is no better off today and has lost all freedom such critics say that the secret police censorship official violence by blackshirts even murder are a normal part of the fascist state but the critics seem to be ignored by most people [Music] whatever critics say mussolini appears to be safe god has put his finger on the duche he is italy's greater son the rightful heir of caesar is what the fascist party secretary said in 1926 after an assassination attempt and that's still what most italians believe today in 1934 some of his german visitors apparently found him more impressive than hitler and reliable sources report the german vice chancellor von papen as saying he handled people like a man used to having his orders obeyed hitler always had a slight air of uncertainty as though feeling his way whereas mussolini was calm and dignified and appeared the complete master [Applause] it's also rumored that mussolini didn't think much of his visitor calling him a silly little clown and a talkative monk indeed relations between the two dictators seem to have been uncertain throughout the year in february their interests clashed in austria this cartoon by low shows mussolini protecting dolphus the austrian chancellor his ally and possible victim against threats from hitler and now the shocking assassination of dolphus this week on the 25th of july has caused a lot of military activity on the austro-italian border what this will lead to isn't clear yet but mussolini seems confident enough certainly he's shown his power and authority in corfu secured fumey from yugoslavia established himself at locano as one of the leading statesmen of europe and italy has a great power alongside britain he has restored italian national pride such a dictator may feel he needn't fear the future [Music] but can it continue is italy strong enough to be a great power can el duce's ambitions in africa be accepted by britain and france can he continue to increase italian influence in austria and hungary will hitler be an ally or a competitor [Music] you

Channel: Our History

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Id: 9GjtY9fbFjw

Length: 19min 55sec (1195 seconds)

Published: Sat Jan 09 2021