A country is gripped by bitter political partisan debates and insecurities about its own economy. A nonconformist, charismatic, populist leader emerges to “shake things up” and receives adulatory glory from his supporters and condemnation from his enemies and the press.
The leader starts filling government positions with his hand-picked cronies, issues proclamations on a whim, and basks in large, showy rallies and parades in which he is treated like a deity. He also embraces other controversial dictators and strong men around the world, while threatening military action against those who oppose him.
That’s right, we’re talkin’ about…Italy’s Benito Mussolini!
But not so fast, kids. According to Dr. Dominic Aquila, any comparison between the U.S. today and Italy a century ago—and the tossing around of a certain descriptor—isn’t quite up to the full sniff test.
“People throw around the word ‘Fascism’ today so casually, and it’s become just a kind of common synonym for any kind of autocratic dictatorship. It even went through a transformation in Germany. The term [mostly] was constructed to combat Communism,” he notes.
“We still have freedom of expression. The reaction to Trump has been so vociferous because people think he’s trying to suppress free speech. Whatever side you take on that, the fact is there is a lot of free speech going on in the United States, both in legacy and new [media]. The other thing is we still have private property, the backbone of a democracy.”
He adds that even the word “liberal” has different meanings. “Liberalism” doesn’t necessarily mean “left wing” in a historical context. It means a government where elections are taken seriously.
“It’s such a confusing term. Then you have Libertarians who want to limit government control. That term gets thrown around with abandon as well. And trying to be precise in the media is like nailing jelly to the well,” he says.
The story of Mussolini, Italy’s government and people, and winding political roads will be the subject of the four-part multimedia lecture series 20th Century Italy: Liberalism, Fascism, and Reconstruction at Houston’s Italian Cultural and Community Center.
It’s presented by Dr. Aquila, whose list of academic credentials and high school and collegiate positions (including St. Thomas) is as long as an average Fascist’s Enemies List.
At the start of the 20th century, Italy was actually a young country. It wasn’t until 1861 that the various states in the region were united under one name and ruler, Victor Emmanuel II, as the Kingdom of Italy. His grandson, Victor Emmanuel III, would serve as King from 1900-1946, when Italy then became a republic.
And while he never had the title, there was never any doubt who was really in control—the man known as “Il Duce.”
“The Italians and then the Germans even later had to become a nation state because that’s what was happening around the world,” he offers. So, was it easier for Fascism to take hold in the early 1920s?
“Well, the Italians invented the word ‘Fascism’ because it comes from the Roman legions. They would carry a bundle of sticks and call it a ‘fasces.’ And they would march with these,” Dr. Aquila notes. “It was Mussolini’s attempt to capture the glory of Rome.”
The first group that Mussolini went after to fall into line or silence—not surprisingly—was the press. That fact that earlier in life Mussolini himself was a journalist and editor also gave him some particular insight.
“Italian politics had a range from conservative to progressive that then had micro positions. And every one had their own [periodical]. Mussolini would send in the Brown Shirts to blow up offices of papers that disagreed with the regime,” Dr. Aquila says.
“And he even had gross ways to torture journalists. He could also take control over the radio stations. Unless someone figures out how to take control of the internet, that won’t happen today,” he continues.
“And whether you agree with it or not, Facebook admitted that it was visited by the [Biden] government about what [they published]. It was at least an attempt to try and control information.”
Another thing Dr. Aquila will talk about is the role of the Catholic Church in the political culture of Italy, and how Pope Pius XI and his successor Pope Pius XII alternately challenged and acquiesced to Mussolini and the Fascists, along with Benito’s good friend across the border, Uncle Adolf.
“In the lecture, we look at a lot of primary sources. So, the first time there was an agreement the Italian state and the Vatican, we can see what was going on and what context [it’s in],” he says.
“And Pius XII helped an enormous number of Jews to get out of Italy and Germany. It’s a controversy. But when I teach history, I go back to the original sources. [Later interpretations] are like a game of telephone when people write about it years later.”
Dr. Aquila also has a segment on Italy’s arts movement of “Futurism” and how it ties into all of this. Fascism found a fellow traveler in that movement, he says, with its celebration of violence and machines in the culture.
Finally, what does Dr. Aquila see as the turning point was in Italy that marked the death of Fascism (things did not end so well for Mussolini in particular) and the birth of the current Republic?
“It was the realization that Fascism, as a political and economic system, was a failure. In a republic, there’s at least a say at what is going on. Those polarities existed in Italy,” he sums up. “And republics had a deep tradition, especially in Italy. Look at Rome after Caesar.”
The 20th Century Italy: Liberalism, Fascism, and Reconstruction lecture series with Dr. Dominic Aquila takes place Mondays from 7-8:30 pm, March 31-April 21, at the Italian Cultural and Community Center of Houston, 1101 Milford. For more information, call 713-524-4222, ext. 7, or visit ICCCHouston.com. Ticket prices: $125 for ICCC Members and $150 for General Admission. Tickets can be purchased online through Eventbrite.
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