Chapter X. Collapse of Italian fascism

For more than twenty years, the Italian fascists, with the help of terror, demagoguery, and compulsory organization, held power in the country and subordinated a certain part of the population to their influence. And, as mentioned earlier, the fascists from the very beginning set a course for war.

A similar foreign and domestic policy brought Italy and Nazi Germany closer to each other. And the joint intervention in Spain led to the creation of an alliance between the fascist states.

In October 1936 Germany and Italy signed the Rome-Berlin Axis Treaty. A year later, Italy joined the Anti-Comintern Pact. Then there was the Munich agreement between Germany, Italy, Great Britain and France against Czechoslovakia. Finally, in May 39 in Berlin, an Italian-German military alliance treaty, the "Steel Pact", was signed.

The rapprochement with Germany led to the fact that racist ideology and anti-Semitism infiltrated Italy. Corporate demagogy gave way to the preaching of racial hatred and Hitler's racial politics. In July 1938, a manifesto was published officially defining the attitude of fascism towards "race problems." The manifesto stated that the Italians "for the most part" belong to the Aryan race (item 4) and that there is a "pure Italian race" (item 6), which must be protected from foreign elements and the like. A few months later, Italy passed laws similar to the German Nuremberg racial laws. As a result of the policy of anti-Semitism, several thousand Italian Jews were deported to Nazi concentration camps. Most of them perished.

Another consequence of the military alliance between Hitler and Mussolini was the subordination of the Italian economy to Germany. Preparing for the war, the Italians severed profitable economic ties with the United States, Great Britain and other countries in favor of their German partners. As a result, German entrepreneurs gained access to previously inaccessible Italian sales markets.

In the period 1931-1935. Germany occupied an average of 15.3% in imports to Italy, and 12.8% in exports from Italy. In 1937-1939. respectively - 24.3 and 17.4%, in 1940-1942. - 52.7 and 43.5%.

On the one hand, cunning German tycoons bought agricultural products cheaply, and on the other, they sold advanced industrial equipment at exorbitant prices,

 

 

which now had no one to supply except Germany. It was unprofitable for the Italian economy as a whole, but for the oligarchs of the military-industrial complex, who had already renewed and expanded their production, thanks to autarky, it was very big pleasure. A potential buyer of military products has opened up for them. And what a kind.

Therefore, it is not surprising that Mussolini actively contributed to the outbreak of the world war. The transfer of the economy to the war footing dictated further policy - either a war or a return to a peacetime economy. The second was ruled out, not for that everything was done in order to drop everything at the last moment.

Mussolini's alliance with Hitler is a logical conclusion for Italian fascism from all of its previous domestic and foreign policies. The ambitions of the Italian imperialists, as in the First World War, went far beyond their military-industrial capabilities. Only an alliance with the most powerful industrial power gave the Italian oligarchs a chance to success. Only with the help of Germany one could count on new territories and sources of raw materials, on the plundering of peoples and on new sales markets for Italian products. And only with the help of Germany, Italian fascism could prolong its existence in the conditions of the growing internal political and economic crisis.

Undoubtedly, pushing Italy towards war, Mussolini hoped that it would end quickly. Italy had to be victorious before internal problems would finish off the fascist regime.

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In March 1939, Germany occupied Czechoslovakia. A month later, Italy does the same with Albania. Finally, on September 1, 1939, World War II begins. However, when Hitler attacked Poland, the Italians said they did not intend to intervene. According to them, the country was still not ready for war.

On the one hand, it was true. On the other hand, it is not possible completely prepare for a war. The Italian fascists wanted to wait, see how things would go with the ally, and only then decide what to do. Just business. However, it was clear that this could not last forever.

The successes of the Nazis, according to Mr. Alberto Pirelli, vice president of Confindustria in those years, "overturned the likelihood of a long war of attrition." Major Italian entrepreneurs began to hint to Mussolini that it would be time to start if we want to profit. Sources of raw materials, new sales markets and

 

opportunities for profitable investments will not appear by themselves. On the eve of the war, Alberto Pirelli writes:

The solution of the Mediterranean problem, which is not only a political problem and a matter of prestige, but a vital necessity, a further condition for a broader economic development.

On June 10, 1940, Italy declared war on France and Great Britain, followed by an invasion of Southeastern France. In the same month, Mussolini told his military command:

In September 1940, everything will be over, and I need several thousand killed so that I can take part in the negotiations as a participant in the war.

Let's be clear. Wherever the Italian fascists poked their heads, they everywhere screwed all things up. The war showed that fascism did not cope with the creation of an efficient army and the strengthening of the rear. At the same time, if the falsity of corporate propaganda about the class peace and solidarity of workers and entrepreneurs was obvious even before that, so at those moment the myth of the great and mighty Italy, which for many years had been so diligently supported by the fascists, was crumbling. The German military attaché in Italy, General Enno von Rintelen, writes at the end of 1940:

Italy, after six months of participation in the war, is forced to completely go into the defense. The British rule the Mediterranean... The Italian colonies are in danger. Possessions in East Africa are cut off from the mother country: the only question is when they fall into the hands of the enemy... The Italian army, intended to capture Greece, is waging a difficult defensive war, and its position raises the most serious concerns... Italy is unable to independently wage war in the Mediterranean, and the defeat of Italy could adversely affect the conduct of operations by the German army.

At the same time, the military and political assistance that Mussolini accepted and asked for from Hitler meant the transformation of Italy into his servant. All the pathos of the fascists, all their nationalist demagogy turned out to be empty chatter. The fighters for national interests and national dignity surrendered the Italian nation at the first opportunity.

 

 

With the beginning of the war, the exits from the Mediterranean Sea - the Straits of Gibraltar and Suez - were closed for Italy. The country was cut off from essential supplies.

The military successes of the ally did not alleviate the general economic situation, but, on the contrary, worsened it. For example, the Nazi invasion of the Balkans deprived Italy of supplies from there as well. Germany took everything for itself, leaving the Italians only scraps. Thus, Italy's dependence on supplies from Germany increased.

In fact, all of Italy's agriculture fell under German control. The Germans set prices, quality, processing procedures and delivery times. The same was true for industry. Even large military enterprises were fully integrated into the economy of the German military machine, which did not stop the Italian oligarchs from enriching themselves.

The capitalization of Fiat, Montecatini, Edison, Breda, Pirelli and others grew like leaps and bounds. In the fall of 1941, the fascist edition writes:

There are examples of firms that in 1940 received 50% and 100% return on capital invested.

While big Italian business enjoyed national solidarity and unity, the Italian people lived in poverty. Even before Italy entered the war, in the spring of 1940, a ban was issued to increase wages, but their reduction always was welcomed. At the same time, prices for everything went up. And if earlier the 12 hours working day existed only as an exception, for example, at the military factories of Pirelli or Breda, now it has become the norm throughout the country. Labor protection was practically reduced to naught. The fall in industrial discipline was compensated by fascist methods of coercion. The food supply of the population also deteriorated. Since 1942, the bread ration for most Italians was reduced to 150 g, which was even less than in some countries occupied by Germany.

All this was sobering to the population. “Patriots” were especially saddened by those, who returned from the icy hell of the Soviet front.

The troops returning from Russia deployed truly destructive propaganda in their homeland. This propaganda made a strong impression, first of all, on the conscripts born in 1923, who had just arrived at the barracks by that time.

The Italian economy was bursting at the seams. The policy of autarchy did not give anything but the enrichment of the oligarchs, as well as the corporate system. An uprising against war

 

 

and fascism was brewing in the country. In March 1943, a strike broke out in the industrial centers of Italy, in which up to 300 thousand workers participated. No bans and calls for a class peace could stop the population. The Italian police chief 1940-1943 wrote in his memoirs:

The participation of fascists and even members of the fascist militia in the strike was very remarkable. At the FIAT plant in Turin, there was a special legion of black shirts, created by agreement between the party and the owners of the plant in order to control the political mood of the masses: the members of this legion participated in the strike along with everyone, although they could not fail to understand its political purpose.

To the national unrest was added the landing of British-American troops in Sicily in the summer of the same year. The elimination of the Mussolini regime was the only way out for the ruling circles. On July 25, 1943, Mussolini was removed and arrested. And this was done with exactly the same ease as the transfer of power to him 21 years ago. The Moor has done his job, the Moor can go away.

Italy surrendered on September 3. In response, on September 8, the Nazis invade Italy and occupy most of it. Mussolini was released and taken to Hitler. This is how the "Italian social republic", better known as the "Republic of Salo", was born.

Returning to Italy, Mussolini continued to carry his national and social delirium. Old fairy tales under the slogans of neo-fascism. Mussolini's social verbiage was not the original find of the neo-fascist regime. The overwhelming majority of the puppet governments created in the territories occupied by the Nazis declared their desire to improve the health of the national life. Mussolini differed only in that he had to somehow dodge and explain all the changes that had occurred and justify himself before history.

Enemies were immediately discovered among the former fascist associates, who were convicted and executed in the fall of 1943. Of course, Mussolini denied any internal reasons for the fall of the fascist regime. Anyone and anything are to blame, except for Mussolini himself and fascism as such. However, the population already, let`s put it mildly, did not cared about anymore.

Immediately after the Nazi occupation, the partisan Resistance Movement was born in Italy. The movement was headed by the Committee for National Liberation,

 

 

created at the same time on the initiative of the Italian communists and eventually became the center of all anti-fascist forces in Italy.

Under the leadership of the Communists, a general strike was held in March 1944, in which about a million people took part.

The general strike of March 1-9 has acquired a national and international significance that goes far beyond the immediate objectives for which it was carried out. It indicated the path to be followed when, in the near future, decisive battles for the destruction of fascism and the liberation of peoples will take place in Italy and throughout the world.

Despite the fact that almost all the forces of the Italian and German fascists were thrown against the national liberation movement, it was already impossible to defeat it.

On April 25, 1945, the National Liberation Committee called for a general uprising against fascism. The neo-fascists of the Republic of Salo could no longer provide any organized resistance. Mussolini and his accomplices tried to flee to Germany but were captured by the partisans and eventually shot. Their bodies were taken to Milan, the birthplace of Italian fascism.

By the time the Third Reich surrendered, most of northern Italy had already been liberated by resistance forces.

The military adventures of the Italian fascists and the oligarchs who stood behind them costed the country huge victims: more than 450 thousand Italians were killed and disappeared without a trace. Not to mention other affected peoples. As a result of the hostilities that took place on the territory of the country, as well as the bombing, ⅕ of all enterprises, ¼ of all railways and ⅓ of bridges were put out of action. Italy lost 90% of its navy and the same number of port facilities. This is the real price of national solidarity between workers and entrepreneurs.