Mussolini in the First World War

Paul O'Brien is an Independent scholar.

• Introduction * Stating the Programme: Imperialism and the Aesthetic of Violence, November 1918-June 1919 * Neutral? The Cultural Politics of Neutrality and Intervention, August-November 1914 * Making the 'Man':'Mazzini', Nationalism, and the Aesthetics of Violence, November 1914-May 1915 * Mind and Matter: Mussolini and Italy at War, May-November 1915 * Digging In: Rear, Front and the Consequences of Invasion, November 1915-June 1916 * Disenchanted Warrior: Revitalisation and Collapse of the War Diary, November 1916-February 1917 * War and Revolution: Readdressing the Home Front, February-October 1917 * Caporetto and After: Reinstating the Offensive, October 1917-November 1918 * Imagining Fascism: Mussolini, the Middle Classes and the Craft of Propaganda, October 1917-November 1918 * Conclusion

'An important study of the young Mussolini, this book shows us the future fascist leader in a new light, helping us to understand better why Italy turned to fascism and how Mussolini himself - still a socialist firebrand in 1914 - became the champion of the Italian Right. This study will become essential reading for anyone wanting to understand the development of the fascist movement and its duce.' Paul Corner, Professor of European History, University of Siena'This book makes a real contribution to our knowledge of the birth of fascism in Italy. Hitherto, historians have ignored Mussolinis experience as combatant in the First World War. Paul OBrien has identified a major gap in the research, and he argues cogently for the crucial role of Mussolinis war experience. This provocative, but carefully argued, book is a welcome application of the new cultural history of the Great War and will be essential reading for those seeking to understand the origins of fascism.' Alan Kramer, c