913-919

While Italy had never been completely stable after it's unification, it's unstable conditions worsened after WWI, for Italy was a complete and total mess. Rising inflation, high rates of unemployment and a national dissatisfaction for the Italian involvement in WWI resulted in a pretty chaotic scene. As the Russian Communist Revolution demonstrated, a state of national chaos allows for great governmental change for the (practically) unanimous discontent facilitates a national sentiment that embraces change. While socialism was on the rise (as an immediate response to the dissatisfied national sentiment), the fascist movement, lead by Mussolini, started to slowly gain popularity and awareness. Fascists aggressively smothered the socialist movement, and, as a result, "as the national regime weakened, Mussolini's coercive politics made him look like a solution to the absence of leadership" (915). In other words, Italians were essentially cornered into supporting Mussolini. The three main pillars of fascism are statism, nationalism and militarism, and the Italian fascist flag successfully encompasses these elements. Drawing pretty much directly from the etymology of the word "fascism", the image of the bird carrying the bundle of sticks tied together with an ax head sticking out successfully depicts the fascist cause while simultaneously inspiring pride in that cause; the subtle ax head demonstrating the unexpected nature of the fascist strength, power and potency.