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Social Aspects of Fascism

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A totalitarian state is defined as "a one-party dictatorship that attempts to regulate every aspect of the lives of its citizens." Mussolini and his Fascist Party were successful in establishing a totalitarian state in Italy from 1924-1943. The "black shirts" controlled the economic, political and social aspects of Italian society. One social aspect they tried to manipulate was the size of the population. Through decrees, speeches and mass media the fascists tried to erase the liberal evolution of women and create a subservient class of females ready to produce new generations of fascists youth. Although the fascists found support in some ways for their population planning they found much resistance from outspoken feminists, academics and general economic realities - their attempt at social engineering was a failure. The fascists used legislation, word of mouth and magazines to argue and implement their population policy. The Italian Parliament, which was controlled by the fascists, established the "National Organization for the Protection of Mothers and Children" to help mothers of all walks of life have as many children as possible. This organization, whose main goal was to help produce a new generation of fascists, was funded by a "progressive personal tax on bachelors." This tax makes sense because it not only tries to foster the fascist ideal of the state above the individual but also encourages bachelors to marry and have kids (Doc 1). In a speech Benito Mussolini argued that "with work, a woman becomes a man..." and in women working the man is "castrated in every sense." Mussolini, being a far right wing ideologue, obviously sees one place for a woman and that is in the home making and raising a family. He also echoes the fascist belief of the state being more important than the individual by challenging feminist ideals of the time (Doc 5). Finally, we see in a fascist party magazine for women, Motherhood and Childhood an artic

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