Creation of Anti-Semitism in Italy

La Difesa della Razza Covers.
Source: Servi's "Building a Racial State..." plates A-D

Perhaps the most interesting aspects of the Italian Holocaust were the tools used to create anti-Semitic propaganda. In 1939, a magazine called La Difesa della Rassa began its circulation. The magazine aimed to promote anti-Semitism throughout Italy; however, the fact that it was needed proved that the anti-Semitic tendencies in Italy were weak.

The Fascist regime aimed to change the feelings toward the Jews after 1938, when they had passed the racial anti-Semitic laws.¹ Creating racial stereotypes, in theory, would change the Italian people's mindset toward the Jews thereby paving the ways for the anti-Semitic laws. On the ideological level, Manifesto of the Racist Scientists was published in July 1938.² It used a scientific platform to define the idea of race and give meaning to anti-Semitism as a form of racism.³

The manifesto declared that there was indeed a "pure Italian race" and that it was Aryan. It also proclaimed, "It is time that the Italians proclaim themselves frankly racist."⁴ The concept of a biological race was outline, and it was expected that the general Italian population would accept this "truth".

However, it is clear that Mussolini thought that the manifesto was not enough. La Difesa della Rassa employed highly illustrated means, such as diagrams and cartoons, to convey stereotypes.⁵ The reason for this is clear; not all Italians were literate. By providing non-literate people with graphic representation of Jews which were clearly vilifying them, the message could still be conveyed. Not only did the articles vilify the Jews, but so did the colorful photographs, charts, and diagrams, which supported the new policy of racism.⁶

La Difesa della Razza Image associating Jews with Spiders
Source: Servi's "Building a Racial State..." page 134

To do this, Jews were often compared and associated with things that Italians culturally thought to be vile. The illustrators used spiders, snakes, insects, and murderers.⁷ Another tactic was to accuse the Jews of ritual murder.⁸ This accusation was not a new one; in medieval Europe, the Jews often suffered attacks because of it.⁹ By updating an already known legend, the authors hoped to instill anger and resentment against the Jews. However, this did not work. Many Jews in interviews after the war stated that the people who hid them asked if they participated in ritual sacrifices. While Italians were indoctrinated, they still questioned it, and the accusation did not stop them from aiding the Jews.

Below: La Difesa della Razza connecting Jews to the Bolshevik. Source: Pisanty's La difesa della razza: antologia 1938-1943 page 199

While the magazine creators used new image methods, they did not hesitate to draw from the centuries of prejudices of Judaism.¹⁰ Before 1938, many of the Jews were middle and upper middle class.¹¹ So, they also used an economic attack, which used the envy caused by some Jews' success to create ambivalence towards them.¹² Furthermore, the magazine also promoted the idea that Jews had a monopoly on education. One of the main targets was Albert Einstein.¹³

Finally, it is important to know that there was one main binary in the Fascist system: friend or foe.¹⁴ Initially, Mussolini made it clear that the Jews were not enemies, but the Bolshevik were.¹⁵ The magazine also began to associate the Jews with the Bolshevik in attempts to draw a parallel. To the right is an image of such a parallel.

However, after 1938, Jewish Italians did claim that there was a shift in the climate. Some Italians stopped associating with their Jewish friends, but this was more due to the new laws than the propaganda.¹⁶

Due to the highly graphical content of this magazine, not all of the graphics can fit on this page. So, there is a compilation of some of the images in the image gallery.

Footnotes

1. Servi 115
2. Rhyne
3. Servi 118
4. Rhyne
5. Servi 117
6. Servi 120
7. Servi 135
8. Servi 122
9. Servi 124
10. Servi 120
11. Nidam-Orvieto 159
12. Servi 132
13. Servi 139
14. Bookbinder 100
15. Bookbinder 101
16. Nidam-Orvieto 164

For more information on these footnotes, please see the sources.

© Kylie McCormick, Mount Holyoke College 2008.