 A page fromLa Difesa della Razza | |
| Categories | Political magazine |
|---|---|
| Frequency |
|
| Founded | 1938 |
| First issue | 5 August 1938 |
| Final issue | 20 June 1943 |
| Country | Italy |
| Based in | Rome |
| Language | Italian |
| OCLC | 690960529 |
La Difesa della Razza (Italian:The Defence of Race) was a Fascist magazine which was published in Rome between 1938 and 1943 during theFascist rule in Italy. Its subtitle wasScienza, Documentazione, Polemica (Italian:Science, Documentation, and Debate).[1] It played a significant role in the implementation of the racial ideology following theinvasion of Ethiopia and the introduction of theracial laws in 1938.[2][3]
La Difesa della Razza was first published on 5 August 1938.[2][4] It was established by the Office for the Racial Problems headed by Guido Landra.[5] The founding director of the magazine wasGiulio Cogni, but he left the post when he recognized that his ideas about races had been used by the Fascist leaders without making any reference to him.[5] Cogni was replaced byTelesio Interlandi in the post.[3][5]Giorgio Almirante served as its editorial secretary[4] and was the assistant to Interlandi.[6] The editorial board of the magazine included leading physicians and scientists.[4] It came out biweekly,[2] but later its frequency was switched to bimonthly.[7]
La Difesa della Razza was financed by several public institutions, including theMinistry of Popular Culture, banks, industrial and insurance companies.[8] Each issue of the magazine was delivered to schools and universities across Italy.[9] It folded on 20 June 1943 after producing 118 issues.[2][10]
The first issue of the magazine featured amanifesto,Manifesto della Razza, by the scholars which was the guiding principle of the racist ideology of Fascist Italy.[11] Following the publication of this manifesto the approach of the state towards the Italian Jews and its colonial policies changed.[11] The magazine described its goals in the first issue as follows:[11]
We will popularize, with the help of scholars of various disciplines related to the problem, the fundamental concepts upon which the doctrine of Italian racism is based; and we will prove that science is on our side.
La Difesa della Razza often featured graphics, photographs, cartoons and photomontages accompanied by offensive and vulgar captions.[1] Its headlines were mostly sensationalist.[1] The magazine was a supporter of thepseudoscience,[7]cultural racism and Italianprimitivism rejecting the premises ofEuropean modernism.[3] The most frequent topic covered in the magazine was aboutantisemitism.[10] In May 1942 in the article by Giorgio Almirante blood was regarded as the sole evidence of Italianness which differentiated Italians fromJews and Blackmixed race people.[7] Both groups were depicted in a negative manner in the magazine through photographs.[10] In 1942 and 1943 the magazine claimed that the British had a cruel attitude towards people living in itscolonies.[12]
Some of its contributors wereLino Businco,Luigi Castaldi, Elio Gasteiner, Guido Landra and Marcello Ricci who were scientific figures and published articles aboutbiological racism.[8] Guido Landra's articles were mostly concerned withhereditary diseases.[8] Ferdinando Loffreda regularly wrote articles for the magazine in which he offered hisantifeminist views.[13]
Shortly after its launchLa Difesa della Razza sold 150,000 copies per issue.[10] However, from November 1940 its circulation significantly decreased because of the start ofWorld War II.[10]
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