''Il Popolo d'Italia'' (; ) was an Italian newspaper published from 15 November 1914 until 24 July 1943. It was founded by

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...

as a pro-war newspaper during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, and it later became the main newspaper of the Fascist movement in Italy after the war. It published editions every day with the exception of Mondays.

Founding and First World War

The paper was founded in

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

in November 1914, Retrieved April 8, 2022 with the aim of supporting Italian entry into World War I. In November 1914 the entrepreneur Giuseppe Pontremoli, a 33rd degree Freemason of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, advanced 20,000 lire for the purchase of the rotary press with which the new newspaper was printed. The war had started several months previously, but Italy was neutral at the time and would remain so until May 1915. ''Il Popolo d'Italia'', advocating militarism and

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, received financial backing from major companies including Ansaldo and others, especially from the sugar and electrical industries, who wished for Italy to join the war. The paper was also subsidized by government-backed sources in

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, on the pretext of influencing Italy to join the Entente Powers in the war. In the paper's early period, during World War I, the masthead of the newspaper carried quotes from Louis Auguste Blanqui ("Whoever has steel has bread") and

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

("The Revolution is an idea which has found bayonets!"). Investigations to identify the sources of funding for the Mussolini newspaper continued even after the World War. The documents found testify both of the provenance and the financiers. In 1917 the

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financed the newspaper: Mussolini made a commitment, for the sum of 100 pounds a week, to boycott any pacifist demonstrations in Italy. Today the documents found attest to the payment of contributions from Italian industrialists interested in increasing military expenses for Italy's desired entry into the war; among these stand out the names of Carlo Esterle ( Edison company), Emilio Bruzzone (''Società siderurgica di Savona'' and ''Italian Society for the Indigenous Sugar Industry'', of which Eridania was the most important member), Giovanni Agnelli (

Fiat Fiat Automobiles S.p.A., commonly known as simply Fiat ( , ; ), is an Italian automobile manufacturer. It became a part of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in 2014 and, in 2021, became a subsidiary of Stellantis through its Italian division, Stellant ...

), Pio Perrone (Ansaldo) and Emanuele Vittorio Parodi (Acciaierie Odero).

Inter-war period

After the war, ''Il Popolo d'Italia'' became associated with the new Fascist movement, which was also led by Benito Mussolini. The paper served as a way of uniting the many autonomous fascist groups across Italy in the early 1920s, and provided a way to attract new political allies and financial backers. Mussolini left the editorial staff of the paper when he moved to

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to become

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in 1922, but he maintained control by appointing his younger brother Arnaldo as director of the paper, and by communicating regularly with the editors-in-chief. Throughout the period of Fascist rule in the Kingdom of Italy, ''Il Popolo d'Italia'' officially remained an independent privately owned newspaper, separate from the National Fascist Party and the Italian state. However, it received funds from the party and the state, as well as continued support from the private sector, and consistently promoted the Fascist point of view on the issues of the day. During his time in power, Mussolini often wrote anonymously for ''Il Popolo d'Italia'', such as when he mocked a proposal for an Italian copy of "Heil Hitler", or to spread his ideas about Italy increasing its birth rate.

World War II and end

From 1936 to 1943, the paper was edited by Giorgio Pini. Among the co-founders were Manlio Morgagni, who became an ardent supporter of fascism and the chairman of news agency Agenzia Stefani. Following the fall of the Fascist regime in Italy, the newspaper was banned by Prime Minister

Pietro Badoglio Pietro Badoglio, 1st Duke of Addis Abeba, 1st Marquess of Sabotino ( , ; 28 September 1871 – 1 November 1956), was an Italian general during both World Wars and the first viceroy of Italian East Africa. With the fall of the Fascist regim ...

on 24 July 1943. After the German invasion of Italy and the creation of the

Italian Social Republic The Italian Social Republic (, ; RSI; , ), known prior to December 1943 as the National Republican State of Italy (; SNRI), but more popularly known as the Republic of Salò (, ), was a List of World War II puppet states#Germany, German puppe ...

(RSI), Mussolini explicitly refused to revive the newspaper, since he did not want it to become a mouthpiece of the German occupation forces. Instead, Mussolini generally wrote in the '' Corriere della Sera'', when he felt that it was necessary to publish his declarations. In 1944, Mussolini sold the headquarters of ''Il Popolo d'Italia'' to Italian businessman Gian Riccardo Cella and, after the Liberation of Italy, they were used to publish the ''Corriere Lombardo''. In 1946 the post-war Italian government invalidated Mussolini's sale and confiscated the premises.

Contributors

* Giuseppe Ungaretti * Luigi Barzini, Sr. * Luigi Razza * Umberto Saba

References

External links