Italian Fascist Youth: World War II


Figure 1.-- This is a summer camp in Cremona, northern Italy, during summer 1941, more than a year after Italy entered the War. An important part of the camp program was military drill, even for these very young boys. They look to be about 9-10 years of age. They are drilling with rifles. They are probably not real, but they have bayonets. Interestingly, we rarely see Hitler Youth boys drilling with rifles, let alone bayonets. Mussolini was famous for his threat of unleashing 8 million bayonets on Italy's enemies.

We have been unable at this time to find much information as the role played by the Bailla on the Italian home front during World War II. We suspect that thy played some of the roles we have noted Boy Scouts playing in Allied countries, but can not yet confirm that. Hopefully readers will be able to provide some information on this. We do know that from the inception of the Fascist state that the Bailla was used to prepare boys for war. The Italian Balilla, however, seems to have been far less effective than the Hitler Youth in preparing boys for war. The Italian Army was unprepared for war in terms of equipment. But the Italian soldier was even less well prepared for War. The average Italian soldier had few grievances with the British and even less with the Americans. The Balilla did not perpetuate either the nationalist ardor, racial hatred, or grievance that the Hitler Youth so successfully implanted in German youth. One part of the Balilla program was military training, but unlike the Hitler Youth failed to inculcated martial ardor in Italian youth. And unlike the HJ, after Allies armies landed (September 1943), there was no desire of young Italians to resist the Allies to preserve the Fascist state. The fighting was done almost entirely done by the Germans.

World War II Activities

We have been unable at this time to find much information as the role played by the Balilla on the Italian home front during World War II. There are many images showing the boys parading about in theirunifirms and brandishing weapons, but we do not see mny impages of activities that supported the War ffirt beyind mikitary trining. We suspect that they played some of the roles we have noted Boy Scouts playing in Allied countries, but can not yet confirm that. Hopefully readers will be able to provide some information on this. One part of the Balilla program was military training, but unlike the Hitler Youth failed to inculcated martial ardor in Italian youth. We note one small Bailla group near Salerno that appars to be involved in agricultural labor early in the War. We do nnot, however, on the group or how common this kind of activity was. Th boys are wearing a uniform we have not noted befor, a kind of jump suit.

Levels

The activities of the Fascist youth movement differed by the the structure age structured organization. This would have included the wartime and military training activities. The group began with a basically Scout like structure. Rventually a group for yonger boys below Cub age--Figli della Lupa (Children of the She-Wolf, referring to the Romulus and Remus nyth. These were boys 6-8 years old. THe basis Balilla (boys) and Piccole Italiane (girls) was fir children age 8-14 years. The Avanguardisti and Giovani Italiane was for children 14-18 years old. Those youth iterested in becoming more involved in Fscism could join additional groups of the Fasci Giovanili di Combattimento and Giovani Fasciste (GUF). These were youth 18-22 years old. Youth persuing higher education had to join the GUF. We do not know yet just what war time activities in which these various groups were involved.

Success

We do know that from the inception of the Fascist state that the Bailla was used to prepare boys for war. The Italian Balilla, however, seems to have been far less effective than the Hitler Youth in preparing boys for war. The Italian Army was unprepared for war in terms of equipment. But the Italian soldier was even less well prepared for War. The average Italian soldier had few grievances with the British and even less with the Americans. The Balilla did not perpetuate either the nationalist ardor, racial hatred, or grievance that the Hitler Youth so successfully implanted in German youth. And unlike the HJ, after Allies armies landed (September 1943), there was no notable desire of young Italians to resist the Allies to preserve the Fascist state. The fighting was done almost entirely done by the Germans. German soldiers fought to the very end beyond any real hope of prventing an Allied victory. Italian soldiers on the other hand seem all to happy to surrender from an early point of the war, beginning with units operating in the Western Desert (December 1940). There are a range iof reasons for this. We are not sure if there is something the Baililla could have doime differently. But we think it is safe to say that that the Balilla program did little to ideologically prepare Italian youth for war in a way that the Hitler Youth did. Of coure in our modern world, we look fvotably on this failure. What we are not sure about is if there is anythinf that the Balilla leaders could have dine differently to more ffectively prepare Italian youth iudeologically for war.







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Created: 12:15 AM 1/24/2014
Spell checked: 9:13 PM 1/24/2014
Last updated: 4:15 AM 1/9/2019