“Il Duce” (Greenspan par.1). This is what Benito Mussolini was known as during his 21 years in power. Rising from a modest background to a world class dictator is not easy. However, Mussolini’s assertive leadership and strong will power makes this ambition feasible. Where others fear to tread, Mussolini rushes in. From his menacing disposition to his charming cajolery, he effortlessly makes an impression upon millions. A spellbinding orator, Benito Mussolini hypnotizes the Italians with Fascism through his captivatingly threatening demeanor.
In order to remind people of Italy’s past battles, Mussolini begins his introduction by nonchalantly summarizing Italy’s struggles and triumphs. Casually picking their brains, he muses aloud, “Have
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you ever asked yourselves in an hour of meditation, which everyone finds during the day, how long we have been at war?” (“Rome” par.
1). This rhetorical question achieves the desired effect of subtlety by absentmindedly asking instead of directly making a statement. Connotatively, the phrase “in an hour of meditation” refers to spare time. These words fit Mussolini’s relaxed tone because it puts his audience at ease and creates a calm atmosphere. Most importantly though, the question’s purposeful answer provides a place for Mussolini to bring up the country’s history. Along these lines, he introduces a series of anecdotes recapping Italy’s victories and defeats (Biagio par. 2, 3). The anecdotes revive the audience’s memories by making them relive every single event through vivid detail. To structure the rundown of events, he uses smooth transitions like “On another occasion...” and “The events during these months…” to lead the audience through the maze of anecdotes (par. 3, 4). These fluid turning points effortlessly connect one anecdote to the next. As a result, they create a smooth, flowing synopsis that is simple enough for the audience to understand. Chronologically sequencing the events in his summary, he also uses transitions like “We have actually been at war since 1922…” and …show more content…
“With the outbreak of hostilities on Sept. 1, 1939..” to establish an order to his summary (“Rome” par. 4, 5). These chronological transitions arrange the events in the sequence in which they occurred. Thus, they effectively engage the audience by making it easier for them to follow the recap. To polish off his introductory anecdotes, Mussolini employs an allusion by referencing the Punic Wars and Rome’s eventual victory despite its previous defeat (par. 26 ). The hidden moral lesson in this historical event is that “...it is the final battle that counts” (par. 27). Purposefully exemplifying this well known battle, Mussolini assures his listeners of Italy’s optimistic future through the didactic explanation. By supporting the audience’s belief in Italy’s future, the allusion ends the recap on a good note. Thus, Mussolini effectively refreshes his listeners’ memories calmly through an organized and detailed run-through. Suddenly switching his tone, Mussolini creates a depressing atmosphere to evoke the feelings of anger and fear. Addressing Italy’s gloomy outlook, he gravely reports that “...we met adversity in the war. We must recognize this. We had gray days” (“Rome” par. 3). Through parallelism, Mussolini causes apprehension by stressing Italy’s hardships. What is more, he uses the anaphora “we” to emphasize the point that everyone, not only him, was responsible for their misfortune. Additionally, the adjective “gray” appeals to his listeners’ sense of sight, and forms a melancholic ambience that depresses the audience even more. Discussing the growing number of deaths, he further explains, “Thus our first squadron of airplanes left…and during the same day we had our first dead” (par. 5). Adopting a dark tone, Mussolini expresses his disappointment of the event, which went against the outcome he envisioned. Thus, his sudden hopelessness frightens his supporters. Then switching to anger, he uses an anadiplosis: “...[We] must accentuate against the enemy that cold, conscious, implacable hate, hate in every home, which is indispensable for victory” (par. 20). The repetition of “hate, hate” builds intensity towards the climax, until it finally shatters into a million pieces, emphasizing the anger and hate needed for “victory”. Along with the anadiplosis, Mussolini personifies hate:“...cold, conscious implacable hate..” to appeal to his listeners’ motives, and make them connect to his own ire. Through personification, he builds distressing imagery of the abstract quality of hate to make his audience react emotionally to the enemy. By awakening the audiences’ fear through his foreboding manner, he gives rise to their buried fury. Fear mongering his supporters, Mussolini weaves in threats and criticisms to attack his enemies and caution his audience. He first affirms that “only brains softened by puerile ignorance, by sheer ignorance, can think differently…” to put-down his critics (Taransky par. 8). Not only designed to offend or hurt, Mussolini’s insult also blames his critics’ uninformed minds for their opposing opinions instead of the critics themselves. The parallelism employed here allows him to persuade the audience of his critics’ half-knowledge through its repetition of “ignorance”. At the same time, the repetition also cautions his supporters against succumbing to the enemies’ blindness. In addition to parallelism, Mussolini also sneaks in the slippery slope fallacy: “State ownership! It leads only to absurd...conclusions; state ownership means state monopoly, concentrated in the hands of one party... and that state brings only ruin and bankruptcy to all” to make the audience automatically assume the worst of socialism (Gentile par. 21). This argument brainwashes his supporters and unfairly criticizes his enemies’ government systems with total overkill. By shifting the spotlight to the extreme hypotheticals, he also commits the continuum fallacy, as he forces the audience to limit their views to the black and white consequences of state ownership. Combining criticism with his bitterness, Mussolini sneers, “We call bread bread and wine wine, and when the enemy wins a battle it is useless and ridiculous to seek, as the English do in their incomparable hypocrisy, to deny or diminish it” (“Rome” par. 16). The anadiplosis of “bread” and “wine” adds a biting tone that taunts Mussolini’s critics, and emphasizes his straightforwardness (par. 16). Furthermore, Mussolini uses the call a spade a spade technique, where he speaks frankly about Italy’s defeat, even if it is unpleasant. Then he compares Italy’s frankness to England’s hypocrisy to warn the audience of England’s deception, despite of their seeming triumphs. Killing two birds with one stone, Mussolini efficaciously uses his insults to scorn his enemies, and give the lowdown on them to his listeners. Sharply contrasting previous statements, Mussolini suddenly devises a more optimistic perspective by motivating his supporters, and highlighting the strengths of his nation.
Attempting to inspire his listeners, he addresses them as “...this people of heroes, of poets and saints, of navigators, of colonizers…” to emphasize Italy’s various strengths (“Great” par. 9). This isocolon uses different words that are in the same structure to affirm Mussolini’s flattery. Via parallel structure, Mussolini creates a symmetrical pattern that engages the audience and makes them connect to his faith in Italy’s bright side. Activating their spirits, he guarantees them that their “...immense cry will cross the mountains and oceans like lightning...” (“Rome” par. 48). By comparing the people’s cry to the strength and speed of lightning, this simile drives the audience to believe in Italy’s power, as well as their own. Appealing to the audience’s sense of hearing, the “immense cry” triggers a life-like quality in Mussolini’s aspiration, making his aims seem more tangible to his listeners. Moreover, he uses parallelism: “To economic sanctions we shall answer with our discipline….To military sanctions, we shall answer with military measures...To acts of war, we shall answer with acts of war” to drill the concept of Italy’s strength in the audience’s head (“Great” par. 7). Adding force to Mussolini’s voice, the parallelism asserts his confidence in his ambitions. Furthermore, the anaphora
in the parallelism: “we shall answer” emphasizes Italy’s superiority by making the lines more memorable. In this manner, he attaches his certainty to his listeners’ minds and lures them into believing in his rosy views. Just like that, Mussolini easily convinces the audience of Italy’s strong points by sparking hope in the crowd through his idealism. Comparing his views to different concepts, Mussolini defends his beliefs through various appeals to logic and reasoning. Attracting the audiences’ syllogistics, he deductively reasons, “If relativism signifies contempt for fixed categories and those who claim to be the bearers of objective immortal truth, then there is nothing more relativistic than Fascist attitudes and activity” (“Sections” par. 9). By assuming that all beliefs are equally valid, Mussolini automatically deduces that he reserves the right to claim the validity of Fascism. Following suit, his audience also concludes that Fascism is valid without assessing the truth of relativism first. Additionally, Mussolini employs the use of an analogy: “War is to man what maternity is to a woman. From a philosophical and doctrinal viewpoint, I do not believe in perpetual peace” to make the audience understand his opposing view of peace better (“Gentile” par. 4). By showing the difference between the values of man and woman, he clarifies why he does not want peace. Thus, the audience accepts his reason as a valid point against peace. Not only that, but Mussolini also manages to show support for capitalism by advocating, “I do not intend to defend capitalism or capitalists. ….I only say their possibilities of usefulness are not ended. Capitalism has borne the monstrous burden of the war and today still has the strength to shoulder the burdens of peace. …” (“Sections” par.11). Through this apophasis, Mussolini indirectly defends his approval of capitalism by denying his support, yet providing just that. By declaring that he does “not intend to defend capitalism or capitalists” Mussolini opposes claims of bias, yet manages to explicitly convey his stance on the values of capitalism. Using these sneaky tactics, Mussolini correlates his interests with other valid views to engage his audience’s enlightened interests. Aiming to make a final impression, Mussolini always makes sure he galvanizes the audience’s spirits through a sentimental connection before closure. By using an apostrophe, he vigorously chants, “Italy! Italy!.....rise to your feet, let the cry of your determination rise to the skies” to stimulate his audience (“Great” par. 11). The apostrophe instills immense admiration for his values because Mussolini is so overcome with emotion that he forgets his supporters, and directly refers to his passion. Bringing that passion to life, he makes the audience relate to his sentiments. Additionally, Mussolini uses a contradiction: “the soldiers who are fighting in the empire… are the farthest but therefore nearest our hearts” to connect to his listeners’ grief (“Rome” par. 13). Through this contradiction, Mussolini demonstrates empathy to his listeners’ woes by disagreeing with the soldiers’ figurative distance and insisting their nearness. Resultantly, the audience favorably responds to Mussolini’s cause since the ones close to them are fighting for him. Moreover, Mussolini energizes his supporters by insisting that “History takes one by the throat and forces a decision” (par. 7). This use of personification creates a vivid image of Mussolini’s urgency. Boosting his listeners’ emotions, Mussolini connects them to his urgent burden by bringing it to life. All things considered, Mussolini makes an impression by energizing his audience and relating to their zealous feelings. Overall, Benito Mussolini awes his audience with his charming, yet threatening presence. Making an impression, he dictates the audience’s beliefs through various appeals. By creatively presenting his ideas through assorted rhetorical devices, he engages his audience’s interest, and also discourages his enemies. Under his spell, millions of people blindly trust and support him.
These were pivotal times in the annals of world history in the 20th century. Mussolini and Hitler’s rise to power was clearly a threat to the freedoms of the United States and its Allies. Through God’s grace and omnipotence, the US alliance, industrialization and intellectual might, we had the resources required to overcome the fierce and mighty threat of Fascism in the Free World.
Mussolini’s population policy was a clear effort to exercise his authoritarian control over the people of Italy, regulating the most personal and private details of their lives. In his bid for complete control, he used new laws, propaganda, and sometimes brutal tactics in order for his wishes to be recognized. It is during the 1920’s to the 1940’s that totalitarian control over the state escalated into full dictatorships, with the wills of the people being manipulated into a set of beliefs that would promote the fascist state and “doctrines.”
Next, in section 8.2 we transition into a perspective from the German side in the “All Quiet on the Western Front (1929) Erich Maria Remarque Excerpt From: “Sources of World History.” iBooks. This book is written from the perspective of someone that went to war and it shows the destruction of what happened to this man during his life and it goes through the story about his life during this war and at the end you can really see the comparison of the scene as he watches his friends die to the story of the battle of Somme. In Source 8.3 we go into a discussion of Benito Mussolini and Fascism.
Source D is an extract from an online encyclopedia that gives information about how Italy operated under Mussolini. The entire text is in the Appendix.
The story unfolds with the increasing limitations on the rights of Jewish people in Italy. Mussolini 's racial laws are beginning to take force on the rights of the Jewish people. Prohibitions such as no servants, no library
Ginsborg P (1990). ‘A History of Contemporary Italy: Society and Politics: 1943-1980’ Published by Penguin; Reprint edition (27 Sep 1990).
Mussolini, Benito. “The Political and Social Doctrine of Fascism.” The Human Record . By Alfred J. Andrea and James H. Overfield. Vol. 2. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2011. 2 vols. 399-400.
In 1922, Benito Mussolini held leadership in Italy, promising a proficient and militaristic nationalistic state. During his control as prime minister, he gained a large group of followers, banned the disparagement of government, and used extreme violence against his enemies within the parliament. According to Oppenheimer, Adolf Hitler idolized Mussolini’s rise and respected his tactics to gain power. Hitler was a violent leader who brought For example, “corporatism” largely contributed to later policies that we still practice today.
Benito Mussolini was brought up in one the poorest regions in Northeastern Italy. When he was in school, he always kept to himself and very quiet. He wasn’t a class clown, never cried or rarely laughed. He always sat in the back of the classroom and read a book. He rather do that than play with the other children in his class. He got kicked out his first boarding school. When he was growing up he was surrounded by many political philosophies. There was anarchism, socialism, and others. Both Benito and his father Allesandro had very bad violent tempers.
In Italy, Mussolini’s Fascist regime may be attributed to the significant role football played in government manipulation and intervention towards its citizens. As football was known as “the sport for the masses”, its rise in popularity was the perfect opportunity for the Italian government to gain the nation’s public support. This scheme resulted to Mussolini’s relentlessness in terms of controlling certain aspects the sport had to go by, especially in the 1934 FIFA World Cup which was held in Italy. People believed that Mussolini orchestrated Italy’s victory to show the world their capabilities, and I quote Josef Bican, an Austrian player who played against Italy in the semi-finals, “Before we played Italy, Mussolini had a meeting… with the Swedish referee… and according to our coach, Hugo Meisl, he knew that the referee had been bribed… and would referee in favor of the Italians.” Its manifestation includes the influence football had not only on the Italian government, but towards the kind of system Mussolini wanted to impart to his people as well. With that, dominance on the field also meant power and superiority over other European nations such as France, Spain, and England. Thus, triumphant results did not only mean supremacy in race, but also in terms of governing principles and political structure.
passionately invokes the idea of his Italy brought back to life in the Exhortation, his motives are
John A. Thayer, Italy and the Great War, (Madison and Milwaukee: University of Wisconsin Press, 1964), p.279
middle of paper ... ... y ambition, but by his aspiration for wanting to make Italy the supreme nation of the universe. Mussolini was exceedingly patriotic, which can be represented by the quote “ All within the State, nothing outside the State, nothing against the State.” Macbeth and Mussolini’s treacherous extent hurt their land and the people living under their rule. Macbeth’s native land was distraught by the end of his rule due to his descend into madness.
The Fascists’ social and economic policies up to 1939 significantly aided their control over Italy yet may not be cited as the sole cause. The Fascist party’s social and economic policies along with other factors attributed to the overall control of Italy. Through such policies it was a certainty that the Fascist party would hold complete power over the population of Italy in each aspect of an individual’s life whether it was their leisure time through the Dopolavoro or at work under the corporate state system which was formally introduced in 1934. This complete domination of the Italian peoples’ lives could be argued to have been the instrumental factor behind the Fascists’ control over Italy up to 1939. Other factors which assisted the Fascists’ control of Italy include censorship of anti-Fascist ideologies and criticisms of the party, the secret police OVRA, political reforms and Mussolini’s personality. The censorship and intimidation of those opposed to the Fascist regime meant that the majority were too scared to speak out against the government and the press were heavily censored also, ensuring that only a positive image of the Fascists was conveyed. OVRA, the secret police, terrified the population of Italy and this enforced the idea that criticism would not be tolerated and severe punishments would be administered if opposition was discovered. The reform of the electoral system in July 1923 meant that to gain 2/3 of the seats in the Chamber of Deputies, a party only had to receive 25% of the votes. This system almost guaranteed the Fascist party the majority of the seats and therefore ultimate control over Italy. Mussolini’s personality could be argued to be an important reason behind the Fascists’ control over Italy; he ...
This somber conclusion to the film seems to be an expression of hopelessness for Italy's future. By 1948, the country had gone through a series of tumultuous historical events, caused by the inadequacy of its political and economic system. The disillusionment of its citizens with the system and in fact with the very concept of their nation was taken to its limits by yet another failure to achieve true social change after World War II. The transformismo of the Christian Democrats and the attendismo of the Communists offered no hope for Italians, appearing as just another stage in the country's endless cycle of political and social failure.