Victoria de GraziaHow Fascism Ruled Women: Italy, 1922-1945

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I am fascinated by Fascism, but for all the books I have read on the subject, the women who were part of the fascistic experience are often marginalized or just ignored, except for some brief concepts of motherhood addressed in sections detailing the domestic policies of the NSDAP regime. Victoria Grazia's book is a welcomed counterbalance to this state-of-affairs. However, please note that her book, "How Fascism Ruled Women," deals with true Fascism (that is the Italian variety) and not the German, Spanish or various fringe groups/quasi-fascistic movements. Also note that Grazia does not really address the war years from 1940 onwards (except for some brief remarks in the last chapter about females in the Resistance Movements). Instead, her book focuses on society before Mussolini's advent, throughout his consolidation of power in the 20s and at the apex of Fascism during the Ethiopian War.In her book, Grazia has done an excellent job of detailing the myriad experiences of women under Mussolini's totalitarian rule and the conflicted nature of PNF expectations regarding women, with its promoted cult of domesticity and concurrent image of the new citizen and fixation on active youth. Grazia also addresses how the legacy of the defunct liberal culture of prewar Italy, the influence of the Church, the expanding American cultural revolution and the individual choices of Italian women contributed to their life, emancipation and personal experiences in Fascist Italy. From party policy to social organizations to actual work-a-day experiences, Grazia draws upon a wealth of sources and perspectives to address an extremely complicated and encompassing topic. Nonetheless, the themes of her book still manage to stand out. If you are interested in Fascism, womenfolk's experience within the totalitarian state or the progression of women rights in Italy, you should find "How Fascism Ruled Women" an insightful, comprehensive and enjoyable read.

Useful text book - I like the pencil notes too!!! One of the advantages of a second hand copy!!!