4. Getting the news about Italian and world affairs
The Fascist party presented Mussolini as the savior of Italy and the Italian people, having rescued the country from both the communists and the social democrats which had threatened to take over. Officially Italy was a parliamentary monarchy, with King Victor Emmanuel III on the throne, but Mussolini held power as the prime minister and once his Fascist party was firmly in power he was the de facto head of state. His status as the nation’s savior was presented to the Italian people continuously, in radio broadcasts, newspapers and magazines, and in pre-orations during live performances in theaters and concert houses. When the Italians attended the cinema, newsreels preceded the feature film, which were prepared by companies working for the Fascists, and presented only material which was pro-Fascist, and lauded Mussolini.
The propaganda machinery kept the Italian people apprised of the efforts of the Fascists to resurrect the Italian economy, rebuild the nation’s infrastructure, and strengthen the army and the pride of the Italian military, the Regia Marina, or Italian Navy. The success of social welfare programs was presented in the newsreels. Feature films produced in Italy were almost always of a pro-Fascist nature, and reflected the image of Italian life which Mussolini wanted to project, that of the grandeur and majesty of the Roman Empire. The new Italian male and the ideal Italian woman were depicted repeatedly and promoted endlessly. The Italian who never left the country found little news which accurately presented events both within and without Italy. As the Nazis in Germany grew in strength, Adolf Hitler and his followers followed Mussolini’s programs and propaganda with great interest and admiration.