On the Jewish Question in Fascist Italy in Yad Vashem Studies, Volume IV

On the Jewish Question in Fascist Italy - the Attitude of the Fascist Regime to the Jews in Italy

Mussolini, during the first fourteen years of his rule, hardly used antisemitism to further his Fascist policies. He stated that policies of Italian Fascism were completely different to Nazi racial theories. Nevertheless, Jews were not permitted to obtain positions of control in the government or the party. The Fascist press, however, in 1933/34 stirred up considerable anti-Jewish propaganda. By 1938 Italy was claiming that it was against Zionism but not against the Jews as such. At this stage, the Duce himself, though probably not influenced by Hitler, decided to align himself with Nazism.