Taken from the Modern
History Sourcebook ((c)Paul Halsall Aug
1997): Benito
Mussolini (1883-1945) over the course of his lifetime went from Socialism - he
was editor of Avanti, a socialist newspaper - to the leadership of a new
political movement called "fascism" [after "fasces", the
symbol of bound sticks used a totem of power in ancient Rome].
Mussolini came to power after the "March on Rome" in 1922, and was appointed Prime Minister by King Victor Emmanuel. In 1932 Mussolini wrote (with the help of Giovanni Gentile) an entry for the Italian Encyclopedia on the definition of fascism.
Fascism,
the more it considers and observes the future and the development of humanity
quite apart from political considerations of the moment, believes neither in
the possibility nor the utility of perpetual peace. It thus repudiates the
doctrine of Pacifism -- born of a renunciation of the struggle and an act of
cowardice in the face of sacrifice. War alone brings up to its highest tension
all human energy and puts the stamp of nobility upon the peoples who have
courage to meet it. All other trials are substitutes, which never really put
men into the position where they have to make the great decision -- the
alternative of life or death....
...The
Fascist accepts life and loves it, knowing nothing of and despising suicide: he
rather conceives of life as duty and struggle and conquest, but above all for
others -- those who are at hand and those who are far distant, contemporaries,
and those who will come after...
...Fascism
[is] the complete opposite of…Marxian Socialism, the materialist conception of
history of human civilization can be explained simply through the conflict of
interests among the various social groups and by the change and development in
the means and instruments of production.... Fascism, now and always, believes
in holiness and in heroism; that is to say, in actions influenced by no
economic motive, direct or indirect. And if the economic conception of history
be denied, according to which theory men are no more than puppets, carried to
and fro by the waves of chance, while the real directing forces are quite out
of their control, it follows that the existence of an unchangeable and unchanging
class-war is also denied - the natural progeny of the economic conception of
history. And above all Fascism denies that class-war can be the preponderant
force in the transformation of society....
After
Socialism, Fascism combats the whole complex system of democratic ideology, and
repudiates it, whether in its theoretical premises or in its practical
application. Fascism denies that the majority, by the simple fact that it is a
majority, can direct human society; it denies that numbers alone can govern by
means of a periodical consultation, and it affirms the immutable, beneficial,
and fruitful inequality of mankind, which can never be permanently leveled
through the mere operation of a mechanical process such as universal
suffrage....
...Fascism denies, in democracy, the absurd conventional untruth of political equality dressed out in the garb of collective irresponsibility, and the myth of "happiness" and indefinite progress....
...Given
that the nineteenth century was the century of Socialism, of Liberalism, and of
Democracy, it does not necessarily follow that the twentieth century must also
be a century of Socialism, Liberalism and Democracy: political doctrines pass,
but humanity remains, and it may rather be expected that this will be a century
of authority...a century of Fascism. For if the nineteenth century was a
century of individualism it may be expected that this will be the century of
collectivism and hence the century of the State....
The
foundation of Fascism is the conception of the State, its character, its duty,
and its aim. Fascism conceives of the State as an absolute, in comparison with
which all individuals or groups are relative, only to be conceived of in their
relation to the State. The conception of the Liberal State is not that of a
directing force, guiding the play and development, both material and spiritual,
of a collective body, but merely a force limited to the function of recording
results: on the other hand, the Fascist State is itself conscious and has
itself a will and a personality -- thus it may be called the "ethic"
State....
...The
Fascist State organizes the nation, but leaves a sufficient margin of liberty
to the individual; the latter is deprived of all useless and possibly harmful
freedom, but retains what is essential; the deciding power in this question
cannot be the individual, but the State alone....
...For Fascism, the growth of empire, that is to say the expansion of the nation, is an essential manifestation of vitality, and its opposite a sign of decadence. Peoples which are rising, or rising again after a period of decadence, are always imperialist; and renunciation is a sign of decay and of death. Fascism is the doctrine best adapted to represent the tendencies and the aspirations of a people, like the people of Italy, who are rising again after many centuries of abasement and foreign servitude. But empire demands discipline, the coordination of all forces and a deeply felt sense of duty and sacrifice: this fact explains many aspects of the practical working of the regime, the character of many forces in the State, and the necessarily severe measures which must be taken against those who would oppose this spontaneous and inevitable movement of Italy in the twentieth century, and would oppose it by recalling the outworn ideology of the nineteenth century - repudiated wheresoever there has been the courage to undertake great experiments of social and political transformation; for never before has the nation stood more in need of authority, of direction and order. If every age has its own characteristic doctrine, there are a thousand signs which point to Fascism as the characteristic doctrine of our time. For if a doctrine must be a living thing, this is proved by the fact that Fascism has created a living faith; and that this faith is very powerful in the minds of men is demonstrated by those who have suffered and died for it.
This text is part of the Internet Modern History
Sourcebook. The Sourcebook is a collection of public domain and copy-permitted
texts for introductory level classes in modern European and World history.
Unless otherwise indicated the specific electronic
form of the document is copyright. Permission is granted for electronic
copying, distribution in print form for educational purposes and personal use.
If you do reduplicate the document, indicate the source. No permission is
granted for commercial use of the Sourcebook.
(c)Paul Halsall Aug 1997