The Unreliability of โTalks with MussoliniโWhen discussing the racial views of Benito Mussolini, people often site โTalks with Mussoliniโ a book published by Emil Ludwig, in order to push the idea that Mussolini didnโt believe in race, or that he was even philo-semitic. This book is the origin of the infamous and widely quoted supposed statement from Mussolini
โRace is a feeling not a reality, 95% at least is a feelingโ However, there are several amounts of scholarly works that question the authenticity of these โtalksโ
that record these alleged conversations that were held in Palazzo di Venezia in Rome, being held almost daily for an hour at a time between March 23 and April 4, 1932.
1. "Fascist Voices: An Intimate History of Mussolini's Italy" by Christopher Duggan: Although not solely focused on "Talks with Mussolini," Duggan discusses the challenges and limitations of relying on published conversations. He raises doubts about the authenticity and accuracy of the book in reconstructing Mussolini's discussions and views.
2. "Mussolini" by Denis Mack Smith: In this comprehensive biography of Benito Mussolini, Mack Smith examines various aspects of Mussolini's life and rule. While not exclusively targeting "Talks with Mussolini," Mack Smith critically evaluates the reliability of published conversations in general, including those attributed to Mussolini.
3. "The Bad Popes" by E.R. Chamberlin: Although primarily focused on the papacy, Chamberlin briefly discusses and questions the authenticity of "Talks with Mussolini" in relation to other historical conversations. He raises doubts about the accuracy of the book's contents.
4. "War in Italy 1943-1945" by Richard Lamb: While this book primarily covers the military aspects of the Italian campaign during World War II, Lamb discusses the challenges of reconstructing historical conversations. He questions the veracity of the conversations presented in "Talks with Mussolini."
5. "Mussolini Unleashed, 1939-1941: Politics and Strategy in Fascist Italy's Last War" by MacGregor Knox: In this book, Knox questions the authenticity of "Talks with Mussolini" and highlights the lack of verifiable sources and evidence supporting its claims.
6. "Mussolini and Fascist Italy" by Martin Blinkhorn: Blinkhorn discusses the limitations of "Talks with Mussolini" as a historical source and emphasizes the need for caution when using it to understand Mussolini's thoughts and actions.
7. "Benito Mussolini: A Biography" by Richard J. B. Bosworth: Bosworth critically examines various sources, including "Talks with Mussolini," and raises doubts about their reliability. He highlights the challenges of reconstructing accurate conversations and emphasizes the need to corroborate information from multiple sources.
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. "A History of Fascism, 1914-1945" by Stanley Payne: Payne discusses the limitations of "Talks with Mussolini" and emphasizes the importance of using multiple sources to gain a comprehensive understanding of Mussolini and fascism.
For the reasons above, it is clear that these โtalksโ are not reliable enough to use as a primary source on the true beliefs of Benito Mussolini on race and antisemitism. In order to get a more accurate look of Mussoliniโs views on these topics, it is best to take a comprehensive look at the views expressed by Mussolini himself over several years. For some examples, look no further than
here, here, here, here, here, here, and
here