an aristocrat, city dweller, peasant, or a graduate ‘from being susceptible to fascist
myth’ (1995: 7). Fascism is particularly hostile to communism, since it is opposed
to the cosmopolitan contentions of Marxist theory, and its belief in a classless and
stateless society. It is a movement that dislikes universal identities of any kind,
although of course fascists may call for unity with kindred spirits in other countries.
Nevertheless, it is intensely nationalistic, and takes the view that the people must
be saved from enemies whose way of life is alien and threatening. Differences are
deemed divisive and menacing, and war extolled as a way of demonstrating virtue
and strength. The idea that people are divided by class is rejected in favour of the
unity of the nation or people, so that industry is to be organised in a way that
expresses the common interest between business and labour. In practice, this did
not happen, and Kitchen argues that the social strata that provided the mass basis
for fascism did not actually gain from its policies (Kitchen, 1976: 65).Fascism and religion
Fascists vary in their attitude towards the Church (extreme fascists may see religious
organisations as a threat to the state) but they regard religion in a loose sense as
being a useful way of instilling order and loyalty. Certainly, they use a religious
style of language in invoking the need for sacrifice, redemption and spiritual virtue,
and in attacking materialism, consumerism and hedonism as decadent and
unworthy. Although women can be fascists as well as men, fascism is a supremely
patriarchal creed, by which we mean that women are seen as domestic creatures
whose role in life is to service men, to have children, to be good mothers and wives
and to keep out of politics.Chapter 13 Fascism 283This battle involved some 600,000 Italian casualties and was the worst disaster in the history of the
Italian armed forces. Ernest Hemingway based his A Farewell to Arms(1929) on the war between
Austria and Italy between 1915 and 1917, reading military histories and first-hand reports to flesh
out the background. His novel centres around an American, Frederic, who speaks Italian, and
fights for the Italians. He lived, we are told, ‘in Udine’ and saw that things were going ‘very badly’
(1985: 10).
Frederic tells the priest (whom he befriends): they (the Italian army) were ‘beaten to start with. They
were beaten when they [the military authorities] took them from their farms and put them in the
army. That is why the peasant has wisdom, because he is defeated from the start. Put him in
power and see how wise he is’ (1985: 157).
In October 1917 Italy was occupied by Germany. Germany reached Udine on 28 October 1917 and
the Italians lost about 600,000 men in a week. This is the lowest point in the war and Frederic
deserts.
Battle of Caparetto