“The blow to Rome ties the whole of Italy by a thread. Liberal and socialist newspapers give the price of the lira to the pound in capital letters every day. Currency depreciation causes great suffering“. Catalan writer with these words Josep Plan described in a chronicle. In the Complete Counter-Revolution and dated October 27, 1922, the first moments of the coup call Benito Mussolinimany looking for followers violent and armedthrow themselves into the Italian capital to persuade the king Victor Emmanuel III hand over power. So the young Pla began the so-called journalistic deliveries. walking to rome and takeover first fascist dictatorship history
Pla had announced this to her brother the previous September. He explained that his intention was to travel to northern Italy and write a “short story” about it. fascism, after spending six months (March to August 1922) in the transalpine country. With this preface, the Catalan writer devoted himself to the Madrid newspaper. sun and from Barcelona promotion (will be published under Notes d’Italy).
However, according to Narcís Garolera in the preface to the volume European cards, things got rushedand from October, and over the next three months, Pla (she was almost 25 at the time) will write for two nearby newspapers. 50 chronic will tell in a critical spirit, most capitulation of liberal government of the Luigi Factathe fascist uprising and the consolidation of Mussolini’s dictatorial regime.
Democracy’s immorality
From the very beginning Pla was very impressed runaway inflation, poverty and all social breeding ground accompanying the fascist coup. He also sometimes compares this social degradation with the situation in Spain. one of the few Spanish journalists (one according to some sources) covering the coup d’etat on the field. So much so that he even gets into an argument. Ramiro de MaeztuAuthor of an article entitled ideal fascism, Pla’s “purity of pacifism and immorality of democracy“Fascism came almost entirely to stifle criticism. This has always been The ideal of Spanish militarismsays pla.
The fascist protest industry to which Pla belongs also allows him to take a disenchanted X-ray of layers of fascist troops; among them highlights: They’re walking to Rome which, for the most part, they come from the countryside. On the other hand, Pla says the squadrons “students and gentlemen remained in Florence” and “young nationalists stayed behind”.
Based on his own ideas, Pla defines fascism as a “protective” and nationalist plutocracy that captures the masses who support the party, despite its small parliamentary weight. socialism. “When the European war broke out, Mussolini (…) became interventionist, militaristic and patriotic, founded socialism, was expelled from socialism, Il Popolo D’Italia“, recalls Pla. But After the Great War, fascism is created by those who are dissatisfied with the peace.Add.
Italy of the Lock
This shift is particularly evident in Umbrian and Tuscan cities such as Perugia and Florence, as well as Emilia Romagna cities, including Ferrara and Bologna, Pla says. This city, which the Catalans consider one of the most important, epicenter of fascism When this movement started after the killing of 10 fascists in December 1920, grow fast Expand to Emilia Romagna and from there to the rest of the country.
This is because “fascism took over the agricultural associations (…) non fascist“, explains a fascist to Pla, to which the Catalan quoted his statement: From Florence to Bologna on a fascist train. That’s why the fascist regime, as usually happens in dictatorships, after the March on Rome is complete. his cruelest face. Hence, “many figures from the socialist and popular party”, ” disgusting humiliation of having to eat a good glass of castor beans before a cat’s chirigota fascist cadre armed to the teeth“. In Italy it “governs no more than the bar.”