Lo „spirito vivificatore“ del fascismo nella Francia del Nord

Abstract

The „spirito vivificatore“ of Italian Fascism in Northern France: Lille, 1928–1940. This essay reconstructs the history of the Italian consulate and the Italian Fascist organization in Lille, the capital of French Flanders and the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region. The article seeks to show that Fascist activity in Lille was consistent with the broader activities of Italian Fascism abroad, while nevertheless displaying specific features with respect to anti-Fascist cities such as Paris and Marseille. These features were linked to particular local factors, including the minority status of the Italian community and the friendship between the consul and the prefect. Methodologically, the study adopts a bottom-up approach focused on reconstructing the networks of the Fascist organization and the consulate that, in various ways, implemented the directives of the regime.