''L'Idea Nazionale'' (

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

for "The National Idea") was an Italian political newspaper associated with the

Italian Nationalist Association The Italian Nationalist Association (''Associazione Nazionalista Italiana'', ANI) was Italy's first nationalist political movement founded in 1910, under the influence of Italian nationalists such as Enrico Corradini and Giovanni Papini. Upon ...

(ANI), which merged with the

National Fascist Party The National Fascist Party (, PNF) was a political party in Italy, created by Benito Mussolini as the political expression of Italian fascism and as a reorganisation of the previous Italian Fasces of Combat. The party ruled the Kingdom of It ...

in 1923. The paper was published between 1911 and 1926.

History and profile

''L'Idea Nazionale'' was first published on 1 March 1911, the fifteenth anniversary of the

Battle of Adwa The Battle of Adwa (; ; , also spelled ''Adowa'') was the climactic battle of the First Italo-Ethiopian War. The Ethiopian army defeated an invading Italian and Eritrean force led by Oreste Baratieri on March 1, 1896, near the town of Adwa. ...

. The paper was a weekly publication and was based in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. It was founded by ANI activist

Enrico Corradini Enrico Corradini (20 July 1865 – 10 December 1931) was an Italian novelist, essayist, journalist and nationalist political figure. Biography Corradini was born near Montelupo Fiorentino, Tuscany. A follower of Gabriele D'Annunzio, he founde ...

Alfredo Rocco Alfredo Rocco (9 September 1875 – 28 August 1935) was an Italian politician and jurist. He was Professor of Commercial Law at the University of Urbino (1899–1902) and in Macerata (1902–1905), then Professor of Civil Procedure in Parma, of ...

was also instrumental in the establishment of it. In fact, the founders were part of the imperialist wing of the ANI. ''L'Idea Nazionale'' was coedited by Enrico Corradini, Roberto Forges Davanzati and

Luigi Federzoni Luigi Federzoni (27 September 1878 – 24 January 1967) was an Italian nationalist and later Fascist politician. Biography Federzoni was born in Bologna. Educated at the university there, he took to journalism and literature, and for several ye ...

. Other writers included Francesco Coppola, Maurizio Maraviglia and the

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

n Elena Bacaloglu. For the first three years ''L'Idea Nazionale'' had a weekly periodicity. In 1914 after the beginning of the

First World War 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 ...

, it was decided to turn it into a newspaper. To this end, the newspaper sought funding from industrialists with a nationalist and protectionist orientation. On May 14, 1914, the new publishing company, "L'Italiana" (share capital of 700,000 lire divided into 140 shares) was set up. Leading the negotiations was an industrialist close to the Nationalist Association: Dante Ferraris, a metallurgical industrialist and vice president of

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 ...

. The grants came from the steel, mechanical and sugar sectors: such as the Savona Steel Company and Italian Society for the Indigenous Sugar Industry, Ansaldo company and

Società Italiana Ernesto Breda Società Italiana Ernesto Breda (), more usually referred to simply as Breda, was an Italian mechanical manufacturing company founded by Ernesto Breda in Milan in 1886. History The firm was founded by Ernesto Breda in Milan in 1886. It original ...

. Dante Ferraris was president of the first board of directors. Funding by the business community allowed ''L’Idea Nazionale'' to be published regularly. In return the Nationalists supported large-scale industry. In January 1916, for instance, Alfredo Rocco wrote that industrialists were kept away from the positions of power, when they should be more involved in political life. The Nationalist Association and its paper advocated militaristic nationalism and the creation of an

Italian empire The Italian colonial empire (), also known as the Italian Empire (''Impero italiano'') between 1936 and 1941, was founded in Africa in the 19th century. It comprised the colonies, protectorates, concession (territory), concessions and depende ...

. First, the newspaper endorsed Italy's war of 1911 against the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empire, was an empire, imperial realm that controlled much of Southeast Europe, West Asia, and North Africa from the 14th to early 20th centuries; it also controlled parts of southeastern Centr ...

, urging for the annexation of North African colonies. It then supported

irredentism Irredentism () is one State (polity), state's desire to Annexation, annex the territory of another state. This desire can be motivated by Ethnicity, ethnic reasons because the population of the territory is ethnically similar to or the same as the ...

, campaigning for Italy to enter

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 ...

against the

Central Powers The Central Powers, also known as the Central Empires,; ; , ; were one of the two main coalitions that fought in World War I (1914–1918). It consisted of the German Empire, Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Bulga ...

. ''L'Idea Nazionale'' ceased publication in 1926 when it was merged with '' La Tribuna''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Idea Nazionale 1911 establishments in Italy 1926 disestablishments in Italy Daily newspapers published in Italy Defunct newspapers published in Italy Defunct weekly newspapers Fascist newspapers Defunct Italian-language newspapers Italian fascism Newspapers published in Rome Newspapers established in 1911 Publications disestablished in 1926 Weekly newspapers published in Italy National Fascist Party