Anglophobia in Fascist Italy

Anglophobia in Fascist Italy depicts how the Fascist regime disseminated its particular image of Great Britain, consistent with its own ideological imperatives, and puts to the test effectiveness of this messaging among the Italian people. Anglophobia in Fascist Italy examines Italian perceptions of Britain from 1922–1943. The book traces the roots of Fascist Anglophobia back to the Great War and in the subsequent peace treaties, in which Britain was perceived to have betrayed Italian friendships. Mussolini and the Fascist movement embraced these views. The regime’s intellectuals saw Fascism as the answer to a crisis in the Western world and as irredeemably opposed to Western civilisation of the sort exemplified by Britain, which was framed as a stagnant country, destined to either embrace Fascism or face decay.The book draws upon a vast range of diplomatic and military sources to underline how the perception of Britain as a decaying and feeble nation increased by the mid-1930s, when it was clear that it would not turn into a Fascist country. The consequence was a consistent underestimation of British power and resolve. Making use of previously untapped archival material, the book demonstrates that these prejudices reached large sections of the Italian population, which was more hostile to Britain than previously thought. Indeed, in some quarters hatred towards the British lasted until the end of the Second World War. Anglophobia in Fascist Italy offers a striking portrait of how authoritarian ideologies can shape public perception. This book is freely available in digital formats thanks to a generous grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.Anglophobia in Fascist Italy traces the origins and development of anti-British sentiment in Fascist Italy, as Britain turned from being an ally in the First World War to an enemy in the Second. The book demonstrates that Fascist ideologues framed Britain as a stagnant and decaying country and the polar opposite of Fascism’s new civilisation, to the point that the regime’s assessment of British political resolve and military might were distorted by ideological bias. The book offers a thorough analysis of diplomatic, military and journalistic sources and demonstrates that anti-British tropes had permeated Italy to a greater degree than was previously believed.An electronic edition of this book is freely available under a Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND) licence.