The fascists in Italy of the 20th century did not enforce their goals by democratic means but by force.
Under Benito Mussolini the black shirts not only spread fear and terror but also murdered political opponents.
Over several years the population has become accustomed to the violence of the Blackshirts and now provide a valuable lesson from history along with their motto:
Not least because of the confrontation with their political opponents the Blackshirts saw violence as a legitimate way to achieve their goals. The targets of the Blackshirts were initially individual persons and their property. Later entire communities and their infrastructure became the target of their attacks. The victims were beaten, slain or stabbed.
Giacomo Matteotti was Secretary General of the Socialist Party (Partito Socialista Unitario) and a staunch opponent of the fascists in Italy. Still on May 30, 1924 Matteotti gave an enthusiastic speech in which he warned of the danger of fascism. On June 10, 1924 Matteotti was attacked by black shirts and stabbed to death. His body was found after a long search on August 16, 1924.
Giovanni Amendola was a politician of the Liberal Democrats (Partito Liberale Democratico) and journalist. Amendola wrote articles after articles in which he condemned the violence of the black shirts and co-signed the manifesto of the anti-fascist intellectuals. Prompted to bring him to safety Amendola was ambushed on April 7, 1926 and attacked by blackshirts. Amendola succumbed to his injuries later in exile in Paris.
During these and other murders it was repeatedly demanded that Mussolini takes responsibility for the violence from the black shirts. However the fascist response in Italy to violence against dissenters was always the same:
The rise of the fascists in Italy with violence against those who think differently is thus a valuable lesson from history. If a society does not protect the rights of individuals who think differently, then it paves the way to go against all those who think differently.
[1] M Blinkhorn - Mussolini and Fascist Italy - ISBN 0-415-10231-6
[2] Michael Parenti - Blackshirts and Reds - ISBN 0-87286-329-8
[3] RJB Bosworth - Mussolinis italy - ISBN 978-1-101-07857-0
Me ne fregoIn 1919 Mussolini united local groups and their commanders into one organization. Mussolini gave them the name Fasci italiani di combattimento (Italian combat organizations) or black shirts. The goal was to defend against from what they perceived hatred and the destructiveness of the left.
I don't give a damn
Not least because of the confrontation with their political opponents the Blackshirts saw violence as a legitimate way to achieve their goals. The targets of the Blackshirts were initially individual persons and their property. Later entire communities and their infrastructure became the target of their attacks. The victims were beaten, slain or stabbed.
Giacomo Matteotti was Secretary General of the Socialist Party (Partito Socialista Unitario) and a staunch opponent of the fascists in Italy. Still on May 30, 1924 Matteotti gave an enthusiastic speech in which he warned of the danger of fascism. On June 10, 1924 Matteotti was attacked by black shirts and stabbed to death. His body was found after a long search on August 16, 1924.
Giovanni Amendola was a politician of the Liberal Democrats (Partito Liberale Democratico) and journalist. Amendola wrote articles after articles in which he condemned the violence of the black shirts and co-signed the manifesto of the anti-fascist intellectuals. Prompted to bring him to safety Amendola was ambushed on April 7, 1926 and attacked by blackshirts. Amendola succumbed to his injuries later in exile in Paris.
During these and other murders it was repeatedly demanded that Mussolini takes responsibility for the violence from the black shirts. However the fascist response in Italy to violence against dissenters was always the same:
Me ne fregoDespite the violence, despite the murders and although the fascists considered all this legitimate Mussolini was made a dictator on January 3, 1925. The population was not only increasingly confronted with violence against dissenters. Over time the population has become accustomed to violence against dissenters. In this way the fascists have slowly gained acceptance in the population. Nothing else was to be expected. Of course they are violent they are fascists.
I don't give a damn
The rise of the fascists in Italy with violence against those who think differently is thus a valuable lesson from history. If a society does not protect the rights of individuals who think differently, then it paves the way to go against all those who think differently.
Freedom is always the freedom of dissenters to express themselves.
Rosa Luxemburg
[1] M Blinkhorn - Mussolini and Fascist Italy - ISBN 0-415-10231-6
[2] Michael Parenti - Blackshirts and Reds - ISBN 0-87286-329-8
[3] RJB Bosworth - Mussolinis italy - ISBN 978-1-101-07857-0
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