Essay Database

Q: 'TO WHAT EXTENT DID MUSSOLINI SUCCEED IN CAPTURING THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN ITALY 1924-39?' My answer: During the years 1924-9, Mussolini had worked hard to indoctrinate the young Italians with different Fascist principles. Although, from trying to achieve a new generation of people who would follow and be committed to Mussolini as 'Il Duce', with the regimes aggressive foreign policies, Mussolini had only achieved this to a certain …

…older and had their independent views and ideas. Similarly, the youth organisations may have made up for this in their addition of older children, but the degree of real commitment to Fascism was probably less than real. The policies had worked to strengthen the popularity of the regime, but Fascism's closure after Mussolini's death has proved that on the larger scale, the minds of the youth were only captured for a short period of time.