OND

Question 1

List the fascist motivations for creating the OND

Answer 1

• To provide social services for Italians
• To control all aspects of life for Italian citizens; totalitarian ambitions
• To replace the cooperative service of the TUs that were banned
• Increase Italians love and gratitude for the regime
• Improve the health of the people
• Genuine concern for the otherwise ignored peasant
• To pursue rural individuals, as they were outside of the propaganda sphere
• To persuade Italians that fascism could provide as well as socialism
• Compensate Italians for falling wages and poor living conditions

Question 2

Why was it launched on 1925 labour day?

Answer 2

To replace the need for TUs following the Vidoni Palace Pact

Question 3

When was it reorganised under the PNF?

Answer 3

1927

Question 4

How did the OND expand its remit after being reorganised by the PNF?

Answer 4

By taking over many existing activities and clubs

Question 5

What did the OND provide?

Answer 5

Social activities, holidays, entertainment, sport and welfare

Question 6

Why was its role extended during the Battle for Lira?

Answer 6

To help workers suffering wage reductions

Question 7

Give an example of a firm developing its own Dopolavaro institution

Answer 7

Dopolavaro Ansaldo was set up by a steel firm and had 50,000 members

Question 8

List the aims of the Dopolavaro

Answer 8

• Replace and extend the services previously provided by labour organisations
• Provide compensation for low pay
• Help production by developing healthy workers
• Foster the image of caring employers
• Gain popularity and win support

Question 9

How was the it geared towards gaining support?

Answer 9

It was largely non ideological, meaning that it was geared towards winning the support of Italians rather than converting them to fascism

Question 10

What did the regime do to ensure it had as many members as possible?

Answer 10

Subscription dues were subsidised by the state and employers were forced to contribute

Question 11

List the range of activities it offered

Answer 11

• Libraries, films and radios for communal listening
• A travel agency which subsidised trips
• Mobile cinemas, theatre and orchestras for remote areas
• Sport and summer camps
• Welfare to families in distress

Question 12

How were the mobile cinemas provided used for propaganda?

Answer 12

They would be proceded by newsreels produced by the government controlled film agency, LUCE

Question 13

Describe the extent of the organisation

Answer 13

• Impressive membership: 280,000 in 1926, 1.7 million in 1931 and 3.8 million in 1939
• By 1939, 80% of salaried employees, 40% of the industrial workforce and 25% of peasants were members
• It was the largest and most active adult organisation
• Most villages, even in the south, had a dopolavaro clubhouse

Question 14

How many holiday trips did it provide per year by the late 1930s?

Answer 14

Over 4 million

Question 15

Describe the impact it had

Answer 15

• It was the main point of contact with the industrial working class, who were seen as potentially hostile; it was hoped that through it they might become more attracted to the regime
• Diverted attention away from socio-economic problems
• Controlled employees’ leisure time
• The state played an active role in developing mass leisure; as elsewhere this was done by a consumer society
• It was the fascist state’s most popular regime and survived the regime’s collapse
• It failed to foster a national community; often there was class segregation on passenger trains and cruise shifts

Question 16

What was it renamed to after 1945?

Answer 16

The National Organisation for Worker Assistance

Question 17

What was the name of the sister scheme in Nazi Germany?

Answer 17

Strength Through Joy (KDF)

Question 18

How was it different to the KDF scheme?

Answer 18

It placed less emphasis on self improvement

Question 19

What did the OND rapidly become?

Answer 19

One of the most successful and popular policies of the regime

Question 20

Who funded its activities?

Answer 20

The state, but they did not provide lavish funding

Question 21

Describe the quality of equipment and facilities

Answer 21

Often basic

Question 22

How was the OND different to other aspects of society under the regime?

Answer 22

There was no need for coercion; people joined in its activities because they wanted to

Question 23

How many members did it attract in its first year?

Answer 23

Around 300,000

Question 24

How many local theatres, drama societies, music societies, mobile cinemas and libraries did it provide?

Answer 24

Thousands

Question 25

What did it have a virtual monopoly over?

Answer 25

Italian amateur football

Question 26

Describe the importance of the OND for the small towns and villages

Answer 26

In many of these towns and villages, social life revolved around the OND clubhouse, the OND sports ground and the OND radio

Question 27

What was the main reason that it was so successful?

Answer 27

Because it did not over-emphasise ideology and propaganda, concentrating on involvement and enjoyment

Question 28

Why was it so effective at manipulating public opinion and consolidating support for the regime?

Answer 28

Because the propaganda message was indirect and the main emphasis was on having a good time

Question 29

What was it an important channel for?

Answer 29

Social welfare benefits

Question 30

List the kind of social welfare benefits it provided

Answer 30

Members got cheap rail tickets, discounts in shops and subsidised holidays

Question 31

What does Philip Morgan conclude about the OND?

Answer 31

'That its cumulative impact was probably to alleviate and divert some of the social distress and discontent arising during the depression years

Question 32

Why did it increase the amount of Italians who watched films?

Answer 32

Because its mobile cinemas toured the countryside

Question 33

Why was it useful for the regime that it allowed more Italians to watch films?

Answer 33

Because films offered people an escape from their humdrum lives and gave a false sense of security and national pride

Question 35

What was it designed to provide?

Answer 35

State sponsored after work entertainment

Question 36

What were the three main motivations behind its creation

Answer 36

- Making the lives of Italians more enjoyable - Improving their health - Gaining their support for the regime (most important)

Question 37

Why was it useful for the regime that it provided increased opportunities for involvement in sport?

Answer 37

Because the state was improving national success in sports for propaganda purposes

Question 38

How does it illustrate the totalitarian leanings of the regime?

Answer 38

Because it shows how they wished to control all aspects of citizens' lives

Question 39

Who was the organisation aimed at?

Answer 39

Groups, particularly in rural areas, who might remain largely outside of the influence of the press, radio and cinema

Question 40

What happened to it in the the 1930s?

Answer 40

It underwent a major extension as part of the 'going to the people' policy of trying to integrate the masses of the state

Question 41

What two main things did it focus on?

Answer 41

Providing leisure facilities and giving financial assistance to members in need

Question 42

Evaluate the success of the OND in helping win support for the regime

Answer 42

It undoubtedly helped win support for the regime, but this must be distinguished from turning Italians into committed fascists, they accepted the regime but did not absorb the ideology

Question 43

What does De Grazia say about the success of the OND?

Answer 43

'The initial aims of the regime, that of eliminating the socialist state , bringing the working population under control and blunting social tensions during a period of economic crisis, were largely achieved by organisational policies like this'

Question 44

What does Whittam say about the success of the OND?

Answer 44

'If fascism helped to create a forceful, militaristic society and to transform the Italian citizen into the new 'fascist man' then the OND not only failed to fulfil this, but was counter productive. It was so popular precisely because it enabled millions of Italians to enjoy resources without the obligation of any full commitment to fascists ideals and practise

Question 45

What did the vast expansion of the OND under to 'go to the people' movement indicate?

Answer 45

The greater stress on creating a more committed nation of fascists

Question 46

Why can the arguement be made that the OND was less successful in reaching people in the south?

Answer 46

Because OND membership in the south was far lower than elsewhere

Question 47

What did it run to help spread fascist ideas?

Answer 47

Community listening meetings

Question 48

Who did the target in particular with their community listening meetings?

Answer 48

The illiterate and those in rural areas

Question 49

Why did it fail in helping M achieve his vision of extending theatre to the masses?

Answer 49

Because drama remained a minority pursuit

Question 50

How did it cause debate between party and state?

Answer 50

Because there was conflict over whether the party or the state would have control over it

Question 51

How was it beneficial for the economy?

Answer 51

Because it created lots of new state jobs

Question 52

How is the OND an example of M's need for instant approval?

Answer 52

Because he was not content for the youth to grow up and transform the Italian character; he wanted to influence adults there and then

Question 53

How many theatres did it control by the mid-1930s?

Answer 53

1350

Question 54

How many drama societies did it control by the mid-1930s?

Answer 54

2000

Question 55

How many brass bands did it control by the mid-1930s?

Answer 55

3000

Question 56

How many libraries did it control by the mid-1930s?

Answer 56

8000

Question 57

Why was coercing Italians into membership rarely necessary?

Answer 57

Because working class Italians were quick to take advantage of subsidised sports, entertainment and holidays

Question 58

What illustrates the relative absence of propaganda within the OND

Answer 58

The programme of the theatre company 'Carro di Tespi'. Of the seven plays performed in Rome in 1938, five were comedies and two were serious plays, neither of which had any direct relevance to fascist ideology