Subject
Italy -- Politics and government -- 1914-1945 Books
Best books
Benito Mussolini
Mussolini as revealed in his political speeches (November 1914-August 1923)
"Mussolini as Revealed in His Political Speeches (November 1914-August 1923)" selected, translated, and edited by Barone Bernardo Quaranta di San Severino is a historical account written in the early 20th century. This work offers a collection of Benito Mussolini's political speeches, illustrating his evolution from a socialist leader to the Prime Minister of Italy and the driving force behind the Fascist movement. The likely topic of the book revolves around Mussolini's political philosophy, the rise of Fascism, and its implications for Italy and Europe during that tumultuous period. The opening of this historical account sets the stage for Mussolini's dramatic transformation and contextualizes the sentiments of post-war Italy. It discusses the backdrop of political instability and growing Communist threats that Mussolini sought to counteract. Through a passionate speech delivered before his expulsion from the Socialist Party, Mussolini asserts his undying belief in Socialism and the necessity of movement toward interventionist policies during World War I. This foundational rhetoric gives insight into his fervent nationalism, illustrating how he harnessed public sentiment to gain support for his emerging Fascist ideology. The introduction frames the collection as not merely a compilation of speeches, but as a crucial narrative revealing Mussolini's character, political mindset, and the historical forces at play during his rise to power.
F. T. Marinetti
Democrazia futurista: dinamismo politico
"Democrazia futurista: dinamismo politico" by F. T. Marinetti is a political manifesto written in the early 20th century. This work is encapsulated within the larger context of the Futurist movement, aiming to establish a revolutionary political doctrine that aligns with the ideals of modernity and dynamism inherent in Italian futurism. The text likely addresses themes of nationalism, artistic innovation, and a critique of traditional values, presenting a vision for a vigorous and audacious future for Italy and its people. The opening of the manifesto outlines the origins of the Futurist political party, emphasizing its roots in the artistic movement that sought to radically refresh Italian culture and politics. It argues against the suffocating weight of past traditions and institutions, such as the monarchy and the Catholic Church, portraying them as impediments to progress and vitality. Marinetti invokes a sense of urgency and necessity for revolutionary change, asserting that true governance should emerge from the strength and creativity of its individuals, thus calling for a new, energetic democratic framework that unites national pride with progressive vision.
Benito Mussolini
My autobiography
"My autobiography by Benito Mussolini" is a dictated autobiography first published in 1928. Ghostwritten by Richard Washburn Child and Luigi Barzini, Jr., this narrative recounts Mussolini's youth, his years as an agitator and journalist, his World War I experiences, the formation and struggles of the Fascist Party, the March on Rome, and his early years in power. Created as paid propaganda primarily for American readers, it remained unpublished in Italy until 1971.
Aline Lion
The pedigree of fascism : $b A popular essay on the Western philosophy of politics
The pedigree of fascism : A popular essay on the Western philosophy of… by Aline Lion is a political-philosophical essay written in the early 20th century. It examines Italian Fascism as both a national outgrowth and a universal doctrine, setting it against the political history of post-unification Italy and the broader currents of European thought. The work aims to clarify for general readers what Fascism claims to be, how it arose, and why its philosophy should not simply be exported, while situating its roots from the Risorgimento and World War I to an intellectual lineage running from the Renaissance to Croce and Gentile. The opening of the book asks whether Fascism is a revolution and answers by defining it as a new, immanent relation between State and citizen that rejects “natural rights,” binds rights to duties, and treats citizenship as a moral-spiritual practice. It contrasts universal ideas with their local, historical “form,” likens this to the French Revolution, and then surveys Italy’s political path: an elite-led Risorgimento that unified the state but ignored social and economic realities; a Liberalism that imported foreign models, mishandled Church-state tensions, and lacked party discipline; Socialism that awakened workers yet tilted toward materialist aims and coercive tactics; and Nationalism that was lofty but too external and statist. The narrative moves through Italy’s hesitant neutrality and irredentist push into World War I, arguing that the war (especially after Caporetto) forged a genuine national conscience, turning subjects into citizens—the true culmination of the Risorgimento—only for postwar disillusion, factory seizures, and Fiume to expose a hollow state. It concludes this opening movement by presenting Fascism as a practical, anti-ideological method that synthesizes class interests through duty-bound citizenship and order, then pivots to its philosophical pedigree, introducing Fascism’s aim-centered method, Gentile’s idea of liberty as the identification of wills (illustrated by a team captain), and the early modern roots of competing “realities” (Bruno’s historical, Bacon’s empirical, Descartes’ rational).
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