Socio-Economic and Legal Aspects of the Formation of Italian Fascism in the First Half of the XX Century

Abstract

The economic and social development of Italian fascism lasted from 1913 to the early 1940s. It was fueled by the common economic interests of business elite and right-wing organizations, who combined their efforts to exploit the working class, reduce production costs, and maximize profits. The big business provided financial support for fascist organizations, thus shaping their policy. The legal acts adopted during the transitional period declared the inter-class peace, the mediating role of the state between employees and private business, and the supremacy of national interests. However, the same laws strengthened the economic monopolization, prevented trade unions, and limited economic, political, and social rights of the working class. The resulting corporate state model established a rigid framework for medium and small business, as well as hired workers. Although the state propaganda portrayed the state as a mediator between the worker and the employer, Italian state institutions actually protected the interests of the big business and were formed by it.