Retorica e violenza: Le origini del fascismo a Zara (1919-1922)

This article investigates the peculiarities of «fascismo di confine» in Zara, characterized by the lesser extent of conflict between early Fascism on one hand, communism and ethnic minorities on the other. Fascist activists, although defeated in two elections, gained momentum and visibility, and, parallel to the rise of Mussolini’s influence, improved their networks and structures contributing to a circulation of the local political elite. Violence, both in the discourse and the activities of Fascists in Zara, was crucial in this process. Through the use of local press and archival sources, it focuses on the main actors, their social background and their biographic trajectory, questioning the framework and the limits for cooperation in regards to other political factions. While Fascists had a significant degree of integration in local politics already before Mussolini’s seizure of power, this event enacted a dialectic relationship to the central apparatus, placing these activists under the control of loyal prefects and party functionaries