In the society of fascists : acclamation, acquiescence, and agency in Mussolini's Italy

This work seeks to take a fresh look at the contentious question of the longevity and popularity of Mussolini's regime in Italy. In particular, it draws upon new research to challenge what has been the most influential paradigm over the last couple of decades, namely, the interpretation of Italian fascism as a consensual dictatorship. It has been a commonplace in Italian scholarship that Fascism enjoyed its long tenure not through terror but because of widespread popular consensus. By contrast a recent wave of research has reintroduced the notion of 'totalitarianism' to discussions of Mussolini's regime-yet often without testing the degree of active participation or opposition. So what was the relationship between Fascists and followers, party and people? Bringing together young Italian scholars-many appearing for the first time in English-engaged in new research on both elites and ordinary people, this volume offers a wide-ranging, in-depth analysis of Italian society's involvement in Fascism. 1st ed. viii, 252 pages ; 23 cm.