Fascist Manifesto

When trying to find a political parliamentar positioning for Fascism, it is generally considered as a conservative or right-wing movement; if this is quite commonly agreed and tending to be true for the latter part of its history, there are however some serious doubts regarding its original configuration, with particular reference on the request of original consensus, as better comprehensible in the text of its manifesto.

This manifesto expresses some concepts that can describe the initial directions that the movement explored and (with the necessary attention to the historical situation in which it was issued) it can be read as a programmatic scheme extremely new and meant for a popular consensus (perhaps for that only), that effectively was achieved with the successful (on a fascist point of view) March on Rome.

Some elements of this program are therefore more "leftist" than generally supposed, at a non superficial regard.

Mussolini, who started in fact his political activity as a socialist, was not at that time the main leader of Fascism, but only one of the founders of the movement (his leadership will be enforced and proclaimed only when getting closer to 1922 when finally named as a prime minister); the leading committee included people from socialist party and nationalists. Resulting document is then an evident compromise between different instances, perhaps united in the intention of revolving the actual system and gives an ideological basis to what will be considered as a (mainly) peaceful revolution.

Also interesting, Fascism is (with unmeaningful exceptions) recognised as a dictatorship, but this manifesto puts into evidence some elements which would lead to a wider democracy, and will therefore contrast with what really happened in the following two decades. Not all the objectives here recalled were achieved during the 21 years of fascist government, and many of them will be simply ignored and forgotten by fascist system. With some surprise, many of these elements will be imposed after the Fascism by italian democratic republic.

The manifesto is divided into four sections, describing fascist objectives in political, social, military and financial fields.

In politics, manifesto claims for universal suffragio, proportional representativity on a regional basis and capability of voting for women. Voting age at 18 (25 for senate).

Abolition of Senate: senate was the one chamber (of the two) which had a merely formal popular representativity, as senators were elected among wealthiest citizens and with the practical agreement of the king (it has been defined also as a sort of extended council of the Crown). The request of abolition has therefore a sense of reduction of the king's power in favor of a more democratic representativity based on a general electoral capability (active and passive) together with the devolution of legislative power to technical organs.

About social instances, manifesto claims for the limitation of dayly worktime for workers to 8 hours and the settlement of a minimum pay, together with the involving of workers' representatives in the life of the factory: this concept includes therefore the request for trade unions, that directly referring to proletarian class could manage public industries or services (a specific recall is made about workers in railways and in tranport industry). This section ends claiming for a revision of the law-draft on invalidity insurance and retiring age (to be brought from actual 65 to 55).

About military concepts, a national force is required with sole scopes of defence and the acquiring to the state patrimony of all the gun factories; foreign policies are meant as a peaceful competition among civilisations.

In economics, a huge tax is required (on a progressive basis) in order to fight capital concentrations and is expressed as a partial expropriation. All the properties and privileges of catholic church should be expropriated or abolished. All the contracts for military provisions should be passed under revision and the 85% of all war profits should be broought in the state's patrimony.

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It has to be noted that many of these statements are relevantly influenced by Marxism.

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Original italian version

Il manifesto dei fasci di combattimento published on Il Popolo d'Italia (the newspaper directed by Mussolini) on June 6 1919

Italiani! Ecco il programma di un movimento genuinamente italiano. Rivoluzionario perché antidogmatico; fortemente innovatore antipregiudiziaiolo.

Per il problema politico: Noi vogliamo:

a) Suffragio universale a scrutinio di lista regionale, con rappresentanza proporzionale, voto ed eleggibilità per le donne.

b) II minimo di età per gli elettori abbassato ai I8 anni; quello per i deputati abbassato ai 25 anni.

c) L'abolizione del Senato.

d) La convocazione di una Assemblea Nazionale per la durata di tre anni, il cui primo compito sia quello di stabilire la forma di costituzione dello Stato.

e) La formazione di Consigli Nazionali tecnici del lavoro, dell'industria, dei trasporti, dell'igiene sociale, delle comunicazioni, ecc. eletti dalle collettività professionali o di mestiere, con poteri legislativi, e diritto di eleggere un Commissario Generale con poteri di Ministro.

Per il problema sociale: Noi vogliamo:

a) La sollecita promulgazione di una legge dello Stato che sancisca per tutti i lavori la giornata legale di otto ore di lavoro.

b) I minimi di paga.

c) La partecipazione dei rappresentanti dei lavoratori al funzionamento tecnico dell'industria.

d) L'affidamento alle stesse organizzazioni proletarie (che ne siano degne moralmente e tecnicamente) della gestione di industrie o servizi pubblici.

e) La rapida e completa sistemazione dei ferrovieri e di tutte le industrie dei trasporti.

f) Una necessaria modificazione del progetto di legge di assicurazione sulla invalidità e sulla vecchiaia abbassando il limite di età, proposto attualmente a 65 anni, a 55 anni.

Per il problema militare: Noi vogliamo:

a) L'istituzione di una milizia nazionale con brevi servizi di istruzione e compito esclusivamente difensivo.

b) La nazionalizzazione di tutte le fabbriche di armi e di esplosivi.

c) Una politica estera nazionale intesa a valorizzare, nelle competizioni pacifiche della civiltà, la Nazione italiana nel mondo.

Per il problema finanziario: Noi vogliamo:

a) Una forte imposta straordinaria sul capitale a carattere progressivo, che abbia la forma di vera espropriazione parziale di tutte le ricchezze.

b) II sequestro di tutti i beni delle congregazioni religiose e l'abolizione di tutte le mense Vescovili che costituiscono una enorme passività per la Nazione e un privilegio di pochi.

c) La revisione di tutti i contratti di forniture di guerra ed il sequestro dell' 85% dei profitti di guerra.

In «II popolo d'Italia», 6 giugno 1919