Italy in the 20th Century: Culture, Protocol, and Totalitarianism

General Research Questions

What is the relation between protocol and culture, political system, religion? Does it depend above all on culture, the political system or on religion?

How is the education in protocol organized in different cultures?

How does protocol affect social and political changes? How does protocol affect the gender relations?

Does protocol the protocol in the studied context still exist?

Definition culture

The way human beings give form to their environment and give meaning to their existence

Discussion culture

Elite culture / popular culture. Though the distinction is already discussed in the early modern period, nowadays this distinction disappears and is much more fluid.

Other oppositions, more or less apparent: countryside / city; generational gaps; different religions; cultural backgrounds

How are these differences visible?

What is the relation between culture and social protocol?

Totalitarianism: conceptual context

Totalitarianism: the determination to concentrate a total monopoly of political power in the hands of a single political party which was committed to imposing its ideology as a form of secular religion.

Basis: Totalitarian politics are based on the idea that the meanings and the purpose of human life are expressed in myths and values that constitute a secular religion, whose aim is to make the individual and the masses one.

All power had to be concentrated in the hands of the party and its leader: the fascistizzazione of Italian society. Every aspect of social life had to be determined by the fascist party. Objective: reformation of the character of the Italians, to turn Italians in a race of conquerors and rulers. It was the attempt to create a new type of human being.

Fascist culture rejected rationalism, and exalted mythical thought. It emphasized the worship of the fatherland and comradeship. The nationalist and anti-democratic ideology was expressed through myths, rituals, symbols, a lifestyle which stressed military values

Mussolini’s rise to power: historical context

Mussolini was the son of a blacksmith, and became a radical journalist and left-wing socialist.

During the war he developed radical nationalist ideas.

The First World War did not fulfill Italy’s nationalist aspirations

Post war period was characterized by social unrest

The fascist party

The fascist party looked to recruit those who had no place in traditional political parties. It was presented as pragmatic, anti-dogmatic and anti-clerical, and pretended

radical institutional, economic and social reform.

Rapid growth after 1920. The party appealed to the youth and created a generational revolt.

The party employed political violence: Occupations of towns, cities and provinces by armed fascist groups to force the resignation of governments, obtain concessions from the governments.

Mussolini came to power in 1922 after the March on Rome. Blackshirts mobilized and marched from various directions to Rome. The commemoration of the event became an important part of the political rituals of the fascist regime..