- Summary
- The Fascist Party and Popular Opinion in Mussolini's Italy presents a different picture. While not underestimating the force of ideological factors, Paul Corner argues that 'real existing Fascism', as lived by a large part of the population, was in fact an increasingly negative experience and reflected few of those colourful and attractive features of fascist propaganda which have induced more favourable interpretations of the regime. Distinguishing clearly between the fascist project and its realization, Corner examines the ways in which the fascist party asserted itself at the local level in the widely-differing areas of Italy, at its corruption and malfunctioning, and at the mounting wave of popular resentment against it during the course of the 1930s - resentment and hostility which, in effect, signalled the failure of the project. The Fascist Party and Popular Opinion in Mussolini's Italy, based largely on unpublished archival material, concludes by suggesting that the abuse of power by fascists mirrors much wider problems in Italy related to the relationship between the public and the private and to the modes of utilisation of power, both in the past and in the present. -- Jacket.
- Format
- Book
- Author/Creator
- Corner, Paul.
- Published
- Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2012
- Locale
- Italy
- Contents
-
I. The project, the party, and the fascist state
1. Postwar palingenesis : forming the fascist project
2. The rise of provincial fascism : periphery and centre in the years before 1925. Centrifugal forces ; Towards centralization? ; The Ras and revisionism ; Provincial power and personal position
3. Stabilization in the provinces : the party adapts. The problem of the intransigents ; Stabilization : act one. Farinacci as party secretary ; Stabilisation : act two. Turati takes over ; The view from the ranks
4. Party and state. Party and state : hierarchies of authority ; Party and state : hierarchies contested ; Poor personnel
5. Provincial battles : problems in the party. Infighting and factionalism ; The response of the party ; Provincial factionalism in action ; Pure, undiluted cannibalism ; PNF and NSDAP compared
6. The provincial party : activity and reputation. Boundless numbers, endless activity ; Dislocation and paralysis ; Loss of reputation ; Party and personnel ; Beyond the party
II. The party and the people in the 1930s
7. Growing disjunctions : PNF rule and popular reaction. Sources, spies, and surveillance ; Party and people : growing apart ; Ethiopia and enthusiasm
8. Perceptions of the party. Discontent, disaffection, disgust ; A second generation? ; Friction among the faithful
9. The crisis of the late 1930s and the 'totalitarian phase' of fascism. Popular unrest in the pre-war years ; The 'new caste' ; The prospect of war
10. The flight from the enchanter. Love the singer, hate the song ; Non-belligerence 1939-1940 ; Into the war
11. The failure of the party.
- Notes
-
Includes bibliographical references (pages 289-297) and index.
I. The project, the party, and the fascist state -- 1. Postwar palingenesis : forming the fascist project -- 2. The rise of provincial fascism : periphery and centre in the years before 1925. Centrifugal forces ; Towards centralization? ; The Ras and revisionism ; Provincial power and personal position -- 3. Stabilization in the provinces : the party adapts. The problem of the intransigents ; Stabilization : act one. Farinacci as party secretary ; Stabilisation : act two. Turati takes over ; The view from the ranks -- 4. Party and state. Party and state : hierarchies of authority ; Party and state : hierarchies contested ; Poor personnel -- 5. Provincial battles : problems in the party. Infighting and factionalism ; The response of the party ; Provincial factionalism in action ; Pure, undiluted cannibalism ; PNF and NSDAP compared -- 6. The provincial party : activity and reputation. Boundless numbers, endless activity ; Dislocation and paralysis ; Loss of reputation ; Party and personnel ; Beyond the party -- II. The party and the people in the 1930s -- 7. Growing disjunctions : PNF rule and popular reaction. Sources, spies, and surveillance ; Party and people : growing apart ; Ethiopia and enthusiasm -- 8. Perceptions of the party. Discontent, disaffection, disgust ; A second generation? ; Friction among the faithful -- 9. The crisis of the late 1930s and the 'totalitarian phase' of fascism. Popular unrest in the pre-war years ; The 'new caste' ; The prospect of war -- 10. The flight from the enchanter. Love the singer, hate the song ; Non-belligerence 1939-1940 ; Into the war -- 11. The failure of the party.
