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How was Futurism connected to Fascism in Italy?
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Futurism
Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, bronze sculpture by Umberto Boccioni, 1913; in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City.
The connection between Futurism and Fascism in Italy was primarily driven by the movement's founder, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti.
Marinetti became an enthusiastic supporter of Benito Mussolini and an active member of the Fascist movement. In his 1924 work, Futurismo e Fascismo, he argued that Fascism was the natural political extension of the Futurist movement. This alignment was rooted in shared ideological themes that had been present in Futurism since its inception, including:1
- Glorification of Violence: Marinetti’s early manifestos exalted conflict and violence as essential forces for societal renewal.23
- Nationalism and War: Marinetti viewed war as the only hygiene of the world, actively campaigning for Italian intervention in World War I to ignite patriotism.13
- Rejection of Tradition: Both movements sought to break from the past, with Futurism demanding the destruction of cultural institutions like museums and libraries to make way for a modern, machine-driven future.2
While Marinetti and his circle gravitated toward Fascism during the 1920s, it is important to note that the movement's influence had already begun to wane by the second decade of the 20th century.13