The Italian Racial Laws and the War in Ethiopia
As the invasion of Ethiopia neared, Mussolini became obsessed with an anxiety over instances of miscegenation between Italians and Africans, producing mixed-race children. Such instances, though still rare, already occurred in the Italian colonies of Eritrea and Somalia. Mussoliniβs state of mind was revealed to Baron Pompeo Aloisi, who when he called on the Duce on April 2, 1934, found him βvery upsetβ by his discovery of a book, Amore Nero (Black Love), that dealt with a love affair between an Italian and a black woman. Mussolini had the book immediately withdrawn from circulation. On August 5, 1936, only several months after the conquest of Ethiopia, a decree was issued outlining the system of racial separation that would now char- acterize Italian East Africa. Beginning with the fundamental provision that βthe lives of whites and blacks should be completely separate in Italian East Africa,β it went on to specify the details of this program: βgradual separation of the habi- tations of nationals and indigentsβ; βavoidance of all familiarity between the two racesβ; segregation of public space; and the end of βmadamismoβ (concubines) and βsciarmuttismoβ (biracial children). The police were instructed to enforce these provisions with βextreme rigor,β and anyone who was so bold as to live with or act married to a native would be deported. Until the anticipated arrival of Italian women in Africa created the conditions appropriate for proper family life, brothels staffed by Italian prostitutes were set up for the Italian soldiers. Not surprisingly, natives were absolutely forbidden to patronize them.
As the invasion of Ethiopia neared, Mussolini became obsessed with an anxiety over instances of miscegenation between Italians and Africans, producing mixed-race children. Such instances, though still rare, already occurred in the Italian colonies of Eritrea and Somalia. Mussoliniβs state of mind was revealed to Baron Pompeo Aloisi, who when he called on the Duce on April 2, 1934, found him βvery upsetβ by his discovery of a book, Amore Nero (Black Love), that dealt with a love affair between an Italian and a black woman. Mussolini had the book immediately withdrawn from circulation. On August 5, 1936, only several months after the conquest of Ethiopia, a decree was issued outlining the system of racial separation that would now char- acterize Italian East Africa. Beginning with the fundamental provision that βthe lives of whites and blacks should be completely separate in Italian East Africa,β it went on to specify the details of this program: βgradual separation of the habi- tations of nationals and indigentsβ; βavoidance of all familiarity between the two racesβ; segregation of public space; and the end of βmadamismoβ (concubines) and βsciarmuttismoβ (biracial children). The police were instructed to enforce these provisions with βextreme rigor,β and anyone who was so bold as to live with or act married to a native would be deported. Until the anticipated arrival of Italian women in Africa created the conditions appropriate for proper family life, brothels staffed by Italian prostitutes were set up for the Italian soldiers. Not surprisingly, natives were absolutely forbidden to patronize them.