Mediterranean Fascism 1919–1945

385 Pages·1970·37.468 MB·English

by  Charles F. Delzell (eds.)

Mediterranean Fascism
1919-1945
A volume
in
THE DOCUMENTARY HISTORY
of
WESTERN CIVILIZATION
Mediterranean Fascism
1919-1945
Edited by
CHARLES F. DELZELL
MACMILLAN
MEDITERRANEAN FASCISM, 1919-1945
Introduction, editorial notes, translations by the editor,
and compilation copyright© 1970 by Charles F. Delzell.
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1970 978-0-333-0343 7-8
All rights reserved. No part of this publication
may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form
or by any means, without permission.
First published in the United States 1970
First published in the United Kingdom by
The Macmillan Press Ltd. 1971
Published by
THE MACMILLAN PRESS LTD
Associated companies inNe w York Toronto
Dublin Melbourne Johannesburg and Madras
SBN 333 03437 6
ISBN 978-1-349-00242-9 ISBN 978-1-349-00240-5 (e Book)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-00240-5
Contents
Introduction
Xl
I. FASCISM IN ITALY
I. The Birth of Fascism 1
Report of Inspector-General of Public Security,
G. Gasti, Regarding Mussolini 4
The Birth of the Fascist Movement 7
Program of the Italian Fascist Movement 12
Postulates of the Fascist Program 14
Fascist Agrarian Program 18
Mussolini's First Speech in the Chamber of Deputies 22
New Program of the National Fascist Party (PNF) 27
ltalo Balbo's Squadrismo 37
Mussolini's Speech Regarding the House of Savoy 38
Prelude to the March on Rome: Mussolini's Speech 40
2. The Path to the Totalitarian State 44
Mussolini's First Speech as Premier to the Chamber of
Deputies 45
Mussolini's First Speech as Premier to the Senate 51
Decree Establishing the Fascist Militia (MVSN) 52
Decree Regulating tJ.le Press 53
Mussolini's Coup d'Etat of January 3, 1925 57
Decree on Powers of the Head of the Government 62
Decree on Public Safety 64
The Exceptional Decrees: Law for the Defense of the
State 67
The Fascist Electoral Law of 1928 70
The Fascist Grand Council 75
Statute of the National Fascist Party 77
Mussolini's Doctrine of Fascism 91
3. The Corporative State 107
The Palazzo Chigi Pact 108
The Palazzo Vid oni Pact 110
Vlll CONTENTS
The Rocco Labor and Antistrike Law Ill
The Labor Charter 121
Law on Formation and Functions of the Corporations 126
Law Creating the Chamber of Fasces and of Corpo-
rations 129
4. Social, Economic, and Youth Programs 13 3
Law Creating the Dopolavoro Organization 13 3
Law Creating the National Organization for Mater-
nity and Child Welfare 134
Law Creating the Balilla Youth Organization 139
Law Creating Italian Youth of the Lictors 14 3
The Fascist Decalogue 145
Fascist Loyalty Oath Imposed upon Professors 14 7
The Fascist School Charter 148
5. Fascism, the Catholic Church, and the Jews 156
Treaty Between the Holy See and Italy 157
Concordat Between the Holy See and Italy 160
The Church and the Fascist-Type Corporative State:
Quadragesimo anno 167
Pius XI on Catholic Action: Non abbiamo bisogno 169
Manifesto of the Racist Scientists 17 4
Mussolini's Defense of Racist Policy 177
Provisions for the Defense of the Italian Race 17 8
6. The Day of the Lion 185
Fascism a Universal Phenomenon 186
The Stresa Conference 190
Mussolini Launches the War in Ethiopia 193
League of Nations Sanctions Against Italy 195
The Fascist Grand Council's Resolution 198
Mussolini Proclaims Victory in Ethiopia 199
Mussolini's Announcement of the Rome-Berlin Axis 201
Mussolini Reaffirms the Rome-Berlin Axis 202
Italy's Accession to the Anti-Comintern Pact 206
"Pact of Steel" Between Germany and Italy 208
Mussolini's Message to Hitler Regarding Italian Sup-
port 211
Hitler's Message to Mussolini 212
CONTENTS ~
Mussolini's Speech Declaring War 213
Three-Power Pact of Germany, Italy, and Japan 216
The Italian Ultimatum to Greece 217
7. Monarchist Coup d'Etat and Republican Fascism 221
Dino Grandi's Resolution at the Fascist Grand
Council 222
Marshal Badoglio's Continuation of the War 223
Marshal Badoglio's Proclamation of the Armistice 224
Instrument of Surrender of Italy 225
Tripartite Declaration of Moscow Regarding Italy 228
King Victor Emmanuel III's Announcement of With-
drawal 230
The Sforza Purge Law Regarding Fascist Crimes 2 31
Mussolini's Denunciation of the House of Savoy 235
The Verona Manifesto of Mussolini's Italian Social
Republic 2 37
Mussolini's Last Public Address 243
The Execution of Mussolini 254
II. FASCISM IN SPAIN
8. The Falange Espanola 257
Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera on the Foundation of
the Spanish Falange 259
Basic Points of the Falange 266
The Falangist Oath 272
The Twenty-Six-Point Program of the Falange 273
Jose Antonio's Statement Regarding the International
Fascist Congress 27 8
Jose Antonio's Instructions from Prison 280
9· The Civil War and Franco's Triumph 283
German and Italian Policy Toward the Spanish Civil
War 284
German-Nationalist Spain Protocol of March 20, 1937 285
German and Italian Policy Toward the Falange and
General Franco 287
Franco's Call for Unification of the Fighting Forces 289
Franco's Call for Unification of the Militias 293
X CONTENTS
Statutes of the Falange Espanola Tradicionalista y de
las JONS 296
The Labor Charter 304
Law Regarding the Press 312
Order Restricting Meetings, Manifestations, and Pub-
lic Activities 314
Law Suppressing Masonry and Communism 316
Decree Regulating the Right of Association 317
German-Spanish Treaty of Friendship 318
Italian-German-Spanish Secret Protocol 322
Hitler-Mussolini Conference Regarding Vichy
France, Franco's Spain, and Greece 324
Ostracism of Franco's Spain by Potsdam Conference 329
III. SALAZAR'S PORTUGAL
10. The Clerico-Corporative Estado Novo 331
Political and Economic Doctrines of Salazar 33 3
Political Constitution of the Portuguese Republic 338
Salazar's Views of World War II as Reported by the
German Minister in Lisbon 348
Select Bibliography 3 51
Index 357
Introduction
IN THE aftermath of World War I much of Europe found itself
engaged in a three-cornered ideological struggle, while the United
States withdrew into smug isolationism. Parliamentary and demo
cratic liberalism, undergirded by commercial capitalism and agrari
anism, was in serious crisis in a continent that was rapidly becom
ing disrupted by the impact of industrialization and the problems
and frustrations brought about by modern "mass" society and
aggravated by the war. On the left it was challenged by Marxism,
which burst upon the political scene in totalitarian Communist garb
in Russia in November, 1917, and in milder democratic-socialist
forms elsewhere in Europe. On the right it was attacked by a
militantly ultranationalist and radical ideology that emerged as a
reaction to the threat (real or imagined) of Communism, the
frustrations of the war and peace settlement, the economic disloca
tion, and the political breakdown of liberal parliamentary govern
ment. Coming to be known as fascism, this radicalism of the right
manifested itself chiefly in three areas: the Mediterranean region in
its original and most authentic dress; in east-central Europe in a
somewhat mixed and often racist guise; and in Germany in a
strongly racist form and with dreams of unlimited conquest.
The fascistic movements pushed forward in three distinct waves
-from 1919 to 1923; from 1929 to the mid-1930's; and again from
19 39 to 194 3. Italy was the major beachhead of the first wave,
Benito Mussolini's Fascist party gaining political power by the end
of October, 1922. In Germany, Adolf Hitler's Nazis were frus
trated in the Munich Beer Hall Putsch of November, 1923. The
coming of the Great Depression, however, served to resuscitate
Hitler's National Socialist movement and to stimulate a variety of
other fascistic movements throughout Europe. Finally, the years of
the Axis military offensive in World War II saw the temporary
imposition of other more or less fascistic regimes in many parts of
the Continent.
It is the Mediterranean region, and more precisely the Italian and
Iberian peninsulas, with which this documentary history is con-