7 Conclusion
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Jonathan Dunnage
Abstract
The inhibiting effects of twenty years of dictatorship on processes of democratic renewal in post-war Italy are clearly visible in the police. Several policemen accused of collaborationism during the Nazi occupation sought help from a neo-fascist network, the Movimento Italiano Femminile (MIF), founded in October 1946. A closer reading of post-war police journals and manuals suggests that the fascist experience influenced the Interior Ministry Police in more ways than they would probably admit. The post-war militarisation of the Interior Ministry Police saw a major influx of personnel from the army, the former fascist colonial police (PAI) and special divisions of the Militia. The attractiveness of Benito Mussolini's dictatorship depended largely on how far police personnel identified with its public order policy, but also on the career opportunities and level of material well-being it offered.
Abstract
The inhibiting effects of twenty years of dictatorship on processes of democratic renewal in post-war Italy are clearly visible in the police. Several policemen accused of collaborationism during the Nazi occupation sought help from a neo-fascist network, the Movimento Italiano Femminile (MIF), founded in October 1946. A closer reading of post-war police journals and manuals suggests that the fascist experience influenced the Interior Ministry Police in more ways than they would probably admit. The post-war militarisation of the Interior Ministry Police saw a major influx of personnel from the army, the former fascist colonial police (PAI) and special divisions of the Militia. The attractiveness of Benito Mussolini's dictatorship depended largely on how far police personnel identified with its public order policy, but also on the career opportunities and level of material well-being it offered.
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- List of figures vii
- Preface and acknowledgements ix
- Introduction 1
- 1 ‘Cinderella status’ 8
- 2 The ‘fascistisation’ of police culture 37
- 3 Oppression and consensus-building 78
- 4 The performance of Mussolini’s policemen 104
- 5 Personal profiles 135
- 6 Facing the demise of fascism 166
- 7 Conclusion 206
- Select bibliography 223
- Index 229
Chapters in this book
- Front matter i
- Contents v
- List of figures vii
- Preface and acknowledgements ix
- Introduction 1
- 1 ‘Cinderella status’ 8
- 2 The ‘fascistisation’ of police culture 37
- 3 Oppression and consensus-building 78
- 4 The performance of Mussolini’s policemen 104
- 5 Personal profiles 135
- 6 Facing the demise of fascism 166
- 7 Conclusion 206
- Select bibliography 223
- Index 229
