Access the successes and failures of Mussolini(TM)s Domestic and Economic policies

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Farrah Laborde

Access the successes and failures of Mussolini’s Domestic and Economic policies

        

                Similarly to those of Hitler, Mussolini main goal was to create an Italian state with a strong identity and role within Europe with a strong military force. From the day that he became the Italian Prime Minister on 29th October 1922 of a coalition government, he lacked a certain skill in organisation. It was never quite clear exactly what Mussolini wanted to do, he generally made many of his decisions with out any previous planning, nevertheless, Mussolini knew that he wanted to have complete control over the Italian state and soon realised that he desired to carve Italy into an empire similar to the Ancient Romans. Mussolini hoped to increase his power and hold on Italy and was constantly portrayed as a flawless mastermind, who would lead Italy back to greatness, making it head and shoulders above the rest. He did this through propaganda which he filtered though the media, education and regular talks with his people, from his famous balcony. New policies needed to be put into place to transform the Italian society into a war machine while maintaining a prospering economy.

                Mussolini took a keen interest in the state’s education system and the youth organisations that existed in Italy because he knew that children were to be the fascists of the future. He required a nation of warriors, and boys were expected to mature into fierce soldiers that would gladly go to battle with the glory of Italy, while the girls were expected to become excellent mothers who would provide Italy with a population that was befitting a dominant country. Children were taught at school that the great days of modern Italy started in 1922 with the March on Rome. Children were taught that Mussolini was the only man who could lead Italy back to greatness. Boys from a young age took part in semi-military exercises; they would march and use imitation guns. Boys who were part of the Balilla (a semi-military youth organisation) would be made to memorise:

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“I believe in Rome, the Eternal, and the mother of my country… I believe in the genius of Mussolini…and in the resurrection of the Empire.”

Despite Mussolini’s best efforts, the education system was still not as successful as he had hoped it would be. A vast majority of pupils left school at the age of eleven in order to avoid the full programme of indoctrination, even those that experienced a complete fascist education and continued on to university may not have been completely convinced by fascist ideas.

                Mussolini believed that in order for his fascist ideas to ...

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