M : Son of the Century by Antonio Scurati
Literary Adventure
By John Bregoli
Antonio Scurati ’ s extraordinary new novel , just now translated into English , was a runaway bestseller in Italy when it came out in 2018 , going on to win the country ’ s most prestigious literary prize .
You ’ d be hard pressed to find a subject more fascinating — or a profile more recognizable — than Benito Mussolini , the Fascist dictator who ruled Italy from 1922 until 1945 . Revered by his followers as “ Il Duce ” and promising to bring Italy back to the glory of the Roman Empire , Mussolini ’ s violent rise to power was met by an equally violent end — executed by partisans and hung by his feet from the girders of an Esso station in Milan .
But there ’ s nothing about Mussolini ’ s grisly demise in this book . The first of four planned volumes , “ M ” concludes with the 1925 speech that marked the start of Mussolini ’ s dictatorship .
Mostly told through the mind of Il Duce himself , “ M ” opens in early spring in Milan . World War I is over . The soldiers have come home . The rewards Italy expected for fighting with the Allies didn ’ t pan out . During the peace settlement at Versailles , the Italian delegation was all but ignored by the “ Big Three ” ( U . S ., Britain , and France ). Italy felt humiliated , and the public blamed everything on their weak leaders . Mussolini ’ s time had come .
Fascism was born on March 23 , 1919 , in the Milan offices of Il Popolo d ’ Italia ( the People of Italy ), the pro-war newspaper Mussolini founded five years earlier . He had been the successful editor of the Socialist Party newspaper , Avanti — but was kicked out of the party for favoring Italy ’ s military intervention in the war . Now a fervent nationalist , Mussolini gathers some disgruntled ex-soldiers and establishes the Fasci di Combattimento ( groups of combat ).
Who were these Fascists ? “ We are a populace of ex-soldiers , a humanity of survivors , of dregs ,” says Mussolini . What were they about ? Even its creator didn ’ t quite know . “ Yes , of course they are something new ,” he says , “ something unheard of ... an anti-party . That ’ s it ... the fascists are an anti-party !”
After the “ anti-party ” fails miserably in the 1919 parliamentary elections , Mussolini unleashes his squadristi on his opponents on the left . While he promises to restore order and national pride , his black-shirted armed thugs think nothing of clubbing members of the opposing parties to death . And with each wave of violence , membership in the Fascist Party soars . “ The masses are already longing for a d i c t a t o r ,” Mussolini proclaims in 1921 .
Scurati reveals Mussolini in all his guises , including the theatrical blowhard we ’ re all familiar with : “ jutting his neck out , he clenches his jaw and searches for breathable air , his already nearly bald cranium tilted up to the sky .” But Mussolini was no clown . Scurati reminds us that he was a master manipulator that used terrorism and intimidation against all obstacles to gain power — like his infamous 1922 “ March on Rome ,” in which the Fascists threatened a widespread violent uprising across Italy unless Mussolini was appointed prime minister . It was all a bluff , but it works , and 39-year-old Mussolini becomes “ the youngest ruler in the world at the time of his ascent .”
But that was the easy part . Italy is still a democratic government . The real thorn in Mussolini ’ s side is a stubborn socialist named Giacomo Matteotti , who is soon found brutally murdered . When everyone calls for Mussolini ’ s resignation , the Duce makes a speech in parliament : “ If fascism has been a band of criminals ,” he shouts , “ I am the leader of this criminal band .” The room erupts in cheers . It is January 3 , 1925 , and the dictatorship begins .
You can still see sites associated with Mussolini in Italy , including the balcony above the Piazza Venezia in Rome where he gave speeches to thousands of Italians gathered below to shouts of , Il Duce , Il Duce ! But the gas station in Milan is long gone — I ’ m not exactly sure what happened there , but I have three more of Scurati ’ s books to find out .
John Bregoli has been writing for O . A . T . for more than 16 years . An avid reader , his favorite literary quote is from Groucho Marx : “ Outside of a dog , a book is man ’ s best friend . Inside of a dog it ’ s too dark to read .”
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