Mussolini's Use of Arts and Media as Tool to Control Italians

Mussolini's Use of Arts and Media as Tool to Control Italians

Mussolini had many methods of using people's own artistic talents to

his own advantage, though the effectiveness of some of these methods

is questionable. Mussolini used many different forms of media to

communicate himself and his ideals.

Perhaps the most effective of these was the use of the poster. A high

proportion of Italy at this time was illiterate and the posters that

were produced were attractive and portrayed 'Il duce' as a great man

how had many interests and was grea at many things. the state

constantly put up fresh posters for the regime, and also took down any

anti-state posters. they were a great way of portraying in a glance

how great Mussolini was supposed to have been.

The newpapers and cinema were also used to try and control the

thinking of the Italian people. However these two mediums of

communication had difficulties as there was a high illiteracy rate and

there was a general lack of enthusiasm for cinema going in Italy at

that time. Only 10% of the population read Fascist run newspapers and

most of the films on show at that time were from Holywood, so there

was not the same oppotunity for Mussolini to exploit the cinema

industry as Hitler had with his propaganda films such as 'The Eternal

Jew'.

Radio was the final method of mass media that Mussolini tried to use.

The state controlled the radio broadcasts from inside Italy after 1924

and used it to emit two hours of Fascist broadcasts per day. However

outside broadcasts were available such as the BBC and signals from

Spain, and besides this radio was not easily available for the average

man at the time.

In terms of the Arts, there were six main mediums of communication

with the people. the most effective of these in my oppinion were the

use of architecture and theatre. The state would prescribe

architecture for certain new buildings which would replace the more

modern buildings with the Classical design, a throw back to the