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The governement of Horthy was not fascist! Fascism was installed by Szálasi government for a short period of time! http://historicaltextarchive.com/horthy/

Questions that need to be answered by the article

What governments were self-described fascist? Only Mussolini, or did others lay claim?

What are some other specific elements of fascism (especially something specific to fascism and not, say, Nazism, or is Nazism encompassed by fascism)?? The Roman-style stiff-arm salute is engagingly specific.

Text transferred from article:

Any discussion regarding Fascism suffers the risk of being undermitted to political or ideological considerations and concepts which might underline with more evidence certain aspects of the fenomenon rather than other ones, so anything might regard this relatively recent epoque, immediately gets a dramatic temperature.

Italian Fascism was however for its country (and in its country) a deeply and widely appreciated social system in which on one side there were quite thrilling applications of individual controls and deprivations of freedom (even if this is what happened by other means in all Europe at that time); on the other side, during Fascism a poor country as Italy was, was built as a strong nation, finally unified below the same flag (still, after the Unity of 1860 there was no national feeling and no common language), economically brought up to self-sufficiency after decades of emigration abroad.

The growth of italian economical indexes (industrial development, average income, productivity, ...) coincided with an international political crisis that saw on unconciliable positions Italy and S.D.N. (Societé des Nations, first international global association from which UNO was born after WWII); this resulted in an "embargo" to italian goods (defense of commerce with Italy). Italy, or should we say Fascism, answered with "Autarchia", a campaign meant to demonstrate that the nation, still not rich, would have been able to sufficiently survive without foreign economical or commercial contribution (this applied to German goods too). So, as a curiosity, really everything was made or produced in Italy: coffee, the national liquid, had been substituted with "ciofega" (made with national cereals), wool was produced in Sardinia, there was an italian benzine, and every kind of product or component had to be completely italian. In case of unavailable goods, the State supported the creation of industries or other instruments to make it. The expected weakening effect of embargo is still to be clearly verified, indeed. Italians were able to find petrol too in their territory, just before the beginning of WWII, and their economy was effectively self-sufficient. More, the effort to provide any particular product remaining inside the borders, gave this nation a productive system settled up in little time but still central in today's economy. For the first time, besides, Italians were able to consider themselves a People with its proper identity, able to claim respect for their nationality.

Reformations and innovations were brought to everyday's life in an unexpectable manner. Poorness was fought with the first social interventions and suburbs were created and houses built for homeless and poors, actually living in sort of favelas. Health system was invented, as well as pension national fund for retired workers, unmarried mothers were assisted and instruction was imposed as compulsory, new families were assisted with marriage bonuses and career preferences and tax reductions. Unhealthy parts of territory were saned ("Bonifiche") and workers were incentivated to better distribute themselves for a better use of land. Small rural ownership (Piccola Proprieta' Contadina) was helped to develop in order to share private property among workers; bigger proprietors (latifondisti) were legally fought so to beat down great concentrations of estate richness, while poor farmers were financed and had specially low rental fees or received a permanent use of farms. Laws were organised in codes ("Codici") that still are a fundamental basis for latin right.

As an ethic political system, Fascism indicated a scheme of individual values in which merit and dignity represented, together with proudness of national origin (jus soli) and perhaps mixed into this, goals to achieve, better that economical or status (career, even in state administration) success. This is not meant as an achieved result, but it was the mentality. The contuinity with own history, and the progress with no denial of past, was the reason of referring to latin system for icons and slogans.

Rural culture was strictly respected as a part of national origin and feeling, in spite of previously rigid rules that separated, in fact and by law, poors and "signori".

Foreign culture was considered obviously destructive on a political side, but Fascism always tolerated cultural relationship among nations, and inside gave protection to hundreds of leftist intellectuals. Exceptions became famous, as for Gramsci, founder of Italian Communist Party (PCI). Artists were protected until possible, even if the worse enemies of the system. For the first time, and with little comparisons, a State organised the production of artworks in most of the fields, from painting to sculpture, from writing to music; a relevant effort was made to provide italy of movie prodution spaces, places, schools and finances.

About religion, an act is notably to be considered: the 1929's "Concordato" between Italian State and the Holy See (Vatican - Roman Catholic Curch). By this act it was finally agreed that State and Church would have been definitely separated, in order to have a "free cult in free state" (libera Chiesa in libero Stato), each one with its competence, without interferences; The Popes' temporal power was ended after some 15 centuries of domain on central Italy. The Fascism (at its origins a socialist movement) protected Catholic Church ensuring its concrete freedom of cult.

Fascism mostly coincides with the figure of the "Duce" (leader, from latin "Dux"), its leader Benito Mussolini, and did not survive at his death.

The latter parts of this article appear startlingly pro-fascist. They appear to be written by 151.24.189.xxx, apparently a non-native English speaker (perhaps Italian?). They are certainly not NPOV! -- The Anome

Yikes! Where is Fellini (or is it Phellini?) when you need him? I agree that there are serious NPOV issues here. For one thing, many Italians opposed fascism. Moreover, any account of the appeal of fascism in the 1930s has to provide a lot more context. There was indeed a global economic crisis and people in different countries were struggling to find ways out. I have no doubt that fascism benefited some people, but any discussion of Italian fascism has to explore who it did and didn't benefit, and explore its limitations. Was fascism just about getting the trains to run on time, or was it also about bombing Ethiopia? Should this new section be removed to the talk section until it is rewritten? SR

I recall reading several works arguing that Nazism was not a form of fascism, due to its emphasis on race, which was largely absent from other forms of fascism (such as the Italian or Spanish). Also, some mention should be made of French fascism (and I mean the native French fascist movement, not the Vichy government), since although it was unsuccessful I believe it is theoretically important. Some discussion is needed of exactly what fascism is -- the present article just defines it as the political systeme existing under Mussolini, and then says the system was exported to Spain and Nazi Germany -- it needs rather to explain what the features of fascism are (such as nationalism, anti-democratic emphasis on leadership, corporatism). Finally, some mention of fascist philosophers such as Gentile, and also Gabrielle D'Annunzio as a precursor in part of fascism (although the political, as opposed to literary, activity of D'Annunzio is an absolutely fascinating topic in himself, on which unfortunately way too information seems to be available in English). -- SJK

You must have meant "way too little information" about D'Annunizio. Anarchist weirdo Hakim Bey has written a freely-associative and sympathetic portrayal of D'Annunzio's post-war antics in Fiume. The book is called TAZ and is put out by some anarchist publisher. He's a character that fascinates the whole political spectrum.

Commentary removed from article and placed here:

The following text is apparently written from a pro-Fascist point of view, and needs re-editing for NPOV::

- sorry, my father was one of those soldiers condemned to death by RSI, so you can imagine I can allow myself no identification at all with fascism. As anyone who suffered from violence, I am not able to consider sponsoring a political position, whatever it be. However, facts are facts, as written in my premise, and understanding this site as more objective rather than ideological, with no sympathy to fascism I felt I had to add some points for a better comprehension of the fenomenon, and I did it, I dared. I'm not depositary of any truth, so please take it as a simple adding of single facts, but please, do not call me pro-fascist. THX Greetings, Gianfranco, Rome -

added Fascist manifesto and restored removed paragraph on Concordato, for a better comprehension of evolution of fascism. Still, for a deeper vision in NPOV, it seems to me as if some other elements should be added (maybe in separate article) about the "governmental" fascism, and the practical as well as ideological peculiar aspects of this system, not capitalistic, yet not marxist.