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| Founder(s) | Benito Mussolini Manlio Morgagni |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Benito Mussolini (1914–1922) National Fascist Party (1922–1943) |
| Founded | 15 November 1914 |
| Political alignment | Italian fascism |
| Language | Italian |
| Ceased publication | 24 July 1943 |
| Headquarters | Via Lovanio 10,Milan (since 1923) |
| Country | Kingdom of Italy |
| Circulation | 230,000 (as of 1939)[1] |
Il Popolo d'Italia (English: "The People of Italy") was an Italian newspaper published from 15 November 1914 until 24 July 1943. It was founded byBenito Mussolini as a pro-war newspaper duringWorld War I, and it later became the main newspaper of theFascist movement in Italy after the war.[2] It published editions every day with the exception of Mondays.[3]
The paper was founded inMilan in November 1914,[4] with the aim of supporting Italian entry into World War I. In November 1914 the entrepreneur Giuseppe Pontremoli, a 33rd degreeFreemason of the Ancient and AcceptedScottish Rite, advanced 20,000 lire for the purchase of therotary press with which the new newspaper was printed.[5]
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, advocatingmilitarism andirredentism, received financial backing from major companies includingAnsaldo and others, especially from the sugar and electrical industries, who wished for Italy to join the war.[6] The paper was also subsidized by government-backed sources inFrance, on the pretext of influencing Italy to join theEntente Powers in the war.[7] In the paper's early period, during World War I, the masthead of the newspaper carried quotes fromLouis Auguste Blanqui ("Whoever has steel has bread") andNapoleon Bonaparte ("The Revolution is an idea which has found bayonets!").[4]
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 theUnited Kingdom 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 andItalian Society for the Indigenous Sugar Industry, of which Eridania was the most important member),Giovanni Agnelli (Fiat), Pio Perrone (Ansaldo) and Emanuele Vittorio Parodi (Acciaierie Odero).[8][9]
After the war,Il Popolo d'Italia became associated with the newFascist 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.[10] Mussolini left the editorial staff of the paper when he moved toRome to becomeprime minister 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.[10]
Throughout the period ofFascist rule in the Kingdom of Italy,Il Popolo d'Italia officially remained an independent privately owned newspaper, separate from theNational 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.[10]
During his time in power, Mussolini often wrote anonymously forIl Popolo d'Italia, such as when he mocked a proposal for an Italian copy of "Heil Hitler",[11] or to spread his ideas about Italy increasing itsbirth rate.[citation needed]
From 1936 to 1943, the paper was edited byGiorgio Pini.[12] Among the co-founders wereManlio Morgagni, who became an ardent supporter of fascism and the chairman of news agencyAgenzia Stefani.[citation needed]
Following thefall of the Fascist regime in Italy, the newspaper was banned by Prime MinisterPietro Badoglio on 24 July 1943. After theGerman invasion of Italy and the creation of theItalian Social Republic (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 theCorriere della Sera, when he felt that it was necessary to publish his declarations.
In 1944, Mussolini sold the headquarters ofIl Popolo d'Italia to Italian businessman Gian Riccardo Cella and, after theLiberation of Italy, they were used to publish theCorriere Lombardo. In 1946 the post-war Italian government invalidated Mussolini's sale and confiscated the premises.[13]
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