Repression and Terror:
1. Fascism had a close relationship with violence in the period 1920-1922. Fascists killed approximately 2,000 political opponents.
2. But, Mussolini recognised the danger of uncontrolled violence and was wary of the squadristi. However, he knew that Fascist violence had played an important role in his ascension to power in the 1920s.
3. After establishing the Fascist dictatorship, violence decreased to maintain control, although repression was used in other ways. The consensus of people killed by the Fascist regime is around 400 people. This is a much smaller number than Hitler and Stalin, but this is because violence was not the only way that Italian Fascism controlled the population.
4. The police and government had extensive powers + the previous climate of Fascist violence helped to breed a climate of fear.
5. In November 1926, a Public Security Decree gave the government-appointed provincial prefects the power to place anyone perceived as a political threat under police supervision. Also, a Law for the Defence of the State introduced special tribunals to try anyone accused of political crimes.
6. The extent of Mussolini’s power’s dependence on repression is difficult to measure. He did possess wide legal powers and repressive institutions which supported his power, but factors like propaganda and popular policies could be seen as more significant.
Role of Security Forces:
1. The Fascist state used the police, militia and secret police (OVRA) to threaten, imprison and punish political opponents.
2. Police activity was on a much larger scale than the previous liberal regime. Many more investigations/searches were carried out.
3. Many political opponents were forced into exile in foreign countries, some were also assassinated by Fascist agents. But generally, they were safer abroad than in Italy.
4. In 1926, an attempted assassination on Mussolini led to increased state repression.
5. The special tribunal was set up in November 1926 to judge those thought to be a danger to the state. Between 1927 and 1943, it met 720 times. Over 5,000 were found guilty, and 49 were sentenced to death. Others were sentenced to prison for varying terms, or placed under house arrest. The threat of punishment was real. Those who committed anti-Fascist acts could face a harsh consequence.
6. In 1927, the ‘Organizzazione Vigilanza Repressione Antifascismo’ (OVRA) was established. It had a fearsome reputation and was promoted by the regime to increase Fascist power. It had over 5,000 members who spied on both Fascists and non-Fascists. It remained under the control of the Ministry of the Interior and was independent of the regular police authorities. It had the power to arrest, and to intercept telephones and the post. By 1939, the OVRA had collected dossiers on 130,000 suspects, but only 4,000 people were arrested and sent to prison.
7. The militia also helped to establish the climate of repression and fear. It had over 50,000 members and was used to intimidate potential political opponents, to beat up those who were not cooperating, and to seize property.
8. The Fascist Regime set up prisons in remote areas to house their political opponents, like on the islands of Lipari and Lampedusa. 10,000 were sent there throughout the regime. Approximately 5,000 were kept as political prisoners between 1922 and 1943. It was not on the same scale as Nazi concentration camps or Russian gulags.
9. The death penalty was restored for some offences, but by 1940, only 10 people had been sentenced to death.
10. Sometimes, Mussolini supported high-profile violent action, like in 1937, when the OVRA assassinated the prominent Italian anti-Fascist Rosselli brothers in France.
11. However, the main method Italian Fascists adopted was to encourage conformity through propaganda, incentives and manipulation, as opposed to relying on systematic repression and terror.