Write an essay that describes how Fascist leaders wanted to recreate the political and social nature of Italy. What characteristics of Fascism did people find appealing?

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How Fascist leaders wanted to recreate the political and social nature of Italy
Fascism in Italy
Fascism is a political regime headed by a dictator who has total power and uses force to suppress criticism and opposition. Fascism came into being in the early 20th century after the First World War ended and in 1922 Benito Mussolini started controlling Italy as the first political leader of the Fascist party (Lyttelton 35). After taking over, as the prime minister, Mussolini accomplished his fascists’ goals by enacting laws that altered the constitution of Italy and put an end to parliamentary elections. With that, he secured his position as head since he could not be removed from power. The domestic policies enacted during Mussolini’s reign emphasized production and nationalistic interest with an objective of a restructured, self-sufficient Italy in mind.
The economy of Italy was feeble compared to most states in Europe during that time, and it was Mussolini’s aim to improve it by using several government programs. The “Battle for Land” was a policy, Mussolini used with the intention of clearing marshland so that it became appropriate for farming and the construction of roads. The “Battle for Grain” put emphasis on grain cultivation instead of other crops so that trade would improve. “The Battle of the Lira” aimed at restoring the procuring power of the currency of Italy typically through inflation. Mussolini’s efforts produced mixed outcomes, and they unreasonably benefitted the affluent in Italy.

Recreating Italy’s political nature
Being the manipulative orator that he was, Mussolini had plans to change the nature of politics in Italy. The alteration was mainly based upon curbing opposition from the liberals, democrats, and the socialists. Being in control of all the government structures, Mussolini began his construction of a totalitarian Italian state that would take over every aspect of the country’s being. His rule by decree suppressed all other political parties except the Fascists. Fascist leaders intimidated legal court systems as well as the press.
The regime made strikes and demonstration illegal and even though there was no immediate abolishment of free trade unions they were throttled slowly by slowly. The intention of the fascist leaders was to allow Italy absolute power over the private needs of the people (Gentile 240). Individuals were expected to lay down their rights and needs to serve the interests of the society as a whole. With fascist leaders, extreme nationalism formed part of the recreation. They wanted to construct a different society through national glory and the fright of threats from outside. With Italy’s interests in mind, Nazi leaders had faith in action and being guided by national myths instead of depending on the guidance of science and reason. Politically, leaders of the fascist party in Italy believed that it was only through ruling and conquering weak states that their greatness as a country could be appreciated. Military superiority and imperialistic existence were the only way through which fascist leaders planned to use to remain relevant.
Recreating Italy’s social nature
The Italian Fascist leaders under the headship of Mussolini aimed at gaining control over the social life of Italy by controlling worship, rest, play, and work. The replacement of the standard handshake as a way of greeting with the fascist’s salute was an attack on the cultural customs. The leaders sought to have control over the movement of people, acquiring the right of going through and annulling passports, firing people when they tried to leave Italy illegally, and even take away citizenships and property from the Italian citizens who were abroad if they disparaged the government.
The “Battle of Natality” was introduced to proliferate Italy’s population to 60 million people by the year 1950. The leaders enforced the scheme by rewarding mothers who delivered the most number of children in every province. The idea to increase Italy’s population came from Mussolini’s need to compete with the Soviet Union and the German authority. The dop Ola Voro altered the aspect of leisure (De Grazia 12). Its main aim was to break down leisure’s class affiliation while promoting new patterns of consumption, recreational activities, and spreading mass communications. The radio was the only item that incorporated all the three objectives, but the subscribers did not reach the fascists desired level hence its ineffectiveness. They ended up pressing for the production of low-cost radios as an incessant point of contact between the state and all the citizens.
The regime also focused on promoting mass tourism by altering the image of the country. With the realization that sporting activities could highly propagate military and nationalists’ propaganda, Mussolini and his fellow fascist leaders placed regulations that organized the teams into two levels. Mussolini had a great appreciation for religion, and he believed that the church could influence the Italian society immensely. The Catholic Church and the fascist leaders were interdependent since Mussolini was aware that he needed to create franchises, so he endeavored to win support for his system of government (Eatwell 150). He raised the salaries of the clerics, and the church leaders worked to protect and increase the influence of the regime of the society.
The attempt by the fascists to control the daily lives of the citizens of Italy was not successful in the long run. There was an ample accord between the leaders and the church at first, but the anti-Semitic movement proved to be a political blunder. The royal court, the church, and many businesses criticized it because they thought it as a dangerous and an unnecessary campaign. Undeniably, the movement did not endorse national interests and discredited many fascist ideologies.
The characteristics of fascism that people found appealing
After the first world war, just like many other states in Europe, Italy was bankrupt, demoralized, socially unstable, and at the brink of demise. The government was the only hope for the citizens to regain normalcy and pick up their shattered pieces. With Mussolini and other fascist leaders came stability and confidence. People found appealing the fact that many jobs were created as Mussolini worked towards improving infrastructure by draining wetlands and constructing roads, people became patriotic to their nation once again (Duggan 19). Fascist leaders were intellectuals too; therefore, there was an embellishment of culture and arts. The fact that he handled Italy’s economic situations makes him appealing to many. All the battles Mussolini introduced in Italy designed to make Italy self-sufficient; he also ensured that schools were built encouraging education. His insistence on technology and the fact that he was decisive and brave made him a hero. He was the autocratic leader with a straight heart.
Conclusion
Italy was the first country where fascism was successfully applied, and the aspect of nationalism appealed to leaders across the globe. Mussolini’s regime advocated for absolute state power, but painted the country as an active, moral and benevolent unit (Bonsaver, 483). The government made decisions that led to both efficient and ineffective ventures. The fall of Mussolini came about when his decisions caused more damage than good, and people ceased to appreciate his attempts. The people who understood his motives for Italy, however, still held him in esteem.
Works cited
Bonsaver, Guido. “The Rhetoric of Violence and Sacrifice in Fascist Italy: Mussolini, Gadda, Vittorini.” Journal of Modern Italian Studies 19.4 (2014): 483-484.
De Grazia, Victoria. The culture of consent: mass organisation of leisure in fascist Italy. Cambridge University Press, 2002.Duggan, Christopher. Fascist Voices: An Intimate History of Mussolini’s Italy. , 2013. Print.
Eatwell, Roger. “Reflections on fascism and religion.” Totalitarian Movements and Political Religions 4.3 (2003): 145-166.
Gentile, Emilio. “Fascism as a political religion.” Journal of Contemporary History 25.2/3 (1990): 229-251.Lyttelton, Adrian. The seizure of power: fascism in Italy, 1919-1929. Routledge, 2004.