Mussolini’s Battle for Births Policy Essay -- Italian Government, Pol

Section A- Plan of Investigation: What was the impact of Mussolini’s â€Å"Battle for Births† policy on Italy between 1926 and 1945? The investigation will focus on economic and social impacts of the â€Å"Battle for Births†. Mussolini demanded that the Italian population grow rapidly and abundantly, without regard to the consequences that would accompany a sudden increase in population. In order to successfully investigate this question, the motives for the policy and the means of enforcing the policy, such as taxes, organizations, and incentives, will also need to be analyzed. In addition, two of the sources that will be used to support this investigation, Mussolini and Fascism by Patricia Knight and Battle for Births: The Fascist Pronatalist Campaign in Italy 1925 to 1938 by Lauren E. Forcucci will be evaluated for their origins, purposes, values, and limitations. This investigation will not include the impact of Mussolini’s â€Å"Battle for Grain†, â€Å"Battle for Land", or à ¢â‚¬Å"Battle for Lira† in relation to his â€Å"Battle for the Births†. Section B- Summary of Evidence: After World War I, Mussolini’s Battle for Births, a campaign designed to increase the population of Italy by increasing the birth rate, commenced in 1925 (Forcucci 1). Mussolini proposed, â€Å"Italy, if she is to count for anything in the world, must have a population of not less than sixty million inhabitants by the middle of this century†(Knight 67). He feared that Italy would be unable to defend herself against the surrounding populations, such as the Germans, who numbered up to ninety million, and the Slavs, who approximated up to two hundred million (Smith 160). Nevertheless, expanding the country’s population from forty million to sixty million people would be a real feat (Ho... ...particular fascist policy of Mussolini’s. Section E- Conclusion: Benito Mussolini’s Battle for Births encompassed the core of Fascist Italy. The soul of an immense fascist population is uncompromising nationalism. As a dictator, he not only seized control of economic, political, and religious affairs of Italy, but also of the social affairs, intervening with the idea of an â€Å"ideal family†. Mussolini did not manage to salvage the plummeting birth rate that tailed World War I, or to reconstruct his prized ancient Rome, or to strengthen his army with this battle. Hence, Mussolini’s failure of a policy can only claim one evident constructive outcome. It strengthened the fascist Italian woman and secured her role. The Battle for Births increased the percentage of women in the work force, turning them away from their designated and traditional roles unintentionally.