In Italy, Benito Mussolini, known as “El Duce” or “the leader,” was installing a Fascist system similar to the Nazis in Germany. His political party was called the National Fascist Party. Mussolini became Prime Minister of Italy in 1922 and ruled until he was deposed in 1943. Characteristic of the Fascist approach was a quote attributed to El Duce: “We have buried the putrid corps of liberty” through the use of secret police, the Blackshirts. Once in power, Mussolini’s party became the only legal party, and Italy became a totalitarian state with a strong nationalistic bent. Mussolini promised to raise Italy to the glory days of the Roman Empire.
The basic underlying idea behind Mussolini’s foreign policy was that of spazio vitale (vital space), a concept in Italian Fascism that was analogous to Lebensraum in German National Socialism. According to the Fascist doctrine, Italy could not grow economically without this spazio vitale. Mussolini claimed that the entire Mediterranean area was Italy’s spazio vitale. Akin to spazio vitale and similar to Nazi racist theories was the Fascist belief that Italians were superior to the Slavs in the Balkans, who Mussolini viewed as “barbaric.” In April 1939, Mussolini ordered the Italian invasion of Albania. Italy defeated Albania within just five days, forcing the king to flee and setting up a period of Italian control of Albania. Mussolini also claimed that the blacks of Africa were inferior peoples and, as a result, Italy had a right to pursue an imperialist policy there. Consequentially, Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935. Emperor Haile Selassie was forced to flee the country, with Italy entering the capital city, Addis Ababa, to proclaim the Italian East Africa empire.
”Giovinezza” was the Fascist anthem. Lyrics with English subtitles are at (https://youtu.be/PtS1G0F7wT4).
Italian lyrics
Salve o popolo d’eroi
Salve o patria immortale
Son rinati i figli tuoi
Con la fede e l’ideale
Il valor dei tuoi guerrieri,
La virtù dei tuoi pionieri
La vision dell’Alighieri
Oggi brilla in tutti i cuor
Giovinezza, giovinezza,
Primavera di bellezza
Per la vita, nell’asprezza
Il tuo canto squilla e va!
E per Benito Mussolini,
Eja eja alalà
E per la nostra Patria bella,
Eja eja alalà
Dell’Italia nei confini
Son rifatti gli italiani;
Li ha rifatti Mussolini
Per la guerra di domani
Per la gloria del lavoro
Per la pace e per l’alloro,
Per la gogna di coloro
Che la patria rinnegar.
I poeti e gli artigiani
I signori e i contadini
Con orgoglio d’italiani
Giuran fede a Mussolini.
Non v’è povero quartiere
Che non mandi le sue schiere
Che non spieghi le bandiere
Del fascismo redentor.
English translation
Hail, people of heroes,
Hail, immortal Fatherland,
Your sons were born again
With the faith and the Ideal.
Your warriors’ valor,
Your pioneers’ virtue,
Alighieri‘s vision,
Today shines in every heart
Youth, Youth,
Spring of beauty,
In the hardship of life
Your song rings and goes!
And for Benito Mussolini,
Eja eja alalà
And for our beautiful Fatherland,
Eja eja alalà
In the Italian borders,
Italians have been remade
Mussolini has remade them
For tomorrow’s war,
For labor’s glory,
For peace and for the laurel,
For the shame of those
Who repudiated our Fatherland
The poets and the artisans,
The lords and the countrymen,
With an Italian’s pride
Swear fealty to Mussolini
No poor neighborhood exists
That doesn’t send its hordes
That doesn’t unfurl the flags
Of redeeming Fascism
On October 25, 1936, Mussolini and Italy agreed to form the Rome-Berlin Axis with Hitler and Nazi Germany. This cooperation agreement envisioned a military alliance.