Fascist Italy

Fascist Italy was the fascist state that ruled Kingdom of Italy from 1922 to 1943. He was the first fascist country, led by dictator Bentio Mussolini. Fascist Italy is infamous for being extremely repressive and also fighting on the side of the Axis Powers during WWII.

History

Consolidation

In October 1922, Mussolini orchestrated the famous March on Rome, a mass mobilization of Blackshirts toward the capital. Rather than resist, King Victor Emmanuel III capitulated and invited Mussolini to form a government. On 29 October 1922, Mussolini became Prime Minister at just 39 years old.

At first, Mussolini governed within a nominal constitutional framework. But after the murder of socialist deputy Giacomo Matteotti in 1924 (who had publicly denounced Fascist electoral fraud) Mussolini used the crisis to his advantage. Rather than fall, Fascist Italy doubled down. By 1925-1926, what remained of Italian democracy was all dismantled: all opposition parties were banned, the free press was suppressed, independent trade unions were abolished, and a secret police force, the OVRA, was established. Mussolini assumed the title Il Duce ("The Leader").

In 1929, the Lateran Treaty with the Catholic Church recognized Vatican City as an independent state and made Catholicism Italy's official religion, winning Mussolini enormous popularity and the Church's tacit support.

Italy pursued a vision of a totalitarian, corporatist state in which the economy was organized into state-supervised syndicates. Propaganda glorified the Roman Empire, discipline, youth, and virility. Organizations like the Opera Nazionale Balilla indoctrinated children from a young age. Public works projects such as draining the Pontine Marshes, building highways (autostrade) were showcased as proof of fascist efficiency.

World War II

Fascist Italy harbored dreams of a new Roman Empire in Africa. In October 1935, Italy invaded Ethiopia, using poison gas and overwhelming force against a poorly armed enemy. Ethiopia appealed to the League of Nations, who imposed economic sanctions on Italy half-heartedly. By May 1936, Ethiopia was conquered. Mussolini declared the birth of the Italian Empire, and his popularity at home peaked. Victor Emmanuel III was proclaimed Emperor of Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian war pushed Italy toward Nazi Germany, who had supported the invasion. Mussolini and Hitler announced the Rome-Berlin Axis in 1936. Italy also intervened in the Spanish Civil War alongside Franco, testing weapons and military tactics.

In 1938, under German pressure, Mussolini enacted the racial laws, stripping Italian Jews of citizenship, property rights, and access to education—a shocking departure even for many fascist loyalists.

Italy and Germany formalized their alliance with the Pact of Steel in 1939, committing each to aid the other in war. When Germany launched his blitzkrieg in the West, Italy, not wanting to miss the spoils of what seemed like certain German victory, declared war on France and Britain in June 1940.

It was a catastrophe. The Italian military was poorly equipped and poorly led. Italy invaded Greece thinking it would be easy, just to be beaten up and having to call Germany to save his ahh in 1941. Additional campaigns in North Africa and Soviet Union ended similarly. Allied bombing of Italian cities deepened civilian suffering and eroded support for the regime.

In July 1943, Allied forces landed in Sicily. On 25 July, the Fascist Grand Council voted to strip Mussolini of his command.

Relationships

Friends

• German Third Reich - Oh, oh! My student who grew stronger than me! You focus too much on racial issues, though! Oh!
• Vatican City - Oh, you can have independence, oh! Just give me your endorsement, oh!

Enemies

• Kingdom of Greece - Invade, Greece now, for the Italy! Show no, mercy, slaughter them like sheep!

How to draw

Civil flag of the Kingdom of Italy

Fascist Italy has a drawing rating of intermediate.

1. Draw a ball.
2. Fill it with three vertical stripes, from left to right in this order of colours: green, white, red
3. In the white, draw a blue hollow square with thick borders, and make the top two corners extend out a bit. Smooth out the bottom two corners, and extend the middle out in a little point.
4. Fill the blue square with red.
5. Add a white cross ➕ in the red.
6. Draw the eyes and you are done!

Color Name		HEX
	Lombardy Green	#009246
	White	#FFFFFF
	Fire Engine Red	#CE2B37
	Blue	#4B61D1
	Full Red	#D2232C

Gallery

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See Also

• Kingdom of Italy
• Mussolinism