Memory and Celebration of the «Heroic Youth». The Youth Organisation of thr Mussolini Regime, School and the Creation of the «New Fascist Man»

In 1932, the Central Presidency of the Opera Nazionale Balilla published the Heroic Youth book that «in order to remove it from the ephemeral life of the newspapers and preserve it as a noble example of virile education» included the memory «of the acts of valor performed by the Balilla and Avanguardisti in the short period from May 1927 to today». In total, there are about 161 «heroic events» involving 181 Balilla and Avanguardists, to whom we must add another 60 names of youths who distinguished themselves during major disasters for their «heroic sacrifice» and their commitment to the community. The ultimate purpose of the publication, which was reissued several times until the fall of Fascism, was to highlight, «independently of any official recognition», the «heroic value of the actions that the Presidency of the Opera deems the result of the admiration and of the example given by all the very young Black-shirts». Through an in-depth analysis of the short yet accurate reports of «heroic actions» in the publication, an analysis of the language used and the study of the type of “virtuous actions” selected, exalted and celebrated, Roberto Sani’s work highlights how the celebration of the myth of “heroic youth”, forged by the youth organizations of the regime according to the principles of Mussolini’s ideology (virile education, boldness, love for sacrifice, no fear of danger, etc.) represents a fundamental chapter in the broader project of creating the new fascist man, or rather an the attempt to promote – through the memory and celebration of the “heroic youth” through the school channel and that of the associations – a civil and political education of young Italian generations integrally inspired by Mussolini’s ideology.