Podcasts about Fascist Italy

The International Brigades and the Fight for Spain**In this episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we are joined by Tony Fox, organiser of the Northeast Volunteers for Liberty and the International Brigades Memorial Organisation, to discuss the newly published collection, *Remember Me to My Comrades: Letters from Spain to Britain*.**The book emerged from a remarkable collaboration with the families of volunteers from the North East of England – one of the industrial heartlands hit hardest by the Great Depression. Through letters, diaries, and previously unpublished documents from the Russian archives, it brings to life the voices of men who went to Spain to fight fascism.Tony explains how the International Brigades were formed in response to the Non-Intervention Treaty signed by Britain, France and other powers. While Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy poured troops and weapons into Franco's Nationalist forces, the Soviet Union organised volunteers through the Comintern. In Britain, the Communist Party – not the Labour Party, which supported non-intervention – recruited and vetted two-and-a-half thousand men.We discuss the diverse motivations of the volunteers: from committed communists who had already fought Oswald Mosley's fascists on the streets of Britain, to idealists who saw Spain as the front line of a wider war against fascism. We explore the unique political character of the International Brigades – an army of working-class activists who knew why they were fighting, and whose morale was sustained through political education, including an essay competition held in the middle of the war.Tony also shares the story of Sam Wild, the last and finest commander of the British Battalion, and the chaotic, heroic rear‑guard actions that defined the British experience – from the defence of Madrid to the bloody retreats across the Ebro.**Topics covered:**- The Non-Intervention Treaty and its consequences- The formation of the International Brigades- The role of the Communist Party in recruitment- The social and political character of the volunteers- The Battle of Jarama and the defence of Madrid- Sam Wild and the British Battalion- Letters from the Russian archives- The human cost of the Spanish Civil War---*Tony Fox's *Remember Me to My Comrades* is available from Barnfather Publishing and independent bookshops. Please consider buying from an independent retailer or directly from the publisher.**If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting us – we are migrating from Patreon to Substack. Details in the show notes.*Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last time we spoke about the battle of Zhongtiao Mountain. On 7 May 1941, Japan launched a three-front assault on the Zhongtiao Mountains, striking multiple axes and using paratroopers to disrupt Chinese command. On the northeastern front, Wu Shimin's 98th Army scored a success at Wangcun, routing about 2,000 attackers. Elsewhere, three-pronged Japanese forces drove south toward Yuanqu with overwhelming artillery, armor, and coordinated movement. During the first night, paratroopers found the Chinese headquarters already disordered: orders were unclear and communications with most units collapsed. By 8 May, the First War Zone could no longer coordinate; armies fought alone. From mid-May into June, Japanese units swept the mountains, manning river crossings to block retreat and eliminating pockets. Surviving Chinese formations escaped or regrouped south of the Yellow River, but the three-year Zhongtiao defensive system was destroyed in about twenty days, sharply worsening Japan's strategic situation in northern China.   #208 Operation Plus: The Road to the Second Battle of Changsha Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. In the autumn of 1939, Japanese forces under General Yasuji Okamura launched a major offensive aimed at capturing Changsha — the gateway to China's interior and one of the most important cities still under Nationalist control. The First Battle of Changsha ended without a decisive Japanese victory. Chinese forces, anchored by the Ninth War Zone under General Xue Yue, managed to repel the advance, inflicting significant casualties and preserving the city. It was a notable achievement at a time when Japanese arms had swept across vast swathes of Chinese territory, and it reverberated through both the Chinese military establishment and the watching international community. Following the Japanese withdrawal, Chiang Kai-shek convened the Second Nanyue Military Conference to carry out a thorough assessment of the battle and to plan for the period of relative calm that would follow. The conference sought to answer several pressing questions: What had worked in the defense? Where had coordination broken down? How could the period of Japanese inactivity be used most productively? Chiang made it clear that this respite was not to be wasted. Commanders of all the major war zones were simultaneously expected to serve as governors of their respective provinces, ensuring unity of military and civilian command. Chiang himself set an example by personally assuming the governorship of Sichuan Province and focusing attention on that province's production and reconstruction efforts. The conference produced broad directives for the reconstruction of war-zone provinces and the intensification of military training. For Hunan, responsibility for implementing these directives fell on the shoulders of General Xue Yue, who had emerged from the First Battle of Changsha with greatly enhanced prestige and authority. The reason Changsha and Hunan more broadly attracted such persistent Japanese attention was geographical and logistical. The Yuehan Railway — running from Yueyang in northern Hunan down through Changsha and south toward Guangzhou — was one of the most important transportation arteries in China. Whoever controlled it could move troops, equipment, and supplies across vast distances with speed and reliability. Opening up the Yuehan line would, in Japanese strategic thinking, effectively connect their forces in Central China with those in South China, allowing for a gradual tightening of the strategic noose around Chiang Kai-shek's wartime capital at Chongqing in Sichuan Province. Hunan was therefore not merely a defensive problem for the Chinese; it was a strategic prize that Japan would inevitably seek to take. Xue Yue, whose headquarters were in Changsha, was well aware of this logic. With the First Battle of Changsha behind him and the province in need of recovery, Xue Yue turned his attention to governance. He was not content to wait passively for the next Japanese offensive. He believed that a province that was economically productive, administratively disciplined, and politically stable would provide a far more durable foundation for military resistance than one that was disorganized and demoralized. At the beginning of his tenure as effective governor of Hunan, Xue conducted a thorough survey of the province's situation and then articulated a philosophical framework for his administration in the form of a "three-character policy," consisting of three guiding principles: "Peace"  (an), "Convenience" (bian), and "Sufficiency" ( zu). In Xue's formulation, "Peace" meant that the population should be able to live, work, and conduct their daily affairs free from fear and disruption. "Convenience" meant that policies should benefit the people, the nation, and the war effort simultaneously — eliminating bureaucratic obstacles and inefficiencies. "Sufficiency" meant achieving adequate levels in all essential areas: enough soldiers, enough food, and enough wisdom in leadership. These seemingly simple principles were elaborated into extensive implementation guidelines. The announcement of this framework immediately sparked debate across Hunan's intellectual and administrative community. Veteran officials and scholars were divided. Some praised the policy as a clear and practical framework for wartime governance. Others dismissed it as hollow wordplay, offering nothing new or substantive. A minority was more sharply critical, warning that if such superficial philosophizing was all Xue could offer, the province would decay into warlordism. Undeterred by the criticism, Xue Yue built upon the three-character framework with a set of "Six Policies" for governing the people of Hunan: "Benefiting the People, Raising the People, Educating the People, Protecting the People, Managing the People, and Utilizing the People." Each of these six principles came with specific implementation targets and performance metrics, designed to be measurable rather than aspirational. This second round of policy announcements generated yet another wave of debate, but Xue pressed forward with implementation regardless. From the beginning of 1940, Xue vigorously pushed for the expansion of agricultural and industrial production across the province. His approach was comprehensive and at times uncompromising. He approved funds for the reconstruction of the Zhongshan Road National Goods Exhibition Hall in Changsha — which had been destroyed in the catastrophic Changsha Fire of 1938 — and by February 1940, 114 shops had reopened there. In March, he approved the "Eight Measures for the Construction of Sheds in Changsha," drafted by the Changsha Municipal Police Bureau, which relaxed housing regulations and helped address the severe shortage of accommodation for the city's residents, who had largely fled or been displaced during the fire and the Japanese offensive. One of the more creative initiatives of this period was the Ninth War Zone's order requiring all troops stationed in Hunan to cultivate a certain amount of farmland in their spare time, growing grain to supplement military rations. Local residents came to refer to the plots tended by soldiers as "soldier's fields" (bing tian). This policy served a dual purpose: it reduced the logistical burden of feeding the garrison forces from civilian stocks while keeping soldiers productively occupied during lulls in fighting. It also served to maintain a degree of goodwill between the military and the rural communities on which any prolonged resistance ultimately depended. One of the most consequential steps Xue Yue took to stabilize Hunan's governance was an aggressive campaign against corruption. On April 15, 1940, he ordered the execution of Tian Weizheng, the county magistrate of Changsha, and Wang Lun, the county magistrate of Xiangtan, both on charges of corruption and abuse of office. The proclamation accompanying the executions was blunt: "This serves as a warning against corruption and establishes the authority of the law in upholding discipline." The message was not lost on officials across the province. In the months that followed, a sweep of investigations led to the punishment of numerous corrupt officials and illegal businessmen. The effect on public confidence in the provincial government was significant. Citizens and soldiers alike perceived that there was now a leadership willing to hold its own accountable — a stark contrast to the corruption and self-dealing that had plagued Chinese provincial governance throughout the war. Xue was also attentive to the ideological dimension of the war effort. On May Fourth Youth Day — itself laden with nationalist significance, commemorating the great student movement of 1919 — Xue attended the provincial capital's sports meet and delivered a speech before thousands of young people entitled "Iron Youth, Iron Spirit, Sacred Labor, Sacred Survival." The speech was aimed at galvanizing the younger generation, connecting their personal futures to the fate of the nation and the resistance against Japan. That same month, in May 1940, the 110th executive meeting of the Hunan Provincial Government revised and approved the "Hunan Province County Heads Performance Evaluation Method," a document that formalized military service and support for the war effort as the primary criterion in the evaluation of local officials' political performance. Throughout 1940, the provincial government and the Ninth War Zone organized a series of training courses for officials, including courses specifically designed for guerrilla cadres, women cadres, and village chiefs — an indication that preparations for sustained, decentralized resistance were underway. Xue himself addressed the cadre training group with a speech on "The Conditions That a Well-Rounded Cadre Should Possess." By the end of 1940, after more than a year of sustained effort, Hunan had broadly recovered to the administrative and economic condition it had enjoyed before the Changsha Fire, when the reformist official Zhang Zhizhong had governed the province. Agriculture, industry, and commerce all showed measurable improvement over their wartime lows. The government's accounts for the year reflected growth across all sectors. This recovery was not merely statistical; it represented a genuine rebuilding of the province's capacity to sustain a prolonged defense. Soldiers were better fed and equipped, local officials were more disciplined, and the civilian population had a functioning, if still imperfect, relationship with the wartime state. Early in 1941, Xue Yue's reputation had grown to the point where local gentry and public figures jointly petitioned for a bustling street in Changsha to be named after his courtesy name — a mark of genuine popular esteem unusual for a military governor in wartime China. While Xue Yue was rebuilding Hunan, events at the geopolitical level were reshaping the strategic environment in ways that would directly precipitate the Second Battle of Changsha. On September 27, 1940, Japan signed the Tripartite Pact with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, formally joining the Axis powers. The pact alarmed the Western democracies and accelerated their support for China. On December 2, 1940, the United States Congress passed a bill approving a one-hundred-million-dollar loan to China. On December 10, 1940, Britain followed suit, approving a ten-million-pound loan. Both measures were explicitly understood — by all parties — as responses to Japanese expansion and Japan's recognition of Wang Jingwei's collaborationist puppet government in Nanjing. For the Japanese military leadership, these loans signaled that the international community was not prepared to accept Japan's fait accompli in China, and that the war of attrition against the Nationalist government could not be allowed to continue indefinitely. The imperative to resolve the "China Incident" — as Japanese officials euphemistically called the war — before the international situation deteriorated further became more urgent than ever. On January 16, 1941, the Japanese Army adopted the "Long-Term Operational Guidance Plan for China." The document acknowledged a painful internal contradiction: Japan could only sustain a protracted war in China, yet it simultaneously demanded a swift resolution to the conflict through strong military pressure. The plan's solution to this contradiction was to intensify operations while "taking note of the international situation" — meaning that military actions should be calibrated to avoid triggering direct American or British intervention. The plan called for large-scale offensive operations in the summer and autumn of 1941. The companion document, the "Annual Plan for Showa 16 (1941)," was more specific. It required Japanese troops stationed in China to conduct a major operation in the summer and autumn of that year with the aim of dealing a heavy blow to the main force of the "Whampoa Military Academy" — the term used by Japanese planners to describe the core of Chiang Kai-shek's professional officer corps, trained at the Whampoa (Huangpu) Military Academy and regarded as the backbone of the Nationalist army. The stated goal was to destroy the Chongqing government's will to continue resistance and thereby force a resolution to the China Incident. Xue Yue himself read translated summaries of both these documents when he traveled to Chongqing to report on his work in early 1941. He returned to Hunan in a reflective, and determined, frame of mind. For much of the period between the two Battles of Changsha, the Japanese Eleventh Army — the primary force facing Xue Yue's Ninth War Zone — had been commanded by General Yasuji Okamura, a seasoned officer with whom Xue had developed a degree of familiarity through combat. By early 1941, it became known that Okamura was to be transferred to the Military Advisory Council at Imperial General Headquarters in Tokyo — a prestigious but more removed role. Xue Yue reflected on this change with a mixture of relief and characteristic self-confidence, reasoning that whoever replaced Okamura would be a new adversary to be dealt with on the battlefield, and that there was no reason to lose to him regardless. Korechika Anami received his appointment as commander of the Eleventh Army on February 15, 1941. From the first day of his appointment, he carried a detailed battle map of the three provinces facing his command — Hunan, Hubei, and Jiangxi — along with comprehensive intelligence files on both sides' troop dispositions and strengths. He studied these materials constantly, on trains, in waiting rooms, wherever he had a free moment. By the time he formally took up his post on March 10, 1941, he already had a clear operational vision for the coming campaign. Before reaching the front, Anami stopped in Nanjing to meet with General Hata Shunroku, the Commander-in-Chief of the China Expeditionary Army. Hata had himself arrived in China in early 1941, having been summoned by the Emperor before his departure and entrusted with what the Emperor called the sacred mission of resolving the China Incident. The two men talked through the night, their conversation returning repeatedly to the planned summer-autumn offensive. Hata urged Anami to annihilate the main force of the Ninth War Zone in the area south of the Miluo River — to destroy, once and for all, the core of Chiang Kai-shek's best troops. "If this battle is fought well," Hata told him, "the entire war situation in China will undergo a huge change." Anami listened and agreed, though he had his own reasons to want the battle to go well. He had voluntarily relinquished the prominent position of Vice Minister of the Army at General Headquarters in Tokyo to take this field command — a significant personal sacrifice that reflected his deep desire for battlefield achievement. There was a personal dimension to Anami's motivations as well. His second son, a bright and lively boy to whom he was deeply attached, had died in combat in China. Anami carried a photograph of his son wherever he went, and had resolved to transform his grief into a consuming commitment to military excellence, whatever the human cost. At the Eleventh Army's headquarters in Yueyang, Anami found the war game board and operational plans that Okamura had left behind. He did not immediately begin issuing orders. Instead, for weeks he immersed himself in the problem, traveling between divisional headquarters and subordinate commands to gather ground-level perspectives, or sitting alone for hours before the great map, motionless and in deep concentration. His new chief of staff, Kinoshita Isamu, who had come from a divisional unit and was unfamiliar with his commander's temperament, could only keep silent company during these long sessions. When Anami eventually convened his headquarters personnel to explain his operational intentions, he made a pointed critique of the First Battle of Changsha. "The reason why the last battle in Changsha did not achieve great results," he said, "was that the troops were too dispersed and the main direction of attack was not highlighted, so they could not form a strong impact and lethality." He named the new operation "Operation Plus" — a deliberate contrast with what he saw as the subtracted, diluted efforts of the previous campaign. His concept was one of radical concentration: rather than dispersing the attack across multiple fronts in Hubei and Jiangxi while simultaneously advancing on Changsha, Anami proposed pulling the forces from southern Hubei and northern Jiangxi and massing them in front of northern Hunan. The effect on his staff officers when he demonstrated this redeployment on the map was electric; one of them involuntarily exclaimed aloud at the sudden clarity of the advantageous position that mass concentration would create. Anami's personality was, in the judgment of those who worked with him, fundamentally different from Okamura's. A commander's fighting style is shaped by his character, and Anami's character was defined by intensity, focus, and a willingness to commit fully. These traits would shape "Operation Plus" from conception to execution. On June 22, 1941, five and a half million German troops launched Operation Barbarossa — the largest military invasion in history — against the Soviet Union. The news reached the Japanese military establishment with a degree of surprise, since such a momentous operation should, under the terms of the Tripartite Pact, have been communicated in advance. Beyond the procedural slight, German strategists had placed themselves in the position of fighting a two-front war, something Japanese generals found strategically bewildering. The outbreak of the Soviet-German War forced a serious debate within the Japanese General Staff. One faction argued for a "northward advance" — seizing the opportunity to strike the Soviet Union from the east while its military was fully committed in the west. Another faction argued for a "southward advance" — moving into Southeast Asia and the Pacific to secure the oil and raw materials that Japan desperately needed. Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe adopted a wait-and-see compromise, authorizing secret preparations for war in the north known as Operation Kantokuen while continuing to monitor developments. Now it just so happens I released a Patreon/Youtube Members exclusive episode covering Operation Kantokuen the previous month. I highly recommend it, fascinating what if piece of history. For just a teaser I can briefly summarize it: Operation Kantokuen — officially designated "Kwantung Army Special Maneuvers" — was Japan's plan for a large-scale invasion of the Soviet Far East, developed in the summer of 1941 following Germany's launch of Operation Barbarossa. When news of the German invasion reached Tokyo, Foreign Minister Yosuke Matsuoka and senior Kwantung Army officers argued Japan should abandon its neutrality pact with the USSR and strike in coordination with Germany. An Army-Navy compromise on June 24th allowed preparations to proceed so long as they did not interfere with Japan's concurrent southern ambitions. On July 5th, Matsuoka and Major General Shin'ichi Tanaka convinced War Minister Hideki Tojo to back a more ambitious scheme, and the two men then bypassed the War Ministry entirely, securing Emperor Hirohito's personal authorization. The plan was structured in two stages — a buildup and readiness phase followed by an offensive phase — during which the Kwantung Army would await an explicit order to attack. The Army General Staff calculated that any campaign had to conclude by mid-October before Siberian winter conditions made logistics impossible. Their ideal force requirement was 16 to 22 divisions supported by 800,000 tons of shipping, though this assumed the Soviets would first redeploy half their Far Eastern infantry and two-thirds of their armor westward against Germany. The planned order of battle ultimately settled on 24 divisions — 17 committed to the eastern front and 5 concentrated near Mutanchiang. The opening blow was designed to fall on the Primorye (Maritime Province) front. The 1st Area Army, commanding the 3rd and 20th Armies along with elements of the Korea Army, would cross the border south of Lake Khanka to shatter Soviet defensive lines and menace Vladivostok. Simultaneously, the 5th Army would strike south of Iman to cut the Trans-Siberian Railway and isolate the Maritime Province from northern reinforcements. In the north, the 4th Army would hold the Amur River line before pivoting to attack Blagoveshchensk, while two additional reinforced divisions would invade Northern Sakhalin in a land-and-sea pincer. A second phase envisioned capturing Khabarovsk, Komsomolsk, and Sovetskaya Gavan, with amphibious operations considered against Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Kamchatka itself. The operation was to be supported by a massive air assault — between 1,800 and 2,700 aircraft combining Army and Navy aviation — aimed at annihilating the Soviet Far East Air Force in the opening hours, after which Japanese air power would shift to tactical ground support and interdiction of Soviet supply lines. Armored assets included roughly 800–900 tanks, mostly Type 97 Chi-Has and Type 95 Ha-Gos. Kantokuen was also allocated chemical weapons stockpiled in Manchuria and biological agents produced by Unit 731, intended for deployment against Soviet rear areas and supply lines. Despite the scale of planning, the operation was already fatally compromised before it could be launched. Japan's industry and logistics could not sustain a two-front war while remaining bogged down in China. On August 1st, 1941, the United States enacted a total oil embargo that cut off 80% of Japan's fuel supply, and the Dutch East Indies followed. With oil reserves sufficient for only 12–18 months of peacetime consumption, a Siberian offensive that would consume an estimated one to two million barrels per month was no longer tenable. By August 9th, the Army General Staff conceded that seizing the oil-rich territories of Southeast Asia was the overriding strategic priority. The Kantokuen buildup was formally terminated, and Japan turned south — setting the course toward Pearl Harbor and the Pacific War. Now Kantokuen held some practical consequences for the China Expeditionary Army was disruptive. Serious consideration was given to redeploying units of the Eleventh Army away from their positions facing Hunan and northward toward Manchuria, in anticipation of a possible war with the Soviet Union. This threatened to derail Anami's planning entirely. The cloud of uncertainty hung over the Changsha operation for several weeks. Despite the disruption, Anami refused to let the operation be indefinitely deferred. On June 24, 1941 — just two days after Barbarossa began — he formally approved the operational guidance outline for the Changsha offensive and set a planned launch date of September 15. This was an act of deliberate institutional pressure: by formalizing the plan so quickly in the wake of Barbarossa, Anami made it harder for higher authorities to redirect his forces northward without explicitly cancelling a plan already in motion. The gamble worked. The northward deployment option was ultimately shelved, and the Eleventh Army remained in place to conduct its summer-autumn offensive. While Anami and his staff at Yueyang bent over their map of Hunan, so too did Xue Yue and his staff at Changsha. Two nearly identical colored military maps were laid out on large tables in two different command centers — one in Chinese, one in Japanese — showing the same terrain of Hunan, southern Hubei, and western Jiangxi. The Xiang River appeared on both as a green ribbon; Dongting Lake as a blue maple leaf. For those responsible for commanding the impending battle, the war game was the battle, played out in simulation before blood was shed. Xue Yue, his Chief of Staff Wu Yizhi, Chief of Staff Zhao Zili, and the intelligence and operations officers of the Ninth War Zone Command engaged in extensive map exercises throughout the summer of 1941. Wargaming pieces bearing unit designations moved across the terrain as staff officers reported troop strengths, timings, and geographic objectives. The summer heat was intense, and there was nowhere cool in Changsha; Xue and his staff worked in the heat, sweating heavily as they played out scenario after scenario. It was during these sessions that Xue came to believe he had grasped the essential shape of the Japanese plan. Reasoning from the known Japanese strategic posture and the pattern of the first battle, he concluded that the enemy would again advance roughly the same way. His counter-strategy was as follows: in northern Jiangxi and southern Hubei, the war zone would launch pincer attacks on Japanese forces that were not part of the main offensive, targeting the area north of Chongren and Xingan, east of Yichun, Wanzai, Tonggu, and Xiushui, to defeat them in detail. In northern Hunan — the main theater — the war zone would deliberately allow the Japanese to advance, luring their main force south of the Miluo River into the area north of Jinjing, Fulinpu, and Sanjieqiao, and then launch a devastating counterattack to encircle and annihilate them. After a successful counterattack, Xue imagined pursuing the broken Japanese forces all the way back to Yueyang, and beyond — even, in his more expansive moments, recapturing the great cities of Jiujiang and Wuhan, lost in 1938. This was the "lure and annihilate" strategy, and it was not merely a hope — it was the formal operational order issued to the forces of the Ninth War Zone. In August 1941, the Ninth Military Front officially assessed that Japan intended to capture Changsha and obtain supplies, and the lure-and-annihilate plan was formalized accordingly. What Xue Yue did not know — and could not know through his intelligence network alone — was that Anami's operational philosophy was fundamentally different from Okamura's. The critical assumption underlying the lure-and-annihilate plan was that the Japanese would attack in roughly the same dispersed, multi-front pattern as the first battle. Anami's "Operation Plus" invalidated this assumption entirely. By concentrating his forces in front of northern Hunan rather than dispersing them, Anami would strike with an impact Xue's cordon defenses were not designed to absorb. Xue was, unknowingly, planning to fight a replay of the first battle against an opponent who had studied that first battle as a case study in what not to do. Despite this fundamental intelligence gap, the Chinese were not without information. From mid-August 1941 onward, residents of mountain villages and riverside communities in northern Jiangxi and southern Hubei began reporting unusual nighttime activity. Faint sounds of motor engines and the footsteps of large columns moving on main roads were heard after dark. On moonlit nights, fleets of motorboats were seen moving without lights on the rivers, visible only as dark shadows on the water. The local population was puzzled and unsettled: what kind of unit was this, and what were they doing? The answer was that Anami's forces were conducting their pre-offensive assembly under cover of darkness and strict light discipline, moving four divisions totaling approximately 120,000 troops into position for the attack on Hunan. Military and civilian intelligence agents operating in these areas crouched in the bushes, enduring insect bites through long nights, watching and recording everything they witnessed. The information was relayed by human chain, passed from one agent to another across a network stretching back to Changsha, until it was collated and placed on Xue Yue's desk by staff officers from the Ninth War Zone Command's Intelligence Department. Xue studied the reports carefully, comparing them against his map. The evidence of a large Japanese build-up in northern Hunan was unambiguous. But Xue was suspicious of its implications. "Mobilize troops? All the troops are moved to northern Hunan. What about Tongcheng? What about Yueyang? Impossible! Feint? What does that mean? You want me to concentrate my troops in northern Hunan so you can attack from both sides?" His staff officers were similarly uncertain how to read the intelligence. The scale of the Japanese concentration defied the pattern of previous operations, and Xue's trained instincts — calibrated against years of dealing with Okamura — led him to doubt what his intelligence was plainly showing. He concluded, without firm evidence, that the concentration must be a feint or a deception. On August 26, 1941, Imperial General Headquarters in Tokyo issued Mainland Order No. 538, which authorized the Commander-in-Chief of the China Expeditionary Army to "temporarily conduct operations beyond the designated operational area in Central China during the summer and autumn." This order provided the formal imperial sanction for the Changsha offensive, lifting any remaining bureaucratic constraints on Anami's operational plan. It represented the final piece of institutional authorization, completing a chain that stretched from Anami's June 24 approval of the operational outline through Hata's advocacy at the China Expeditionary Army level to the formal imprimatur of the Imperial General Headquarters. With Mainland Order No. 538 in hand, the Eleventh Army's final preparations could proceed without ambiguity. The original planned launch date of September 15 would in practice be moved forward, with combat beginning on September 7 — itself a date chosen partly to maximize the advantage of late-summer weather conditions in the Hunan river-crossing terrain. By the time Anami's forces were assembled, the operational force was formidable. Estimating that the enemy facing them comprised fifteen divisions from the Chinese 4th, 37th, 99th, 74th, and 26th Corps, Japanese planners calculated — somewhat optimistically — that two infantry battalions would suffice to handle one enemy division. To provide a margin for error and to ensure decisive striking power, the Eleventh Army committed forty-one infantry battalions distributed across four full divisions and three specialized task forces, supported by twenty-nine artillery battalions. This represented a massive concentration of firepower and manpower along a relatively narrow axis of advance, precisely as Anami had intended. The objective was clearly stated: "to deal a major blow to the Ninth Military Front in order to thwart the enemy's plan for resistance." Japanese senior leadership reiterated at every briefing that the mission was emphatically not territorial — the army was not to occupy Changsha or secure it for long-term administration, and it was not to forage for supplies. The goal was destruction of Chinese combat power. On the Chinese side, the Ninth Military Front had not been idle. Since the Battle of Shanggao in March 1941 — a significant Chinese defensive victory in Jiangxi that had inflicted heavy casualties on Japanese forces attempting to advance into the province — the Ninth Military Front had ordered its troops to cooperate with guerrilla units operating in the Hunan-Hubei-Jiangxi border region, conducting harassment operations against Japanese logistics and communications. This cooperation served both to maintain offensive pressure and to train the irregular forces that would prove invaluable in a war of attrition. By August 1941, Xue Yue had assembled a force of thirty-five divisions organized into thirteen armies across three army groups, totaling 378,307 troops. The headquarters of the Ninth Military Front remained in Changsha. Xue had also assessed his forces' combat readiness with some confidence: in the summer of 1940, the Ninth War Zone had dispatched one corps from each army group and one division from each corps on summer offensive operations against Japanese positions, explicitly testing their readiness in real combat. Although no major victories had been achieved in those operations, the exercise confirmed that troop morale was high and that combat effectiveness had recovered to the level of the First Battle of Changsha. If anything, Xue thought, after another full year of training, they should be better. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. Operation Plus, emphasized concentrating forces and creating a decisive breakthrough rather than dispersing attacks across multiple fronts like in earlier battles. On the Chinese side, commander Xue Yue developed a "lure and annihilate" strategy, expecting the Japanese to fight like before; however, Anami's concentrated approach undermined these assumptions, making a Chinese counteroffensive far harder to execute.

Tonight, on this penetrating, investigative episode of Light ‘Em Up…With the 250th birthday of the United States rapidly approaching — we take a critical and intensive look at the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and at its foundation and the importance of a free press in a democracy.The most basic liberties guaranteed to Americans — embodied in the 45 words of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution — assure Americans a government that is responsible to its citizens and responsive to their wishes. These 45 words are as alive and important today as they were more than 249 years ago.These liberties are neither liberal nor conservative, Democratic nor Republican — they are the basis for our representative democratic form of government.45 words that grant us the inalienable right that:Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.Thomas Jefferson in 1787 famously articulated that a “well-informed public holds ultimate power; without truth and oversight, even the best-intentioned government can devolve into tyranny”.Jefferson's preference for “newspapers without government” over “government without newspapers” was essential to the fledgling U.S. democracy and, as the truly wise man that he was, these maxims hold true to this day as the press is being tested like it never has been before.President Trump had his most recent “meltdown” in an on-air interview with NBC's Kristen Welker. The world bore witness to “Exhibit A” … of Donald Trump's face becoming as red as a beet … as he shouted at and insulted another female, minority reporter — this time it was Kristen Welker, an NBC journalist who is biracial.Welker's mother is black and her father is white.It is crystal clear Trump is triggered by reporters that aren't ass-smooching sycophants as the members of his entire presidential cabinet are.Intelligent women in general and minority women especially trigger Trump the most.We'll shine the antiseptic light of the truth on the importance of having an independent free press and how it has proven to be an essential ingredient in the making of and maintaining a democracy.Also, we'll investigate the damage the free press has suffered at the hands of Donald Trump and his constantly dishonest style of “scorched-earth politics” — where he rails against all media, unless of course, it's his coveted Fox News.And we've researched and plan to share with you if there are any fair and accurate comparisons to Mussolini's Fascist Italy and Hitler's Nazi Germany and their treatment of the press in the lead-up to their power-grabs as they sought to change the balance of power for the free world.Every time Donald Trump attacks a reporter — the free press dies a little bit each time.The second Trump administration's core campaign pledge to protect open discourse has sharply clashed with its executive actions, resulting in a systemic contraction of First Amendment protections.Critics and civil liberties watchdogs argue that while the administration aggressively targets what it deems "left-wing bias" and "federal collusion" with tech platforms, it simultaneously deploys state infrastructure to:—     penalize critical media,—     restrict assembly,and …—     mandate strict government-approved speech orthodoxy.The fact of the matter is:Donald Trump rails against EVERYONE who doesn't blow smoke up his ass — as a lot of people do.He's always done this. He will continue to do so.  He's a thin-skinned, weak-charactered, congenital narcissist — THIS is what they do.   They can't take any criticism … a narcissist to this degree can't even entertain anything that isn't praise.We'll examine all this … pero mucho más aquí y solamente aquí — on this edition of Light ‘Em Up!The search for the truth and justice begins RIGHT HERE … and RIGHT NOW!Tune in for all the explosive details and our sponsors Newsly & Feedspot!Support the show!We want to hear from you!We want to hear from you!Support the show

In this episode, we look at Mussolini and Fascist Italy in myth and memory and explore the regime through the eyes of Mussolini's daughter Edda, once described as the most dangerous woman in Europe. Featuring: Prof Paul Corner, University of Siena, and author Caroline Moorehead.

Lies, insanity and spin are becoming the norm in our daily news and information diet, where one shocking story quickly supplants another. To help us wade through the muck, we speak to our media critic Jon Jeter about coverage of Iran, Tucker Carlson, the BAFTA Awards fiasco and more. And in this new era of attempted colonization and bullying by the U.S. empire, Halie Gerima’s new film ‘Black Lions, Roman Wolves’ reminds us how we liberated ourselves and can still fight fascists and win. Plus headlines.  The show is made possible only by our volunteer energy, our resolve to keep the people's voices on the air, and by support from our listeners. In this new era of fake corporate news, we have to be and support our own media! Please click here or click on the Support-Donate tab on this website to subscribe for as little as $3 a month. We are so grateful for this small but growing amount of monthly crowdsource funding on Patreon. PATREON NOW HAS A ONE-TIME, ANNUAL DONATION FUNCTION! You can also give a one-time or recurring donation on PayPal. Thank you! “On the Ground: Voices of Resistance from the Nation's Capital” gives a voice to the voiceless 99 percent at the heart of American empire. The award-winning, weekly hour, produced and hosted by Esther Iverem, covers social justice activism about local, national and international issues, with a special emphasis on militarization and war, the police state, the corporate state, environmental justice and the left edge of culture and media. The show is heard on three dozen stations across the United States, on podcast, and is archived on the world wide web at https://onthegroundshow.org/  Please support us on Patreon or Paypal. Links for all ways to support are on our website or at Esther Iverem's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/esther_iverem

The stories of World War 2 can be epic - full of courage and compassion. One of the lesser-known stories is that of Gino Bartali, an Italian cyclist and Tour de France champion who used his position as one of Italy's most famous athletes to help refugees escape Mussolini's Fascist Italy.Now, that story is coming to the stage in Wilmington, when the Delaware Theatre Company presents the US premiere of Glory Ride, a new musical by Victoria Buchholz and Todd Buchholz.To learn more about the show, Delaware Public Media's Martin Matheny talked to Delaware Theatre Company's Producing Artistic Director, Mimi Warnick for this week's Arts Playlist.

'The Future Was Then: The Changing Face of Fascist Italy' at Poster House explores how Mussolini's government shaped art and culture through Futurist-inspired propaganda. Photographer and curator B.A. Van Sise discusses the exhibition, on view through Feb. 22.

Episode Summary:In this episode of Explaining History, Nick explores the neglected connection between economic austerity and political repression in the early years of Fascist Italy.Drawing on the groundbreaking work of economist Clara Mattei, we delve into how Mussolini's regime used budget cuts, regressive taxation, and mass layoffs not just to balance the books, but to crush the Italian working class. We examine the "Two Red Years" (Biennio Rosso) that terrified the bourgeoisie and how Fascism was welcomed by liberal elites as a necessary tool to restore order and protect private capital.From the hiking of third-class rail fares to the slashing of veteran benefits, we unpack how economic policy was weaponized to reverse the democratic gains of the post-WWI era. Was austerity the true engine of the Fascist counter-revolution?Key Topics:Austerity as Repression: How economic policy was used to discipline the working class.The Liberal-Fascist Alliance: Why mainstream economists supported Mussolini.The Biennio Rosso: The socialist uprising that terrified Italy's elites.The Motto "Nothing for Nothing": De Stefani's ruthless approach to public spending.Resources:"Austerity and Repressive Politics: Italian Economists and the Early Years of the Fascist Government" by Clara Mattei (Institute of Economics, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna)Explaining History helps you understand the 20th Century through critical conversations and expert interviews. We connect the past to the present. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe and share.▸ Support the Show & Get Exclusive ContentBecome a Patron: patreon.com/explaininghistory▸ Join the Community & Continue the ConversationFacebook Group: facebook.com/groups/ExplainingHistoryPodcastSubstack: theexplaininghistorypodcast.substack.com▸ Read Articles & Go DeeperWebsite: explaininghistory.org Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello my curious archaeogastronomers!This week's subject is a little bit darker than normal.My reason for doing an episode is that this time of the year, specifically near 28th of October, is that is when traditionally in Greece the commemoration and celebration of liberation from Nazis occupation is celebrated. I wanted to examine the role of the famine in the modern Greek psyche a little.World War 2 was brutal for the Greek people; Greece as country suffered under the triple occupation of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Bulgaria.Roughly 10% of the pre war population perished. A civil war that lasted 4 years ensued after liberation in 1994. Greece lay in ruins. Whoever could, in the 50's immigrated in USA, Australia and Germany to find a better luck.The after effects of the devastation and the great famine of WW2 were felt till recently. The grandmas talk about it, it has passed in the language and in the way people saw food in the subsequent decades.Listen to BBC's Witness History short episode:https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3ct3c59Recommended reading:Famine and death in occupied Greece, 1941-1944: By Violetta Hionidou · 2006The German Occupation Recipes:https://metabook.gr/books/oi-sintaghes-tis-katokhis-natalia-samara-gkaitlikh-20132Much Love,Thom & The Delicious LegacySupport the podcast on Ko-Fi and Patreon for ad-free episodes! https://ko-fi.com/thedeliciouslegacypodcasthttps://www.patreon.com/c/thedeliciouslegacySupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-delicious-legacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Should "good" people work for authoritarians? Does their implicit endorsement do more harm than their replacement by someone potentially worse? This was a common debate during Donald Trump's first term in the White House. Less so, during his second as loyalists assume most top positions in the administration. A century ago, this was a central question for Italy's governing class as Benito Mussolini's fascist movement seized and consolidated power, evolving over three years from a mix of authoritarianism and democracy into full-blown dictatorship. Some chose retirement and some exile. Alberto Beneduce, who publicly denounced fascist violence in 1922 and called for police repression of Mussolini's movement, chose to stay. Over 15 years, this committed socialist leveraged the Duce's trust to build a network of economic agencies that outlasted Mussolini and provided the foundations of post-war Italian capitalism. At his zenith in the late-1930s, Beneduce was on the board of 26 corporations, chaired eight and was - in the words of Lorenzo Castellani, author of Alberto Beneduce, Mussolini's Technocrat: Power, Knowledge, and Institutions in Fascist Italy (Routledge, 2025) - the head of a "state outside the state". Lorenzo Castellani is a tenure-track researcher and professor at LUISS Guido Carli in Rome. Tim Jones is a policy analyst at Medley Advisors and also writes and podcasts on European affairs at 242.news on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Should "good" people work for authoritarians? Does their implicit endorsement do more harm than their replacement by someone potentially worse? This was a common debate during Donald Trump's first term in the White House. Less so, during his second as loyalists assume most top positions in the administration. A century ago, this was a central question for Italy's governing class as Benito Mussolini's fascist movement seized and consolidated power, evolving over three years from a mix of authoritarianism and democracy into full-blown dictatorship. Some chose retirement and some exile. Alberto Beneduce, who publicly denounced fascist violence in 1922 and called for police repression of Mussolini's movement, chose to stay. Over 15 years, this committed socialist leveraged the Duce's trust to build a network of economic agencies that outlasted Mussolini and provided the foundations of post-war Italian capitalism. At his zenith in the late-1930s, Beneduce was on the board of 26 corporations, chaired eight and was - in the words of Lorenzo Castellani, author of Alberto Beneduce, Mussolini's Technocrat: Power, Knowledge, and Institutions in Fascist Italy (Routledge, 2025) - the head of a "state outside the state". Lorenzo Castellani is a tenure-track researcher and professor at LUISS Guido Carli in Rome. Tim Jones is a policy analyst at Medley Advisors and also writes and podcasts on European affairs at 242.news on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Should "good" people work for authoritarians? Does their implicit endorsement do more harm than their replacement by someone potentially worse? This was a common debate during Donald Trump's first term in the White House. Less so, during his second as loyalists assume most top positions in the administration. A century ago, this was a central question for Italy's governing class as Benito Mussolini's fascist movement seized and consolidated power, evolving over three years from a mix of authoritarianism and democracy into full-blown dictatorship. Some chose retirement and some exile. Alberto Beneduce, who publicly denounced fascist violence in 1922 and called for police repression of Mussolini's movement, chose to stay. Over 15 years, this committed socialist leveraged the Duce's trust to build a network of economic agencies that outlasted Mussolini and provided the foundations of post-war Italian capitalism. At his zenith in the late-1930s, Beneduce was on the board of 26 corporations, chaired eight and was - in the words of Lorenzo Castellani, author of Alberto Beneduce, Mussolini's Technocrat: Power, Knowledge, and Institutions in Fascist Italy (Routledge, 2025) - the head of a "state outside the state". Lorenzo Castellani is a tenure-track researcher and professor at LUISS Guido Carli in Rome. Tim Jones is a policy analyst at Medley Advisors and also writes and podcasts on European affairs at 242.news on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/european-studies

Should "good" people work for authoritarians? Does their implicit endorsement do more harm than their replacement by someone potentially worse? This was a common debate during Donald Trump's first term in the White House. Less so, during his second as loyalists assume most top positions in the administration. A century ago, this was a central question for Italy's governing class as Benito Mussolini's fascist movement seized and consolidated power, evolving over three years from a mix of authoritarianism and democracy into full-blown dictatorship. Some chose retirement and some exile. Alberto Beneduce, who publicly denounced fascist violence in 1922 and called for police repression of Mussolini's movement, chose to stay. Over 15 years, this committed socialist leveraged the Duce's trust to build a network of economic agencies that outlasted Mussolini and provided the foundations of post-war Italian capitalism. At his zenith in the late-1930s, Beneduce was on the board of 26 corporations, chaired eight and was - in the words of Lorenzo Castellani, author of Alberto Beneduce, Mussolini's Technocrat: Power, Knowledge, and Institutions in Fascist Italy (Routledge, 2025) - the head of a "state outside the state". Lorenzo Castellani is a tenure-track researcher and professor at LUISS Guido Carli in Rome. Tim Jones is a policy analyst at Medley Advisors and also writes and podcasts on European affairs at 242.news on Substack. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/italian-studies

This year will mark the 100th anniversary of the iconic Alfa Romeo P2's debut. Designed by the legendary Vittorio Jano, the P2 went on to dominate Grand Prix racing in the final two years of the 2-Liter formula. In 1925, Alfa won the first World Championship after which the team duly withdrew from the sport. However, privately owned Alfa P2s continued to participate in racing and win races up until 1930. The sporting achievements of the Alfa P2s are well known, as is the role the car played in establishing Alfa Romeo as Italy's most famous racing marque up until the advent of the Second World War. Less known is the broader significance of the P2 that went well beyond the racetrack. Informed by the history of objects developed by cultural historians, this paper argues that the P2's significance was industrial, cultural, and ultimately political. The achievements of the P2 and the emergence of the Milanese based Alfa company coincided with the establishment of Mussolini's dictatorship in Italy. The Fascist regime used the Alfa's successes to celebrate the rise of Fascist Italy as an industrial and sporting power. Moreover, the unique characteristics of the P2 came to embody the values promoted by fascism such as speed and dominance. Both the design and performance of the car, as well as the men who raced it, came to shape not only Grand Prix racing in the 1920s, but also impacted the role played by the sport in the political and cultural context of Fascist Italy. Paul Baxa is Professor of History at Ave Maria University in Florida. Parts of his most recent book, Motorsport and Fascism: Living Dangerously have been presented at past Argetsinger Symposia. He was privileged to have presented at the first symposium in 2015. ===== (Oo---x---oO) ===== 00:00 The Alfa Romeo P2: A Racing Legend 00:53 The P2's Broader Significance: Fascism and Motorsport 03:00 Historical Context: Italy in the 1920s 04:21 The P2's Racing Achievements 05:11 Design and Engineering of the P2 06:40 The P2 and Italian Industrial Culture 07:34 The P2's Impact on Italian Motorsport 22:11 The P2's Legacy and Continued Influence 26:47 Q&A Session; Closing Remarks and Credits ==================== The Motoring Podcast Network : Years of racing, wrenching and Motorsports experience brings together a top notch collection of knowledge, stories and information. #everyonehasastory #gtmbreakfix - motoringpodcast.net More Information: https://www.motoringpodcast.net/ Become a VIP at: https://www.patreon.com/gtmotorsports Online Magazine: https://www.gtmotorsports.org/ This episode is part of our HISTORY OF MOTORSPORTS SERIES and is sponsored in part by: The International Motor Racing Research Center (IMRRC), The Society of Automotive Historians (SAH), The Watkins Glen Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Argetsinger Family. 

“Italy, Gentlemen, wants peace, wants quiet, wants work, wants calm; we will give it with love, if that be possible, or with strength, if that be necessary.” This is the story of Italy's Benito Mussolini's creation of fascism and rise to power in interwar Italy. Benito starts life the way his father intended—as a socialist—and the often moving, young schoolteacher quickly emerges as a leading voice in the movement as he's entrusted to serve as the editor of one of the party's most important newspapers. But the Great War changes that. Benito supports it, the party doesn't, and by the conflict's end, the returned soldier has a new idea—one that takes him across the political spectrum, all the way from the Marxist left to the nationalist far-right—a violent, war-glorifying, anti-democratic, one-party, dictatorial version of nationalism. He calls it “fascism.”  Benito speaks of order. Economic prosperity. National pride. Some see his black-clad fighting squads, known as “Blackshirts,” as their saviors from the far-left's communism, so feared in the wake of the recent Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. Indeed, many Italians welcome his march on Rome and his growing powers as Prime Minister, and celebrate his foreign policy achievements, including a reconciliation between Italy and the Vatican.  But as Benito kills Italy's constitutional monarchy in all but name as he turns into a dictator, conquers Ethiopia, ignores the League of Nations, and bonds with Germany's rising dictator Adolf Hitler, former allies are growing concerned. Some fear his anti-democratic path will also embolden Germany. As W.E.B. Du Bois questions: “If Italy takes her pound of flesh by force, does anyone suppose that Germany will not make a similar attempt?” Only time will tell. Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. HTDS is part of Audacy media network. Interested in advertising on the History That Doesn't Suck? Contact Audacyinc.com To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode examines The Conformist, Bernardo Bertolucci's 1970 political drama set in 1930s Italy. The film centers on Marcello Clerici (Jean-Louis Trintignant), a mid-level Fascist functionary who is ordered to assassinate his former professor, an anti-fascist dissident living in Paris. The film, which includes many flashbacks to Clerici's early life and decision to join the secret police, provides powerful and chilling insights into the psychology of conformism and fascism The film, widely considered one of the greatest ever made, not only features outstanding performances but also superb production design (Fernando Scarfiotti) and cinematography (Vittorio Storaro) that helps capture Italy under Mussolini. The film is as timely today as it was when it was released, as the world witnesses a resurgence of authoritarianism in the United States and Europe.Timestamps:0:00      Introduction3:45       Fascist Italy under Mussolini7:58       Why Clerici joins the fascists12:39     Repression of sexual orientation and the desire to belong14:10      Why people are vulnerable to fascism18:56      Manganiello and the fascist enforcer23:43     Perspectives on normalcy and the scenes in Paris31:56      How the film speaks to the Trump era36:40     Architecture in Mussolini's Italy39:08     The murder of Quadri and Anna44:39     After Mussolini falls50:30     The lack of consequences for going along with fascism 56:04     The Holocaust in Mussolini's Italy      Further reading:Bosworth, R.J.B., Mussolini's Italy: Life under the Fascist Dictatorship, 1915-1945 (2006)Elbiri, Bilge, “It's Time to See ‘The Conformist' Again,” Vulture (Jan. 14, 2023)Huq, Aziz, "America Is Watching the Rise of a Dual State," The Atlantic (Mar. 23. 2025)Kael, Pauline, “‘The Conformist': The Poetry of Images,” New Yorker (Mar. 27, 1971)   Moravia, Alberto, The Conformist (1951)Musil, Robert, The Man Without Qualities (1930-43) Law on Film is created and produced by Jonathan Hafetz. Jonathan is a professor at Seton Hall Law School. He has written many books and articles about the law. He has litigated important cases to protect civil liberties and human rights while working at the ACLU and other organizations. Jonathan is a huge film buff and has been watching, studying, and talking about movies for as long as he can remember. For more information about Jonathan, here's a link to his bio: https://law.shu.edu/profiles/hafetzjo.htmlYou can contact him at jonathanhafetz@gmail.comYou can follow him on X (Twitter) @jonathanhafetz You can follow the podcast on X (Twitter) @LawOnFilmYou can follow the podcast on Instagram @lawonfilmpodcast

How many BEF troops did Churchill think could be rescued? When did Halifax seek peace terms from Mussolini's Fascist Italy? Why did King George VI call for a National Day Of Prayer? Join James Holland and Al Murray for Part 2 of this Dunkirk series as they deep dive into the intense cabinet debates of Churchill, Chamberlain, and Halifax around May 1940 - the closest time Britain came to surrendering to Nazi Germany in WW2. THE REST OF THE SERIES IS AVAILABLE FOR MEMBERS EARLY & AD FREE - SIGN UP AT patreon.com/wehaveways A Goalhanger Production Produced by James Regan Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Social: @WeHaveWaysPod Email: wehavewayspodcast@gmail.com Join our ‘Independent Company' to watch exclusive livestreams, get presale ticket events, and our weekly newsletter - packed with book and model discounts. Membership Club: patreon.com/wehaveways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

fWotD Episode 2940: Ezra Pound Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia's finest articles.The featured article for Friday, 23 May 2025, is Ezra Pound.Ezra Weston Loomis Pound (30 October 1885 – 1 November 1972) was an American poet and critic, a major figure in the early modernist poetry movement, and a collaborator in Fascist Italy and the Salò Republic during World War II. His works include Ripostes (1912), Hugh Selwyn Mauberley (1920), and his 800-page epic poem The Cantos (c. 1917–1962).Pound's contribution to poetry began in the early 20th century with his role in developing Imagism, a movement stressing precision and economy of language. Working in London as foreign editor of several American literary magazines, he helped discover and shape the work of contemporaries such as H. D., Robert Frost, T. S. Eliot, Ernest Hemingway, and James Joyce. He was responsible for the 1914 serialization of Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, the 1915 publication of Eliot's "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock", and the serialization from 1918 of Joyce's Ulysses. Hemingway wrote in 1932 that, for poets born in the late 19th or early 20th century, not to be influenced by Pound would be "like passing through a great blizzard and not feeling its cold".Angered by the carnage of World War I, Pound blamed the war on finance capitalism, which he called "usury". He moved to Italy in 1924 and through the 1930s and 1940s promoted an economic theory known as social credit, wrote for publications owned by the British fascist Sir Oswald Mosley, embraced Benito Mussolini's fascism, and expressed support for Adolf Hitler. During World War II, Pound recorded hundreds of paid radio propaganda broadcasts for the fascist Italian government and its later incarnation as a German puppet state, in which he attacked the United States federal government, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Great Britain, international finance, munitions makers, arms dealers, Jews, and others, as abettors and prolongers of the war. He also praised both eugenics and the Holocaust in Italy, while urging American GIs to throw down their rifles and surrender. In 1945, Pound was captured by the Italian Resistance and handed over to the U. S. Army's Counterintelligence Corps, who held him pending extradition and prosecution based on an indictment for treason. He spent months in a U. S. military detention camp near Pisa, including three weeks in an outdoor steel cage. Ruled mentally unfit to stand trial, Pound was incarcerated for over 12 years at St. Elizabeths psychiatric hospital in Washington, D. C., whose doctors viewed Pound as a narcissist and a psychopath, but otherwise completely sane.While in custody in Italy, Pound began work on sections of The Cantos, which were published as The Pisan Cantos (1948), for which he was awarded the Bollingen Prize for Poetry in 1949 by the Library of Congress, causing enormous controversy. After a campaign by his fellow writers, he was released from St. Elizabeth's in 1958 and returned to Italy, where he posed for the press giving the Fascist salute and called the United States "an insane asylum". Pound remained in Italy until his death in 1972. His economic and political views have ensured that his life and literary legacy remain highly controversial.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:31 UTC on Friday, 23 May 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Ezra Pound on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Salli.

Geographic labels are sometimes misnomers. The Dead Sea's name is not, for the most part. Its high salinity levels kill most forms of life, barring a couple hardy microbes and algae—and even these are threatened by environmental change. Except the Dead Sea has been part of human history for millennia. Jericho, the world's oldest city, sits nearby. It features prominently in the Bible. Greeks, Romans, Jews, Arabs, Europeans all interact with the Dead Sea. And it's now a tourist hotspot, a source for resources extraction–and a political hotspot, shared between Jordan, Israel, and the contested area of the West Bank. Nir Arielli, professor of international history at the University of Leeds, covers this history in his new book The Dead Sea: A 10,000 Year History (Yale University Press, 2025). Nir is also the author of From Byron to bin Laden: A History of Foreign War Volunteers (Harvard University Press: 2018) and Fascist Italy and the Middle East (Palgrave Macmillan: 2010). He has also written contemporary political commentary for the Globe Post, Haaretz, and the Conversation. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of The Dead Sea. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Geographic labels are sometimes misnomers. The Dead Sea's name is not, for the most part. Its high salinity levels kill most forms of life, barring a couple hardy microbes and algae—and even these are threatened by environmental change. Except the Dead Sea has been part of human history for millennia. Jericho, the world's oldest city, sits nearby. It features prominently in the Bible. Greeks, Romans, Jews, Arabs, Europeans all interact with the Dead Sea. And it's now a tourist hotspot, a source for resources extraction–and a political hotspot, shared between Jordan, Israel, and the contested area of the West Bank. Nir Arielli, professor of international history at the University of Leeds, covers this history in his new book The Dead Sea: A 10,000 Year History (Yale University Press, 2025). Nir is also the author of From Byron to bin Laden: A History of Foreign War Volunteers (Harvard University Press: 2018) and Fascist Italy and the Middle East (Palgrave Macmillan: 2010). He has also written contemporary political commentary for the Globe Post, Haaretz, and the Conversation. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of The Dead Sea. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Geographic labels are sometimes misnomers. The Dead Sea's name is not, for the most part. Its high salinity levels kill most forms of life, barring a couple hardy microbes and algae—and even these are threatened by environmental change. Except the Dead Sea has been part of human history for millennia. Jericho, the world's oldest city, sits nearby. It features prominently in the Bible. Greeks, Romans, Jews, Arabs, Europeans all interact with the Dead Sea. And it's now a tourist hotspot, a source for resources extraction–and a political hotspot, shared between Jordan, Israel, and the contested area of the West Bank. Nir Arielli, professor of international history at the University of Leeds, covers this history in his new book The Dead Sea: A 10,000 Year History (Yale University Press, 2025). Nir is also the author of From Byron to bin Laden: A History of Foreign War Volunteers (Harvard University Press: 2018) and Fascist Italy and the Middle East (Palgrave Macmillan: 2010). He has also written contemporary political commentary for the Globe Post, Haaretz, and the Conversation. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of The Dead Sea. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies

Geographic labels are sometimes misnomers. The Dead Sea's name is not, for the most part. Its high salinity levels kill most forms of life, barring a couple hardy microbes and algae—and even these are threatened by environmental change. Except the Dead Sea has been part of human history for millennia. Jericho, the world's oldest city, sits nearby. It features prominently in the Bible. Greeks, Romans, Jews, Arabs, Europeans all interact with the Dead Sea. And it's now a tourist hotspot, a source for resources extraction–and a political hotspot, shared between Jordan, Israel, and the contested area of the West Bank. Nir Arielli, professor of international history at the University of Leeds, covers this history in his new book The Dead Sea: A 10,000 Year History (Yale University Press, 2025). Nir is also the author of From Byron to bin Laden: A History of Foreign War Volunteers (Harvard University Press: 2018) and Fascist Italy and the Middle East (Palgrave Macmillan: 2010). He has also written contemporary political commentary for the Globe Post, Haaretz, and the Conversation. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of The Dead Sea. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/geography

Episode 111: The 1933 Magenta, Italy UFO CrashDid a UFO crash in Fascist Italy a full 14 years before Roswell? In this episode of the Uncovering Anomalies Podcast (UAP), Adam & Topher investigate the alleged 1933 UFO crash in Magenta, Italy, the Vatican's secret involvement, and how Mussolini supposedly had a UFO retrieval program long before the U.S. did.With new details emerging from whistleblowers like David Grusch, we dig into the history, claims, and evidence surrounding this case. Did Mussolini's fascist regime really recover an extraterrestrial craft? What role did the Vatican and the U.S. play in covering it up? And is this the real beginning of modern UFO retrievals?In Hour 2, we cover the latest UFO/UAP news, including:New whistleblower leaks about crash retrievalsNASA images showing a 'Tic-Tac' UFO on MarsHollywood's growing interest in UFOs and disclosureNJ drones updatesCheck out the sources & links discussed in the episode here.

**Discussion begins at 3:15**World War II was a global conflict that lasted from 1939 to 1945, involving the Allies (primarily the U.S, UK, and Soviet Union) fighting against the Axis powers, led by Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Fascist Italy. The war resulted in massive destruction, the Holocaust, and the reshaping of international power dynamics, ultimately leading to the formation of the United Nations and the beginning of the Cold War.  During the war, the Nazis looted vast amounts of wealth, including gold, art, jewelry, and other precious materials. Much of the gold came from the central banks of occupied countries, particularly Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Poland. They also seized gold from Jewish families, including rings, teeth fillings, and other personal items.  As Germany faced inevitable defeat, high-ranking Nazi officials began to move large amounts of this looted wealth, including gold, out of sight. There were reports that huge amounts of gold were secretly stored in vaults, and some Nazi leaders began transferring the gold to places like Switzerland, where neutral banks could hold it safely.  There are also theories that gold was hidden in underground bunkers, caves, or remote locations across Europe, either to be recovered later or to be kept out of the hands of the Allies.  What do we know about the Nazi Gold, and is there more still out there?Send us a textSupport the showTheme song by INDA

As of recording time, RFK Jr has not yet been confirmed to the HHS Secretary position by the Senate. That might change by publication date. But if we were setting odds on this confirmation, we'd say put your money on Bobby. So, WTF. Bobby Brainworms will be in charge of US public health, and its influence around the world. Our years of reporting on him have been defeated by the influencer noise of the MAHA Mamas. But we. Will. Carry. On. Julian reviews the misinfo docket. Derek runs down the bureaucratic implications. And Matthew speculates on just how perfect someone like RFK Jr would be as the domestic health figurehead of a fascist movement, if, you know, that were ever to be possible. Show Notes Some Cancers Rising Amongst Younger people Increased Lung Cancer from the 1960s to 80s. Lung Cancer Rates Today Smoking Suppresses Appetite and Results in Lower BMI for Some 64% of Adults in UK Overweight 65% of Australians Overweight Diabetes Was 1.8% in the US in 1960 11.6% of US Population Has Diabetes Risk of Alzheimer's Doubles Every 5 Years After 65 30% of Smokers are Overweight or Obese A recent study did NOT show vaccines cause autism, but RFK Jr. keeps pushing the lie. “A New Academic Publishing Model”: Right-Wing Dark Money Group Launches Fringe Medical Journal Judge Orders White House to Unblock Funding for NIH, Others RFK Jr.'s financial disclosures reveal millions in both debt and income as he awaits HHS confirmation Racial ‘Sterility' and ‘Hyperfecundity' in Fascist Italy. Biological Politics of Sex and Reproduction in  History of fascism, reproductive rights offers lessons for today Are tyrants good for your health?  When the leader is ill—or addicted to cocaine, meth, steroids, or hormones Five Pseudosciences That Fueled the Nazis ‘Hitler Was Centre of Our Lives': Confessions of Nazi Criminals' Wives | History | Nuremberg. Casus pacis  Theodor Morell: Hitler's Particularly Odious Physician  Public Health Under the Third Reich Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are dropping in your feed today to share a series that we know you will enjoy. Pack One Bag is epic true story of an Italian family, split apart by love, fascism and war. Through shocking discoveries - and Stanley Tucci’s artistry - an enthralling personal history comes to life. When documentarian David Modigliani was a kid, his grandfather, Franco, won the Nobel Prize. But, David’s always been more fascinated by the love story that made it possible -- his grandparents' romance on the run from Fascist Italy. When he digs into their story, he uncovers a darker side to their fairytale escape: a brother left behind to face the Nazi occupation - and startling personal connections between his family and Benito Mussolini. In the Tribeca-winning podcast, PACK ONE BAG, he returns to Italy to investigate his family's past, carrying a pressing question: if Fascism takes over your country, do you stay, or do you try to flee? And what happens if you can’t? You’re about to hear a preview of the first episode of Pack One Bag. After you listen, head to https://lemonada.lnk.to/packonebagfd to hear more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this week's episode of the MK3D show Mark Kermode talks to a director who is a legend in his own lifetime: Guillermo Del Toro, together with his co-director for the stop-motion animation musical about Pinocchio, Mark Gustafson. GUILLERMO DEL TORO'S PINOCCHIO released at the end of 2022 is based on Carlo Collodi's novel, The Adventures of Pinocchio, about the wooden puppet who comes to life as the son of his carver, Geppetto. Set in Fascist Italy, the characters are voiced by Gregory Mann as Pinocchio and David Bradley as Geppetto, alongside Ewan McGregor, Ron Perlman, John Turturro, Cate Blanchett, Tim Blake Nelson, Christopher Waltz and Tilda Swinton. Pinocchio was the final film credited to Gustafson before he passed away in 2024.This episode of Kermode On Film is the second half of the MK3D show recorded live at the BFI Southbank on 23 January 2023.Thank you for listening!———————The opening title sequence of Kermode on Film uses quotes from:- Mary Poppins, directed by Robert Stevenson and distributed by Walt Disney Motion Pictures – quote featuring Julie Andrews.- Nope, written, directed and produced by Jordan Peele, and distributed by Universal Studios – quote featuring Keke Palmer.- Withnail & I, written and directed by Bruce Robinson, and distributed by HandMade Films – quote featuring Richard E Grant.- The Exorcist, written by William Peter Blatty and directed by William Friedkin, distributed by Warner Brothers – quote featuring Ellen Burstyn and Linda Blair.We love these films. We urge you to seek them out, and watch them, again and again.They are masterpieces!Kermode on Film is an HLA Agency production.Cover photo by Julie Edwards.This episode was edited by Alex Archbold Jones.© HLA AgencyHosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.#MarkKermode #MK3D #KermodeOnFilm #BFI #BFISouthbank #GuillermoDelToro #Mark Gustafson #AndreaRiseborough #ToLeslie #MaryNighy #AliceDarling #Lesley #Pinocchio Films and TV series mentioned in this episode: Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey, Fail Better listeners. It's Thanksgiving week, and I'm sharing a show that trades in some of the same themes of this holiday: family, hardship, and reunion. The show is called Pack One Bag, featuring Stanley Tucci and the documentarian David Modigliani, and it tells the true story of how David's Italian family was split apart by war and Fascism. They uncover the romance on the run that made so many things possible — like for David's grandfather to win the Nobel prize and for the family he left behind to face the Nazi occupation. This limited series from Lemonada is a must-listen, and you can find the rest of the episodes here: https://lemonada.lnk.to/packonebag  EPISODE 1 -- In 1939, Franco Modigliani escaped Fascist Italy for the United States. He'd go on to win a Nobel Prize, but his grandson, David, is most interested in the romance-on-the-run that made it all possible. When David digs into his grandparents' fairytale escape, he uncovers a darker side of the story - and a romance of his own. For more, tap to follow @packonebag on Instagram, TikTok and X and visit the show's website. Follow me on Instagram at @davidduchovny. Stay up to date with Lemonada on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show and get bonus content. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. And if you want to continue the conversation with other listeners, join the My Lemonada community at https://lemonadamedia.com/mylemonada/ For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With Mussolini's Nation-Empire: Sovereignty and Settlement in Italy's Borderlands, 1922–1943 (Cambridge UP, 2017), Roberta Pergher transforms our understanding of Fascist rule. Examining Fascist Italy's efforts to control the antipodes of its realm - the regions annexed in northern Italy after the First World War, and Italy's North African colonies - she shows how the regime struggled to imagine and implement Italian sovereignty over alien territories and peoples.  Contrary to the claims of existing scholarship, Fascist settlement policy in these regions was not designed to solve an overpopulation problem, but to bolster Italian claims to rule in an era that prized self-determination and no longer saw imperial claims as self-evident. Professor Pergher explores the character and impact of Fascist settlement policy and the degree to which ordinary Italians participated in and challenged the regime's efforts to Italianize contested territory. Employing models and concepts from the historiography of empire, she shows how Fascist Italy rethought the boundaries between national and imperial rule. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

With Mussolini's Nation-Empire: Sovereignty and Settlement in Italy's Borderlands, 1922–1943 (Cambridge UP, 2017), Roberta Pergher transforms our understanding of Fascist rule. Examining Fascist Italy's efforts to control the antipodes of its realm - the regions annexed in northern Italy after the First World War, and Italy's North African colonies - she shows how the regime struggled to imagine and implement Italian sovereignty over alien territories and peoples.  Contrary to the claims of existing scholarship, Fascist settlement policy in these regions was not designed to solve an overpopulation problem, but to bolster Italian claims to rule in an era that prized self-determination and no longer saw imperial claims as self-evident. Professor Pergher explores the character and impact of Fascist settlement policy and the degree to which ordinary Italians participated in and challenged the regime's efforts to Italianize contested territory. Employing models and concepts from the historiography of empire, she shows how Fascist Italy rethought the boundaries between national and imperial rule. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

With Mussolini's Nation-Empire: Sovereignty and Settlement in Italy's Borderlands, 1922–1943 (Cambridge UP, 2017), Roberta Pergher transforms our understanding of Fascist rule. Examining Fascist Italy's efforts to control the antipodes of its realm - the regions annexed in northern Italy after the First World War, and Italy's North African colonies - she shows how the regime struggled to imagine and implement Italian sovereignty over alien territories and peoples.  Contrary to the claims of existing scholarship, Fascist settlement policy in these regions was not designed to solve an overpopulation problem, but to bolster Italian claims to rule in an era that prized self-determination and no longer saw imperial claims as self-evident. Professor Pergher explores the character and impact of Fascist settlement policy and the degree to which ordinary Italians participated in and challenged the regime's efforts to Italianize contested territory. Employing models and concepts from the historiography of empire, she shows how Fascist Italy rethought the boundaries between national and imperial rule. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-studies

I bring my coverage of the Italo-Ethiopian war to a close today with a two-topic episode. First I cover events and changes in Italy brought on by the war, and then I give a general overview of the brutal regime and resulting insurgency in Ethiopia.    Bibliography for this episode:  Mockler, Anthony Haile Selassie's War Oliver Branch Press 2003 Pearce, Jeff Prevail: The Inspiring Story of Ethiopia's Victory over Mussolini's Invasion, 1935-41 Skyhorse Publishing 2014 Strang, G. Bruce Collision of Empires: Italy's Invasion of Ethiopia and its International Impact Rutledge 2013 Gooch, John Mussolini and His Generals Cambridge University Press, 2007 Mallett, Robert Mussolini in Ethiopia, 1919-1935: The Origins of Fascist Italy's African War Cambridge University Press 2015 Kallis, Aristotle A. Fascist Ideology: Territory and Expansionism in Italy and Germany, 1922-1945 Routledge 2000 Bosworth, RJB Mussolini's Italy Penguin Group 2005 Bosworth, RJB Mussolini Oxford University Press 2002 Whittam, John Fascist Italy Manchester University Press 1995 Morgan, Phillip Italian Fascism 1919-1945 St. Martin's Press 1995   Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com

One immediate effect of the Italians invading Ethiopia was that it kicked the international crisis that had formed beforehand into overdrive. Most governments might have preferred to keep to a light touch response, but public outcry was such that governments had to either respond or face actual consequences. But despite public pressure and the downfall of some politicians, help was badly lacking for the Ethiopians.    Bibliography for this episode:  Strang, G. Bruce Collision of Empires: Italy's Invasion of Ethiopia and its International Impact Rutledge 2013 Mockler, Anthony Haile Selassie's War Oliver Branch Press 2003 Pearce, Jeff Prevail: The Inspiring Story of Ethiopia's Victory over Mussolini's Invasion, 1935-41 Skyhorse Publishing 2014 Mallett, Robert Mussolini in Ethiopia, 1919-1935: The Origins of Fascist Italy's African War Cambridge University Press 2015   Questions? Comments? Email me at peaceintheirtime@gmail.com

We are dropping in your feed today to share a new series that we know you will enjoy. Pack One Bag is epic true story of an Italian family, split apart by love, fascism and war. Through shocking discoveries - and Stanley Tucci's artistry - an enthralling personal history comes to life.  When documentarian David Modigliani was a kid, his grandfather, Franco, won the Nobel Prize. But, David's always been more fascinated by the love story that made it possible -- his grandparents' romance on the run from Fascist Italy. When he digs into their story, he uncovers a darker side to their fairytale escape: a brother left behind to face the Nazi occupation - and startling personal connections between his family and Benito Mussolini. In the Tribeca-winning podcast, PACK ONE BAG, he returns to Italy to investigate his family's past, carrying a pressing question: if Fascism takes over your country, do you stay, or do you try to flee? And what happens if you can't?  You're about to hear a preview of the first episode of Pack One Bag. After you listen, head to https://lemonada.lnk.to/packonebagfd to hear more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are dropping in your feed today to share a new series that we know you will enjoy. Pack One Bag is an epic true story of an Italian family, split apart by love, fascism and war. Through shocking discoveries - and Stanley Tucci's artistry - an enthralling personal history comes to life.  When documentarian David Modigliani was a kid, his grandfather, Franco, won the Nobel Prize. But, David's always been more fascinated by the love story that made it possible -- his grandparents' romance on the run from Fascist Italy. When he digs into their story, he uncovers a darker side to their fairytale escape: a brother left behind to face the Nazi occupation - and startling personal connections between his family and Benito Mussolini. In the Tribeca-winning podcast, PACK ONE BAG, he returns to Italy to investigate his family's past, carrying a pressing question: if Fascism takes over your country, do you stay, or do you try to flee? And what happens if you can't?  You're about to hear a preview of the first episode of Pack One Bag. After you listen, head to https://lemonada.lnk.to/packonebagfd to hear more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Pack One Bag" is exactly the sort of story we often tell on "Family Ghosts." A documentarian named David Modigliani grows up with a fairy tale version of his grandparents' daring escape from Fascist Italy. But as an adult, he discovers that the fairy tale was only part of the story. This revelation sends him across the ocean in search of answers to disturbing questions: why are there friendly letters from Benito Mussolini to David's great-grandfather? What happened to the family members who didn't make it out of the country and were forced to flee their homes? What responsibility does David have to his family's past - and to its future? It's an epic story of love, longing, separation, redemption, and the malleability of historical memory. And it just so happens to feature the voice talents of Signore Stanley Tucci! Your humble Ghost Host Sam worked closely with David for over two years as the story editor on "Pack One Bag," and we're excited to introduce you to the first episode. If you like it, follow the series in your podcast player of choice. Thank you for listening!

We are dropping in your feed today to share a new series that we know you will enjoy. Pack One Bag is epic true story of an Italian family, split apart by love, fascism and war. Through shocking discoveries - and Stanley Tucci's artistry - an enthralling personal history comes to life.  When documentarian David Modigliani was a kid, his grandfather, Franco, won the Nobel Prize. But, David's always been more fascinated by the love story that made it possible -- his grandparents' romance on the run from Fascist Italy. When he digs into their story, he uncovers a darker side to their fairytale escape: a brother left behind to face the Nazi occupation - and startling personal connections between his family and Benito Mussolini. In the Tribeca-winning podcast, PACK ONE BAG, he returns to Italy to investigate his family's past, carrying a pressing question: if Fascism takes over your country, do you stay, or do you try to flee? And what happens if you can't?  You're about to hear a preview of the first episode of Pack One Bag. After you listen, head to https://lemonada.lnk.to/packonebagfd to hear more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are dropping in your feed today to share a new series that we know you will enjoy. Pack One Bag is epic true story of an Italian family, split apart by love, fascism and war. Through shocking discoveries - and Stanley Tucci's artistry - an enthralling personal history comes to life.  When documentarian David Modigliani was a kid, his grandfather, Franco, won the Nobel Prize. But, David's always been more fascinated by the love story that made it possible -- his grandparents' romance on the run from Fascist Italy. When he digs into their story, he uncovers a darker side to their fairytale escape: a brother left behind to face the Nazi occupation - and startling personal connections between his family and Benito Mussolini. In the Tribeca-winning podcast, PACK ONE BAG, he returns to Italy to investigate his family's past, carrying a pressing question: if Fascism takes over your country, do you stay, or do you try to flee? And what happens if you can't?  You're about to hear a preview of the first episode of Pack One Bag. After you listen, head to https://lemonada.lnk.to/packonebagfd to hear more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are dropping in your feed today to share a new series that we know you will enjoy. Pack One Bag is epic true story of an Italian family, split apart by love, fascism and war. Through shocking discoveries - and Stanley Tucci's artistry - an enthralling personal history comes to life.  When documentarian David Modigliani was a kid, his grandfather, Franco, won the Nobel Prize. But, David's always been more fascinated by the love story that made it possible -- his grandparents' romance on the run from Fascist Italy. When he digs into their story, he uncovers a darker side to their fairytale escape: a brother left behind to face the Nazi occupation - and startling personal connections between his family and Benito Mussolini. In the Tribeca-winning podcast, PACK ONE BAG, he returns to Italy to investigate his family's past, carrying a pressing question: if Fascism takes over your country, do you stay, or do you try to flee? And what happens if you can't? You're about to hear a preview of the first episode of Pack One Bag. After you listen, head to https://lemonada.lnk.to/packonebagfd to hear more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are dropping in your feed today to share a new series that we know you will enjoy. Pack One Bag is epic true story of an Italian family, split apart by love, fascism and war. Through shocking discoveries - and Stanley Tucci's artistry - an enthralling personal history comes to life.  When documentarian David Modigliani was a kid, his grandfather, Franco, won the Nobel Prize. But, David's always been more fascinated by the love story that made it possible -- his grandparents' romance on the run from Fascist Italy. When he digs into their story, he uncovers a darker side to their fairytale escape: a brother left behind to face the Nazi occupation - and startling personal connections between his family and Benito Mussolini. In the Tribeca-winning podcast, PACK ONE BAG, he returns to Italy to investigate his family's past, carrying a pressing question: if Fascism takes over your country, do you stay, or do you try to flee? And what happens if you can't?  You're about to hear a preview of the first episode of Pack One Bag. After you listen, head to https://lemonada.lnk.to/packonebagfd to hear more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are dropping in your feed today to share a new series that we know you will enjoy. Pack One Bag is epic true story of an Italian family, split apart by love, fascism and war. Through shocking discoveries - and Stanley Tucci's artistry - an enthralling personal history comes to life.  When documentarian David Modigliani was a kid, his grandfather, Franco, won the Nobel Prize. But, David's always been more fascinated by the love story that made it possible -- his grandparents' romance on the run from Fascist Italy. When he digs into their story, he uncovers a darker side to their fairytale escape: a brother left behind to face the Nazi occupation - and startling personal connections between his family and Benito Mussolini. In the Tribeca-winning podcast, PACK ONE BAG, he returns to Italy to investigate his family's past, carrying a pressing question: if Fascism takes over your country, do you stay, or do you try to flee? And what happens if you can't?  You're about to hear a preview of the first episode of Pack One Bag. After you listen, head to https://lemonada.lnk.to/packonebagfd to hear more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are dropping in your feed today to share a new series that we know you will enjoy. Pack One Bag is epic true story of an Italian family, split apart by love, fascism and war. Through shocking discoveries - and Stanley Tucci's artistry - an enthralling personal history comes to life.  When documentarian David Modigliani was a kid, his grandfather, Franco, won the Nobel Prize. But, David's always been more fascinated by the love story that made it possible -- his grandparents' romance on the run from Fascist Italy. When he digs into their story, he uncovers a darker side to their fairytale escape: a brother left behind to face the Nazi occupation - and startling personal connections between his family and Benito Mussolini. In the Tribeca-winning podcast, PACK ONE BAG, he returns to Italy to investigate his family's past, carrying a pressing question: if Fascism takes over your country, do you stay, or do you try to flee? And what happens if you can't?  You're about to hear a preview of the first episode of Pack One Bag. After you listen, head to https://lemonada.lnk.to/packonebagfd to hear more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are dropping in your feed today to share a new series that we know you will enjoy. Pack One Bag is epic true story of an Italian family, split apart by love, fascism and war. Through shocking discoveries - and Stanley Tucci's artistry - an enthralling personal history comes to life.  When documentarian David Modigliani was a kid, his grandfather, Franco, won the Nobel Prize. But, David's always been more fascinated by the love story that made it possible -- his grandparents' romance on the run from Fascist Italy. When he digs into their story, he uncovers a darker side to their fairytale escape: a brother left behind to face the Nazi occupation - and startling personal connections between his family and Benito Mussolini. In the Tribeca-winning podcast, PACK ONE BAG, he returns to Italy to investigate his family's past, carrying a pressing question: if Fascism takes over your country, do you stay, or do you try to flee? And what happens if you can't?  You're about to hear a preview of the first episode of Pack One Bag. After you listen, head to https://lemonada.lnk.to/packonebagfd to hear more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are dropping in your feed today to share a new series that we know you will enjoy. Pack One Bag is epic true story of an Italian family, split apart by love, fascism and war. Through shocking discoveries - and Stanley Tucci's artistry - an enthralling personal history comes to life.  When documentarian David Modigliani was a kid, his grandfather, Franco, won the Nobel Prize. But, David's always been more fascinated by the love story that made it possible -- his grandparents' romance on the run from Fascist Italy. When he digs into their story, he uncovers a darker side to their fairytale escape: a brother left behind to face the Nazi occupation - and startling personal connections between his family and Benito Mussolini. In the Tribeca-winning podcast, PACK ONE BAG, he returns to Italy to investigate his family's past, carrying a pressing question: if Fascism takes over your country, do you stay, or do you try to flee? And what happens if you can't?  You're about to hear a preview of the first episode of Pack One Bag. After you listen, head to https://lemonada.lnk.to/packonebagfd to hear more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are dropping in your feed today to share a new series that we know you will enjoy. Pack One Bag is epic true story of an Italian family, split apart by love, fascism and war. Through shocking discoveries - and Stanley Tucci's artistry - an enthralling personal history comes to life.  When documentarian David Modigliani was a kid, his grandfather, Franco, won the Nobel Prize. But, David's always been more fascinated by the love story that made it possible -- his grandparents' romance on the run from Fascist Italy. When he digs into their story, he uncovers a darker side to their fairytale escape: a brother left behind to face the Nazi occupation - and startling personal connections between his family and Benito Mussolini. In the Tribeca-winning podcast, PACK ONE BAG, he returns to Italy to investigate his family's past, carrying a pressing question: if Fascism takes over your country, do you stay, or do you try to flee? And what happens if you can't?  You're about to hear a preview of the first episode of Pack One Bag. After you listen, head to https://lemonada.lnk.to/packonebagfd to hear more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are dropping in your feed today to share a new series that we know you will enjoy. Pack One Bag is epic true story of an Italian family, split apart by love, fascism and war. Through shocking discoveries - and Stanley Tucci's artistry - an enthralling personal history comes to life.  When documentarian David Modigliani was a kid, his grandfather, Franco, won the Nobel Prize. But, David's always been more fascinated by the love story that made it possible -- his grandparents' romance on the run from Fascist Italy. When he digs into their story, he uncovers a darker side to their fairytale escape: a brother left behind to face the Nazi occupation - and startling personal connections between his family and Benito Mussolini. In the Tribeca-winning podcast, PACK ONE BAG, he returns to Italy to investigate his family's past, carrying a pressing question: if Fascism takes over your country, do you stay, or do you try to flee? And what happens if you can't?  You're about to hear a preview of the first episode of Pack One Bag. After you listen, head to https://lemonada.lnk.to/packonebagfd to hear more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are dropping in your feed today to share a new series that we know you will enjoy. Pack One Bag is epic true story of an Italian family, split apart by love, fascism and war. Through shocking discoveries - and Stanley Tucci's artistry - an enthralling personal history comes to life.  When documentarian David Modigliani was a kid, his grandfather, Franco, won the Nobel Prize. But, David's always been more fascinated by the love story that made it possible -- his grandparents' romance on the run from Fascist Italy. When he digs into their story, he uncovers a darker side to their fairytale escape: a brother left behind to face the Nazi occupation - and startling personal connections between his family and Benito Mussolini. In the Tribeca-winning podcast, PACK ONE BAG, he returns to Italy to investigate his family's past, carrying a pressing question: if Fascism takes over your country, do you stay, or do you try to flee? And what happens if you can't?  You're about to hear a preview of the first episode of Pack One Bag. After you listen, head to https://lemonada.lnk.to/packonebagfd to hear more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are dropping in your feed today to share a new series that we know you will enjoy. Pack One Bag is epic true story of an Italian family, split apart by love, fascism and war. Through shocking discoveries - and Stanley Tucci's artistry - an enthralling personal history comes to life.  When documentarian David Modigliani was a kid, his grandfather, Franco, won the Nobel Prize. But, David's always been more fascinated by the love story that made it possible -- his grandparents' romance on the run from Fascist Italy. When he digs into their story, he uncovers a darker side to their fairytale escape: a brother left behind to face the Nazi occupation - and startling personal connections between his family and Benito Mussolini. In the Tribeca-winning podcast, PACK ONE BAG, he returns to Italy to investigate his family's past, carrying a pressing question: if Fascism takes over your country, do you stay, or do you try to flee? And what happens if you can't?  You're about to hear a preview of the first episode of Pack One Bag. After you listen, head to https://lemonada.lnk.to/packonebagfd to hear more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Pact of Steel stipulated that Germany and Italy would support each other militarily and politically in the event of war, promising mutual assistance and ...

On Point news analyst Jack Beatty on the rise in Donald Trump's use of rhetoric and imagery associated with 1930's Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Two leading historians say the former president represents a present-day form of fascism. About: Hosted by Meghna Chakrabarti, On Point is WBUR's award-winning, daily public radio show and podcast. Its unique combination of original reporting, first-person stories, and in-depth analysis creates an experience that makes the world more intelligible and humane. Deep dives. Original stories. Fresh takes. We'd appreciate your help to better understand On Point's podcast listeners and get your feedback — it'll take you about 10 minutes or less! Take our survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/onpointpodcast