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When we think of the rise of Fascism in Italy, we often picture blackshirts, street brawls, and the March on Rome. We think of violence. But there was another, quieter form of violence that was just as instrumental in cementing Mussolini’s power: austerity. In this week’s podcast, I explored a fascinating paper by economist Clara Mattei, Austerity and Repressive Politics. Mattei argues that the early years of the Fascist regime (1922-1925) were defined by a brutal economic agenda designed to roll back the democratic gains of the post-WWI era. The Fear of Democracy After the First World War, Italy experienced a…
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When Paris was liberated in August 1944, a comfortable myth settled over the city. General Charles de Gaulle proclaimed that France had liberated itself, implying a nation united in resistance against the German occupier. It was a necessary lie to prevent a bloodbath, but it buried a darker truth: for four years, France had been at war with itself. In this week’s podcast, I explored the painful history of collaborationCollaboration Full Description:The cooperation of local governments, police forces, and citizens in German-occupied countries with the Nazi regime. The Holocaust was a continental crime, reliant on French police, Dutch civil servants,…