Thread by @Timotero2

Fascist Italy – Thread 2/3

The Corporate State (1933-1943)

"The Corporation, it says, is created with a view to increasing the wealth, political power, and well-being of the Italian people. These three objectives are conditional, each on the other."

I'll link the previous which goes over the period of 1922-1932:

https://twitter.com/Timotero2/status/1429493628175589387?s=20

In order to avoid explaining stuff I’ve touched on before, I’ll also link a compilation of previous threads that go over the conception Fascism had of politics and its goals:

https://twitter.com/Timotero2/status/1422960545045614599?s=20

Before we start this thread, I absolutely need to explain the concept of “Corporatism”, many tend to conflate it with the idea of Capitalists controlling the economy and making everything serve their will. This interpretation is the result of decades upon decades…

of distortion. How can we explain Corporatism? The term comes from the concept of Corpus in Latin, which means Body. Corporatism in the Fascist interpretation, was that of interpreting society as an organic body that had a life of its own and worked in a total manner.

In the same way your body is constituted of arms, legs, eyes, brains; society is constituted of different sectors, classes, subcultures, genders, etc. In this way, you must keep every aspect of your body healthy, and not allow anybody to stay behind the general progress.

The Corporate State in Fascist Italy was nothing else but the result of Actualist Philosophy within the Spiritual influence the regime was injecting on National Life. More than an economic goal, or a system with merely material goals, Fascist Corporatism was an ideal.

It had the goal of paving the road towards the Ethical Totalitarian State that Fascism had been proclaiming as its main goal. The State of responsibility, the state where National Identity crushed any type of division and the totality of society had been united through it.

The overall goal of The Corporate State, was to overcome Capitalism and Communism with its own form of Fascist Economics. Something beyond Left and Right, the Socialism which Fascism had to offer.

The Regime was consolidated and felt comfortable enough to make this jump forward towards its so-called Fascist Economy. The Great Depression didn’t cause much grief to Mussolini’s government, and if anything allowed him to gather far more support.

Through public programs, the improvement of infrastructure, the creation of the IRI (Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale) which would become the owner of a large sector of the Italian Economy. Fascism had swiftly moved past the Great Depression largely unaffected.

It is the creation of the IRI that enables the Italian State to become a main actor in the Economy by turning itself into a major holder of Italian Industry. Although its purpose started as a mere economic movement to overturn the effects of the Great Depression…

not only did it continue its activities, but it went on to expand its role in the Italian Economy to the point of turning Italy into the most centralized economy in Europe, just behind the Soviet Union. Which differentiates it from the Economic Intervention of western nations…

that was clearly a temporal policy with its own set of limits. The Corporate State would be constituted of a division of the economy in different sectors, that were to be controlled by the State in order to orient them towards National Goals.

As well as setting up different ways of internal control, and mechanisms that were meant to reduce class struggle through a mediation system that would put both sides of the issue on a negotiating table. At some point, through the 1940 reform of…

political representatives, workers would sit on the highest legislative body, making it so it was workers that held the most power over Capital. Which was a prelude to what would happen during the Italian Social Republic.

The exaltation of the work factor was always present, and the Corporate State indicated that workers also had a say in the way companies were to legislate its inner functioning. The State would coerce both sides, and if needed, it would step on the heel of a troublesome sector.

The role of the Italian State would be successful, enabling itself to increase productivity in Italy at a higher rate than any other country in Europe at the time. Along the Corporate State, a series of reforms would come that had the objective of improving the life of workers.

Such measures were the expansion of the Welfare State, National Activities, and, to counter the lowering of wages, which many try to point out as a major flaw, it would also reduce the cost of living throughout its existence.

Even organizations such as Dopolavoro would later on be removed as a party organization to become an entity belonging to syndicates. As the 30s would show, Fascism and its tendencies were clearly leaning in a more worker-centered economy.

In fact, it is often pointed out how Italy sacrificed industrial development and GDP with the sake of maintaining its welfare state and guaranteeing decent wages for its workers, contrary to the usual belief of it being an oppressive abusive state.

The mere role of Corporatism was that of educating people through a way in which they put their interests beyond their individual gain, but that of the Nation, which touches on Mussolini’s own interpretation of his own realistic Socialism.

We could also delve into topics such as the Invasion of Ethiopia, which, unlike common belief, wasn’t just a war for materials and what not. If anything, as explained by several historians, the Imperialism of Italy had the aim of allocating population while…

Developing the colony itself, and including their population into the culture of Italy. Turning it into what can be seen as an extension of the peninsula, and new members of the Italian Empire.

A fun fact regarding this conflict, is that this would be a result of the split between Mussolini and Britain & France, given the fact that he saw that they were both working with Hitler, and by noticing the constant British support of the Ethiopian attacks on Italian borders…

In Oriental Africa, to the point of attacks being led by British Colonel Clifford (as documented by Rutilio Sermonti). Italy would call for a committee to oversee the issue over Nicolaos Politis, needless to say, it would favor Italy’s case and condemn Ethiopian authorities.

Going back to internal policy, the government would embark itself in the establishment of 436km of highways, 5160km of electricity lines, 22,800km of railways, and the design and advancement of technological goods that were ahead of its time.

By 1938, the Industrial sector of the economy would surpass the agrarian sector. With 34.2% of the economy being led around by industry, whereas the agricultural sector represented 29.4%.

Nevertheless, mistakes were made during this period, and Mussolini himself would later on go to admit how despite Corporate regulations, certain Capitalists got to turn them into their benefit, and thus, a change on the system was needed.

It is clear that the Corporate State had achieved social conquests that were advanced for its time, its social and labor legislation benefited the average worker, and would be a basis for other States, even for so-called detractors to the regime such as Republican Spain.

The reality of the matter is that away from simple interpretations, the Italian State was a Social State. It was a spiritual overcoming of the Fascist influence in the economy. And without a doubt, it certainly was not the end of its advancement in the changes of history.

As Mussolini remarked when the Corporate Period began, this was nothing else but the starting point. Heroic Capitalism had been the consolidation of the Regime, The Corporate Period was the consolidation of Fascism in all spheres of life.

Authors such as Erik Norling try to argue that Fascism attempted a return to its origins during the Italian Social Republic, but, as examined by Rutilio Sermonti, the regime had a series of reforms that pointed at the Socialization Bill of Law.

If anything, we could argue that True Corporate Fascism only happened throughout the State Socialism of the Italian Social Republic, which, away from the belief of a return to the roots, was the logical outcome of years of reforming the Italian System.

The development of Actualist Thought, if anything, was what led Fascism towards a Period of Reform, which, funnily enough, could even be justified with Marxist-Leninist thought.

One thing must be recognized about this period, and it is the complete collapse of the Italian System throughout the World War. Italy was not in any shape or form ready for such a conflict.

Although Mussolini’s Dialectics of Plutocracy against Proletariat Nations led him to join the struggle under the banner of opposing said plutocracies, it would also lead him to fall into disgrace, and eventually be forced to only control half of the country.

His alliance with Hitler was also forced to a degree, given the fact that he knew that if he didn’t take a stance on the conflict, Italy could easily fall into the pit of becoming an enemy, plus it wouldn’t benefit his country to stay as a witness…

Given the fact that it was the victors of said war, who would dictate how things would work in Italy, thus, thus his hand was forced to join a conflict he deemed as a short war that would finish quickly, while benefiting Italy.

Let us not forget that both countries also had a tough beginning when their relationships started, with Mussolini threatening war after the murder of Dollfuss, and his attempt at creating the Stresa Front, which would be ignored by the British and French.

It is only when the CAUR experiment fails, and when Mussolini realizes that the British and French are getting closer to Hitler, that he also deems it reasonable to get closer to the Germanic nation, anything before that, can be described as a turbulent…

relation that in another timeline, could have ended in a direct conflict between both countries, and yet, it ended with an alliance that would take both of them to their utter destruction.

Italy didn’t have the resources, and was barely in a stage of properly starting up a great industry from which it could have actually surpassed others. Nations like Germany had an advantage considering it was already an industrial powerhouse…

Whereas Mussolini started working from scratch, and thus, had the need to go through periods of development in order to achieve his fascist economy. If anything, Marxist Dialectics can be applied so hard to Mussolini’s Italy…

That it is the North of Italy which is able to engage in Socialization, given the fact it was the most industrialized sector of the peninsula. Nevertheless, the system crashes, and Italy gets itself in a war it certainly cannot hold, not even with its powerful navy.

Mussolini is removed, through government procedures, which shows that it wasn’t just a mad man abusing everyone without any form of accountability. He is locked, and now Italy is certainly in a vulnerable position.

He would be freed shortly after. Hitler would put two options in front of him, either take control of Italy with certain liberties, or Germany walks in and takes full control. Mussolini would quickly choose a return to power and would carry out a…

Last attempt at pursuing the achievement of the Fascist total revolution, which, away from the belief that it had been in 1922, the reality of the matter is that, it never happened, and only in the Italian Social Republic, it was to a degree, close to happening, despite…

The German control of its forces. It is in this way, that Fascism, in its youth, engages in this struggle for existence that would without a doubt make it the ideology that it is today. Many systems were able to be seen crashing or degenerating, but for Fascism…

Being coherent with its existence, would engage in its only struggle for existence at the very beginning of its reign across Europe. It is this youthful death that enables Fascism to become the system many still support nowadays.

Mussolini, along with former socialist’s such as Nicola Bombacci, Walter Mocchi, Rolando Ricci, and lifelong enemies such as Carlos Silvestri, adhere themselves to the ideal of the Italian Social Republic, which would showcase the Social Potential of Fascism.

Thanks to the following people for adding up to it or providing sources:

@FuturismForever
@ZoranNasadee

Sources:

drive.google.com/drive/folders/…

@FuturismForever @ZoranNasadee The next thread will be on the State Socialism Period (1943-1945). This one will be in a while though.

The End.