The Spotlight
The people of Italy had to deal with a life of totalitarianism in 1925. Attitudes were changed between other democracies, the government used mass amounts of propaganda to get the people on their side, and people's views were changed about women, art, religion, organized labor, business and racial groups.
Back then in Italy, Mussolini used severe amounts of propaganda to try to persuade his country and other countries as well. For example, Mussolini was using propaganda to help him deal with the foreign press. He wanted to persuade the United States to become his ally mostly because of the incredible war debt that Italy had. He also wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to help balance his relations with other European Powers, especially Germany. Mussolini then created his own newspaper with propaganda that he would send to other countries. These newspapers were filled with his accomplishments like pointing out that the work had provided jobs and the new farmland were providing livelihood for thousands of peasants. He also said that he ended old conflicts with the pope, saying that religion is strong. He had shipped his propaganda to other countries through Randolph Hearst, who had a special propaganda conduit to the United States. Hearst then created the Hearst Organization which sold all the other newspapers to other European countries, so that they could build a relationship with Italy.
When Mussolini took to power, people of Italy had a different outlook on things such as women, art, religion, organized labor, business and racial labor. For example, Italy had a strange look on women back then. Mussolini believed that women were tools for only one thing, increasing Italy's population. The task for young girls was that they had to get married and have lots of children. Mussolini then passed out the Battle of the Births, this introduced to encourage reproduction, with an objective of increasing the population from 40 million to 60 million by 1950. Mussolini met 93 mothers who had produced over 1300 children - an average of 13 each.
Italy also had a different outlook on religion back then. Mussolini tried to foster a good relation with the Roman Catholic Church because they were one of the biggest and most powerful institutes in Italy. Mussolini governed the side of politics and the church took the spiritual side and he couldn't afford to anger the Roman Catholic Church. Then in 1922, when Mussolini rose to power, and with the help of the Roman Catholic Church, then turned Italy into a fascist country but he had to do what the church wanted to do. For example, he had all had his children baptized in 1923. In 1926, he had a religious marriage ceremony to his wife Rachele. Their first marriage in 1915 had been a civil ceremony. Mussolini closed down many wine shops and night clubs under the orders of the church. One of the reasons why Mussolini pushed the idea that women should stay at home and look after the family while their husbands worked, was because this was the idea was pushed by the Roman Catholic Church. By doing all of this, Mussolini was trying to bring the Roman Catholic Church onto his side to get its support and give added credibility to his government. However, the relationship between the two was not always agreeable. One of the agreements that Mussolini had with the church was in 1938. Mussolini introduced the Charter of Race which took away the Italian Jews right of Italian nationality. Italian Jews were not allowed to teach, they were not allowed to have state jobs, they were not allowed to be in the Fascist Party. The laws that Mussolini passed were then frowned upon by the Roman Catholic Church and the pope sent a letter to protest with Mussolini. Italy's religion was confusing back then, because it was composed of both the Roman Catholic Church's ideas and Mussolini's.
Back then in Italy, Mussolini used severe amounts of propaganda to try to persuade his country and other countries as well. For example, Mussolini was using propaganda to help him deal with the foreign press. He wanted to persuade the United States to become his ally mostly because of the incredible war debt that Italy had. He also wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to help balance his relations with other European Powers, especially Germany. Mussolini then created his own newspaper with propaganda that he would send to other countries. These newspapers were filled with his accomplishments like pointing out that the work had provided jobs and the new farmland were providing livelihood for thousands of peasants. He also said that he ended old conflicts with the pope, saying that religion is strong. He had shipped his propaganda to other countries through Randolph Hearst, who had a special propaganda conduit to the United States. Hearst then created the Hearst Organization which sold all the other newspapers to other European countries, so that they could build a relationship with Italy.
When Mussolini took to power, people of Italy had a different outlook on things such as women, art, religion, organized labor, business and racial labor. For example, Italy had a strange look on women back then. Mussolini believed that women were tools for only one thing, increasing Italy's population. The task for young girls was that they had to get married and have lots of children. Mussolini then passed out the Battle of the Births, this introduced to encourage reproduction, with an objective of increasing the population from 40 million to 60 million by 1950. Mussolini met 93 mothers who had produced over 1300 children - an average of 13 each.
Italy also had a different outlook on religion back then. Mussolini tried to foster a good relation with the Roman Catholic Church because they were one of the biggest and most powerful institutes in Italy. Mussolini governed the side of politics and the church took the spiritual side and he couldn't afford to anger the Roman Catholic Church. Then in 1922, when Mussolini rose to power, and with the help of the Roman Catholic Church, then turned Italy into a fascist country but he had to do what the church wanted to do. For example, he had all had his children baptized in 1923. In 1926, he had a religious marriage ceremony to his wife Rachele. Their first marriage in 1915 had been a civil ceremony. Mussolini closed down many wine shops and night clubs under the orders of the church. One of the reasons why Mussolini pushed the idea that women should stay at home and look after the family while their husbands worked, was because this was the idea was pushed by the Roman Catholic Church. By doing all of this, Mussolini was trying to bring the Roman Catholic Church onto his side to get its support and give added credibility to his government. However, the relationship between the two was not always agreeable. One of the agreements that Mussolini had with the church was in 1938. Mussolini introduced the Charter of Race which took away the Italian Jews right of Italian nationality. Italian Jews were not allowed to teach, they were not allowed to have state jobs, they were not allowed to be in the Fascist Party. The laws that Mussolini passed were then frowned upon by the Roman Catholic Church and the pope sent a letter to protest with Mussolini. Italy's religion was confusing back then, because it was composed of both the Roman Catholic Church's ideas and Mussolini's.
