Exploring the Transnational Dimension of Italian Fascism

Abstract

This introduction explores the transnational dimension of Italian Fascism by examining the networks, exchanges, and circulations that connected the Mussolini regime with broader European and imperial contexts. Moving beyond methodological nationalism and exclusively comparative approaches, it highlights how Fascism developed through continuous interactions with foreign political cultures, emigrant communities, diplomatic and cultural networks, and colonial environments. Rather than viewing Fascism simply as a model exported abroad, the contributions emphasise reciprocal processes of transfer, adaptation, and negotiation through which political ideas and practices were reshaped across national boundaries. Together, the articles show how these cross-border connections contributed to the regime’s political culture, international projection, and strategies of legitimisation, offering a broader perspective on the place of Italian Fascism within interwar Europe.