Today Mussolini is remembered as a hated dictator who, along with Hitler and Stalin, ushered in an era of totalitarian repression unsurpassed in human history. But how was he viewed by ordinary Italians during his lifetime? In Fascist Voices, Christopher Duggan draws on thousands of letters sent to Mussolini, as well as private diaries and other primary documents, to show how Italian citizens lived and experienced the fascist regime under Mussolini from 1922-1943. Throughout the 1930s, Mussolini received about 1,500 letters a day from Italian men and women of all social classes writing words of congratulation, commiseration, thanks, encouragement, or entreaty on a wide variety of occasions: his birthday and saint's day, after he had delivered an important speech, on a major fascist anniversary, when a husband or son had been killed in action. While Duggan looks at some famous diaries-by such figures as the anti-fascist constitutional lawyer Piero Calamandrei; the philosopher Benedetto Croce; and the fascist minister Giuseppe Bottai-the majority of the voices here come from unpublished journals, diaries, and transcripts. Utilizing a rich collection of untapped archival material, Duggan explores "the cult of Il Duce," the religious dimensions of totalitarianism, and the extraordinarily intimate character of the relationship between Mussolini and millions of Italians. Duggan shows that the figure of Mussolini was crucial to emotional and political engagement with the regime; although there was widespread discontent throughout Italy, little of the criticism was directed at Il Duce himself. Duggan argues that much of the regime's appeal lay in its capacity to appropriate the language, values, and iconography of Roman Catholicism, and that this emphasis on blind faith and emotion over reason is what made Mussolini's Italy simultaneously so powerful and so insidious. Offering a unique perspective on the period, Fascist Voices captures the responses of private citizens living under fascism and unravels the remarkable mixture of illusions, hopes, and fears that led so many to support the regime for so long.

Fascist Voices

History

DUGGAN, Christopher

Europe

Vintage Books

The greatness of Italy's culture and way of life have had a powerful attraction for many generations of visitors. This has created an overwhelming sense that Italy is a fundamentally benign and easy going country. The Force of Destiny, Christopher Duggan's immensely enjoyable new book, lays waste to this idea. While sharing everyone's enthusiasm for Italy as a place, he strongly distinguishes this from its political role over the past two centuries, which has been both vicious and ruinous for Europe as a whole.

The Force of Destiny: A History Of Italy Since 1796

Penguin Uk

This is the first academic biography of one of the most important and controversial figures in modern Italian history. Francesco Crispi (1818-1901) was among the key figures in the Italian Risorgimento, a close friend and supporter of Mazzini and Garibaldi, and one of the architects of Italy's unification in 1860. Yet he went on to become an authoritarian prime minister and ally and admirer of Bismarck, whose ambitions for Italy brought Europe close,, on several occasions, to a general conflagration. Crispi was celebrated by the fascist regime as the 'precursor' of Mussolini, and in exploring Crispi's evolution from revolutionary democrat to bellicose authoritarian, this book aims to shed light on the roots of fascism and the problems of Italian liberalism. The central theme linking the various phases of Crispi's career is that of how to turn Italy from a 'geographical expression' into a nation.

Francesco Crispi, 1818-1901: From Nation to Nationalism

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

Oxford University Press

Fascist Voices: An Intimate History of Mussolini's Italy

Since its creation in 1861, Italy has struggled to develop an effective political system and a secure sense of national identity. This concise history covers the period from the fall of the Roman Empire in the west to the present day, but focuses on the difficulties Italy has faced in forging a nation state during the past two centuries. The opening chapters consider the geographical and cultural obstacles to unity, and survey the long centuries of political fragmentation in the peninsula since the sixth century. It was this legacy of fragmentation that Italy's new rulers had to strive to overcome when the country became united, more by accident than design, in 1859-61.

A Concise History of Italy (Cambridge Concise Histories)

Cambridge University Press

Since its creation in 1861, Italy has struggled to develop an effective political system and a secure sense of national identity. This concise history covers the period from the fall of the Roman Empire in the west to the present day, but focuses on the difficulties Italy has faced in forging a nation state during the past two centuries. The opening chapters consider the geographical and cultural obstacles to unity, and survey the long centuries of political fragmentation in the peninsula since the sixth century. It was this legacy of fragmentation that Italy's new rulers had to strive to overcome when the country became united, more by accident than design, in 1859-61.

Desde su creación en 1861, Italia se ha esforzado por crear un sistema político eficaz y consolidar un sentimiento de identidad nacional. Este libro, que cubre el período transcurrido desde la caída del Imperio Romano de Occidente hasta nuestros días, pone el énfasis en las dificultades a las que Italia ha tenido que enfrentarse durante los dos últimos siglos en su intento de forjar una nación. Los primeros capítulos revisan los largos siglos de fragmentación política de la península itálica desde el siglo VI, para explicar los obstáculos geográficos y culturales por los que pasó la unidad. El libro pretende entrelazar los factores políticos, económicos, sociales y culturales que conforman la historia de Italia, a la vez que enfatizar de manera concreta la alternancia entre los programas materialistas e idealistas a la hora de forjar una nación.

Historia de Italia (Spanish Edition)

Since its formation in 1861, Italy has struggled to develop an effective political system and a secure sense of national identity. This new edition of Christopher Duggan's acclaimed introduction charts the country's history from the fall of the Roman Empire in the west to the present day and surveys the difficulties Italy has faced during the last two centuries in forging a nation state. Duggan successfully weaves together political, economic, social and cultural history, and stresses the alternation between materialist and idealist programmes for forging a nation state. This second edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to offer increased coverage of nineteenth- and twentieth-century Italy, as well as a new section devoted to Italy in the twenty-first century. With a new, extensive bibliographical essay and a detailed chronology, this is the ideal resource for those seeking an authoritative and comprehensive introduction to Italian history.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by DUGGAN, Christopher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by DUGGAN, Christopher

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by DUGGAN, Christopher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Fascist Voices

The Force of Destiny: A History Of Italy Since 1796

Francesco Crispi, 1818-1901: From Nation to Nationalism

Fascist Voices: An Intimate History of Mussolini's Italy

Fascist Voices: An Intimate History of Mussolini's Italy

A Concise History of Italy (Cambridge Concise Histories)

A Concise History of Italy (Cambridge Concise Histories)

Historia de Italia (Spanish Edition)

A Concise History of Italy (Cambridge Concise Histories)

A Concise History of Italy (Cambridge Concise Histories)