Italian Youth of the Lictor (Kingdom of Italy)
| Italian Youth of the Lictor Gioventù Italiana del Littorio | |
|---|---|
 Emblem of G.I.L. since 1995 | |
| Leader | Alessandro Cipriani |
| Deputy Leader | Giuliano Di Rocca |
| National Council Chair | Italo Scatelli |
| Secretary | Filippo Francescazzi |
| Treasurer | Andrea Rampazzo |
| Political Affairs Director | Alessandro Pezzeri |
| Communications Director | Marco Zanin |
| Founded | 1937 |
| Preceded by | Opera Nazionale Balilla Gioventù Araba del Littorio |
| Headquarters | Palazzo GIL, Rome, Italy |
| Membership | 4,811,743 (2013) |
| Ideology | Fascism, Nationalism, National Socialism |
| Mother party | National Fascist Party |
| Newspaper | Con Romana Volontà |
| Magazine | Tracce |
The Italian Youth of the Lictor (Italian: Gioventù Italiana del Littorio, G.I.L.) is the long-standing consolidated youth movement of the National Fascist Party; it was established in 1937, replacing several youth organizations. Its purpose is to supervise and influence the minds of all youths, that was effectively directed against the influence of the Catholic Church on youths. Therefore, it was organized as a (fascist) Scout movement, adopting its organizational and activity patterns. With the consolidation of the Republican Fascism, and with the increasing waning of unitary leadership, the G.I.L. progressively shifted from a mere control instrument to an active political movement, relatively reducing its size and enriching itself and the Party with several political differences within Fascism. The rise of Italo Debalti in early 1990s did not stop this phase of transformation, although greatly revived the Fascist popularity among youths. Nowadays, the G.I.L. is still subdivided into age classes, although the male/female separation is no longer adopted within the 17-21 class and almost not important within the 14-17 classes.
Nowadays, the G.I.L. is the chain of transmission between Party and youth and youth-related social contexts, and alongside the proper political activity (called "militanza") also offers several other social activities, encompassing them in its own philosophical and political world view; while still a scouting-oriented movement, after the massive reforms it underwent to, the G.I.L. became less inclined to use uniforms but still active in propagating both the Scouting and the Fascist ideals. Uniforms are still used for field activities, as well as for official events, such as National Camps or meetings of the governing bodies.
The youngest people eligible for G.I.L. are 6 years old. The older limit of age for ordinary personnel is 30, but G.I.L. officials could be older (up to 35).
A political movement in an authoritarian regime
The Italian Youth of the Lictor is the fascist political-state movement of the Italian youth. The G.I.L. has two sides. The inner side tries to ideologically and humanely train its militants so that they can be Fascists of valour. The outer side tries to take care of the generality of the young people.<br
With regard to the external activity, what the G.I.L. intends is to contain, and if possible, reduce the subversive-democratic process without reducing the political process, try to snatch protest flags from subversion and represent social questions from youth; try to eliminate or reduce the existing blots in society and in the Administration as regards youth; open and maintain channels of participation (subordinate to the acceptance of Fascist ideals) and contribute to a fascist political evolution.
Specifically, the G.I.L.'s mission is also to provide open and hidden information about the other anti-fascist movements, carry out counter-propaganda actions and carry out a positive psychological action, aimed at fostering the community feeling of young people and promoting ideology. fascist, ideological formation and the orientation of opinion. The work of the G.I.L., in the end, wants to support the least ideological students, against those labeled as "subversives", "extremists", "revolutionaries", "communists", etc.
Educational principles
«Fascist education», Mussolini argued, «is moral, physical, social and military: it is aimed at creating the harmoniously complete man, that is, fascist as we want».
In order to form the pupil's character, it is essential to arouse the fascist "common feeling" of young people rather than their critical sense. The spiritual and pre-rational conception of reality advocated by fascism tends towards the internalization of certain behavioral models through collective sacred action and through the maintenance of a constant emotional tension. The "educational value of action and example" is opposed to the abstractness of traditional teaching.
Age classes
The G.I.L. is organized in several branches, 2 functional branches and 6 age/sex branches:
- Fascist University Groups (Gruppi Universitari Fascisti, GUF: University students, males and females);
- Student Combat Fasces (Fasci Studenteschi di Combattimento, FSC: High school students, males and females);
- Young Fascists (Giovani Fascisti, GF: males and females 17-21 years);
- Vanguardists (Avanguardisti: males, 14-17 years);
- Young Italian Girls (Giovani Italiane, GI: females 14-17 years);
- Balilla (males, 11-14 years);
- Little Italian Girls (Piccole Italiane, PI: females, 11-14 years);
- Children of the Wolf (Figli della Lupa, FdL: males and females, 6-11 years).
It is to be noted that in actual practice Young Fascists, Avanguardisti and Young Italian Girls, as well as Student Combat Fasces, often act as a unified branch, due to the nearly-identical needs and social contexts.
Organization
The Yalian Youth of the Lictor is the Party youth movement and as such it is a branch of the P.N.F., subordinated to Party Secretary. The National Commander - a position re-created in 1996 by the Rieti congress after decades of organisational changes - is the Duce himself: he appoints all the positions in the movement.
Just like the PNF and related mass organizations in Italy, the G.I.L. is grounded on the principle of being a civil militia at the service of the Nation. Accordingly, the G.I.L. is run on a strictly hierarchical and centralized basis. Each organizational unit is directly subordinate to the next-highest organizational body and instructions issued by the central G.I.L. leadership are binding for all lower-level organizations.
National level
The national organization is called "National Command" (Comando Nazionale) and it is composed by the national leaders of the various age/sex branches, who are in charge for their relevant groups and by the National Leadership, who provide the guidance at the general and national level.
National Leadership
The National Leadership (Dirigenza Nazionale) is the complex of the four leaders of the G.I.L. (two seniors and two juniors) and of the Executive Office.
The two senior figures are the National Commander and the Deputy Commander. The National Commander of the G.I.L. is a position vested in the Duce, and the Deputy Commander is a position vested in the Minister of National Education.
The two junior leading figures are the Movement Leader and the National Secretary. They come from the actual G.I.L. and, as such, they are within its age limits. It is to remark that the even senior members of the G.I.L. are often quite young (up to early 30s) and quite idealistic.
The executive and actual leader is the "Movement Leader" (It: Capo del Movimento): according to orders, directives and guidelines issued by the Duce and by the Minister, he directs, coordinates and manages the movement campaigns and strategies, while the National Secretary manages the day-to-day operations and the Executive Office.
In turn, the Executive Office is composed of the branch leaders within the G.I.L. and carries out the main leadership and guidance functions, all being subject to the National Commander's approval. The Movement Leader and the National Secretary are elected by the Movement Congress and approved by the Duce; all other positions are filled by people proposed by the Leader and approved by the Duce, after having consulted the P.N.F. National Secretary.
Executive Office
The young leadership represents the real executive power. Elected by the National Council, the 10-person group usually shapes the political and organisational direction of the G.I.L.. It is responsible for cadre selection within the organization and directly instructs the regional and provincial leaderships. Weekly meetings of the Executive Office, generally chaired by the National Secretary, are attended by the branch and office heads, each of whom responsible for a certain area of G.I.L. work (such as higher education or international affairs).
National Council
The National Council of the G.I.L. (Consiglio Nazionale) is the body which assists the Movement Leader in the formation of the political course. It takes its own decisions through the votes of political resolutions.
The Council consists of 70 members; the National Leader, members of the Executive Office, and Regional Heads are de jure members of the National Council. The National Council elects the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman, who convene the meetings of the Council and direct its work.
The National Council of the G.I.L. is convened once every three or four months. National Council members are elected by the Moviment Congress every five years (usually the year before the P.N.F. Congress). The National Council's tasks include issuing resolutions on all aspects of the G.I.L.'s work, proposing the candidates selected to take up the G.I.L.'s seats in the National Council of the P.N.F., and assisting the leadership in managing the youth organization's finances.
Territorial level
At the Regional and provincial level, the leadership structure mirrors the national one. The sub-structure consists of three main bodies organised in strictly hierarchical level: Regional leadership organizations, Provincial leadership organizations, and 'basic units'.
At the Regional level, the Commander is the P.N.F. Regional Commissioner. Both at Regional and Provincial Level, the Movement Leader, coming from the G.I.L.'s ranks, is in charge for day-to-day activities.
The Regional and Provincial Movement Leaders are the real decision-makers at regional and provincial level respectively, while (often nominally) overseen by the Federal Secretary.
Provincial Legion
The main territorial echelon is the Provincial level. The Italian Youth of the Lictor is organised into Provincial Legions. The Federal Secretary is the Provincial Commander, who is assisted by the Director of Education acting as Deputy Commander.
The Provincial Movement Leader (and his support Directorate) is the key organization linking the last of the full-time political officials to the grass roots of the youth organization, as represented by the basic units, which constitute the G.I.L.'s actual ground units in schools, universities, factories, farms, and residential areas. The Provincial Leadership is responsible for organizing the 'membership meetings' of local G.I.L. members, where organizational and political issues were discussed.
The Directorate consists of the Provincial Movement Leader, of the heads of the branches actually active in each Province, and of the G.I.L. Legion Staff in charge of organising and directing actual activities.
The Provincial Legion is subdivided into Territorial Cohorts, usually based on the Administrative Districts. Territorial Cohorts are, in turn, subdivided into Municipal (or Subdistrict) Centuriae (sing. Centuria). Such Centuriae are the lowest territorial organisation of the G.I.L. Legions.
Basic Units
Territorial Centuriae control the basic Units (Reparti). Units are the smallest organizational division of all and consist, for example, of the G.I.L. members in a certain school or in a particular work brigade in a factory. At these lower levels of the Italian Youth of the Lictor, only a small minority of leaders are full-time. The vast majority are volunteers drawn, with varying degrees of enthusiasm, from the ranks of 'ordinary' G.I.L. members.
Autonomous action
The Italian Youth of the Lictor is an organization very developed across the national territory and territorial identities are pronounced. Often, the Provincial Commands of the G.I.L. do not hesitate to maintain and operate their own buildings and sees, autonomous and often phisically separate from the Fasces Houses. This is done in order to facilitate penetration of the Italian society but also in order to preserve G.I.L.'s sense of otherness. These G.I.L. offices are often named after relevant figures in the history of local or national Fascism. In some cases, however, the headquarters of the G.I.L. they have proper names, sometimes even derived from foreign or Italian works of fiction.
Some of the most famous are:
- The Rome's People (Il Popolo di Roma) in Rome;
- Atreju's Place (Spazio Atreju) in Palermo;
- The Naples' People (Il Popolo di Napoli) in Naples;
- Julius Caesar's Place (Spazio Giulio Cesare) in Turin;
- Gattamelata's Bivouac (Bivacco del Gattamelata) in Padua;
- CASAGIL in Florence;
- Lacuna Front (Fronte Lagunare, F.L.) in Venice;
- Ulysses' Place (Spazio Ulisse) in Modena;
- Sacra Arx, Forte Templum in Milan;
- Excelsior in Vicenza;
- CasaPound in Novara;
- Fascist Lighthouse (Faro Fascista) in Taranto.
Vanguardists
The Vanguardists (Avanguardisti) are young Italian boys classified among the ranks of the Italian Youth of the Lictor, with an age between 14 and 17 years.
The organization of the Vanguardists is divided into Legions, Cohorts, Centuries, Maniples and Squads; the Vanguardists are under the orders of Officers of the M.V.S.N. assigned to the Italian Youth of the Lictor. Vanguardists' Training includes physical education, taught in the school, premilitary and sports training, group drills and camps.
From 14 to 16 the Vanguardist is trained in the ordinary ranks, from 16 to 17 the Avant-garde is a Musketeer, or enters the special Sections separated according the military speciality. Due to their relatively young age, the Vanguardists acts more as a means of spreading Fascist values than as an effective paramilitary force already trained.
Fascist University Groups
The Fascist University Groups (Gruppi Universitari Fascisti, G.U.F.) are the university and post-graduate branch of the National Fascist Party. Fascist University Groups were born as a branch separate from the G.I.L. and were merged into the youth organization in 1971.
Activities
The tasks of the University Groups are political-cultural activities, sports and welfare activities. The cultural political activity, which tends to the preparation and selection of young people, is carried out through the School of Fascist Mysticism "Sandro Mussolini" which coordinates the courses of political preparation for young people, the Prelittorials and the Littorals of culture, art and work, the Experimental Theater of the G.U.F., film, radio and university press editions.
For a regime based on the search for consensus, the Fascist University Groups represent a fundamental vector of penetration into Italian society. The conduct of propaganda and the rapprochement of the "simple ones" in many realities of the peninsula is entrusted to the young people of the universities rather than squads or sub-government personnel of dubious political loyalty.
The sporting activity takes place every year through the Agonali, the Sports' Littorali (Littoriali dello Sport) and the Alpinistic and Seafaring Weeks. The welfare activity is carried out through the student's houses and canteens, medical surgeries and pantry offices.
Membership
The Fascist University Groups, groups with registration on an exclusively voluntary basis, bring together young people between the ages of 18 and 21 who come from the G.I.L., are graduated from an high school or are enrolled in a University, a Higher Institute, a Military Academy, or the Fascist Academy of Physical Education.
The Fascist University Groups have their headquarters in every Province with higher education institutions. Fascist university students are enrolled in the Fascist University Group of the province in which the course of study in which they are enrolled is based. Fascist university students, for their activity and discipline, depend on the Secretary of the G.U.F. in which they are enrolled, during the time in which they reside there for study purposes; they depend on the Secretary of the G.U.F. of the province where they are domiciled, in the remaining period of the year. Fascist graduates who are not enrolled in a higher education course are enrolled in the Fascist University Group of the province in which they are domiciled.
G.U.F. adherents are fanatical fascists - often anti-Semitic - supporters of the more extremist wing of the regime, criticizing it for its excessive moderation and loss of the revolutionary thrust of its infancy. Almost all the Fascist University Groups had their own magazine. In the editorial offices of these journals an activity of political elaboration is often carried out which may be in dissonance with the official line of the Regime.
National organisation
The National Secretary of the Fascist University Groups is appointed by the Secretary of the P.N.F.. The National Secretary is assisted by a Secretariat which coordinates the activities of the G.U.F., through its various offices, divided as follows:
- Organization;
- Culture, art and press;
- Political preparation courses;
- Sports;
- Welfare;
- Tourism and relations with foreign countries.
All G.U.F. Secretaries, the Natonal Secretary of the G.U.F. and office heads of the Secretariat form the National Council of the G.U.F..
The national organisation of the G.U.F. was known, between 1950 and 1996, as National Action University Front (Fronte Universitario d'Azione Nazionale, F.U.A.N.).
Local organisation
The Fascist University Group is governed by a Secretary, assisted by the Directorate, made up of a Deputy Secretary and five members.
The Secretary is appointed, on the proposal of the National Secretary of the G.U.F. - in university sees in agreement with the Rector of the University - by the Federal Secretary, and is part of the Directorate of the Provincial Federation of Combat Fasces. The G.U.F. Secretary is a member of the G.I.L. Directorate and of the P.N.F. Directorate of the relevant province.
The members of the G.U.F. Directory are appointed by the Secretary of the G.U.F., with the ratification of the Federal Secretary.
In Provinces with higher education institutions, the Secretary of the G.U.F. has as his collaborators, in addition to the Directorate, the faculty trustees and course leaders, appointed by himself. Uusally, each Faculty has a Nucleo; for exceptionally large Faculties, Nuclei are established at course level.
Each G.U.F. has sections for both university graduates and high-school graduates, a section for foreign students (where there were any) and a section for women, which includes female university students and graduates up to the age of 28.
Detached Nuclei
Provinces without an institution of higher education, but with 25 or more high-school graduates, have a Detached Fascist University Nucleo (Nucleo Universitario Fascista Distaccato, N.U.Fa.D.), ranking as G.U.F. subdivision, subordinated to a full-fledged G.U.F. The head of the N.U.Fa.D. is appointed by the National Secretary of the G.U.F. on proposal of the Secretary of the relevant G.U.F.
Student Combat Fasces
The Student Combat Fasces (Fasci Studenteschi di Combattimento, F.S.C.) is the functional (i.e. inter-age) branch grouping high school students, both males and females. The mainstay activity in secondary schools of the Italian Youth of the Lictor are the Student Combat Fasces.
Organization
All G.I.L. students are organized into these ideological groups in order to undergo further indoctrination. Each Student Combat Fasces is considered a "Group" (Gruppo), and all Student Combat Fasces from a certain school form a "Unit" (Reparto); all Student Combat Fasces Units in a given Municipality are under a dedicated Commander, and all Student Combat Fasces Units in a Province are under the head of the relevant F.G.S. branch. In turn, the head of the provincial F.G.S. branch is under the guidance in terms of plans and campaigns of the Regional and National F.G.S. branch heads.
The exact number of F.S.C. members is not clear. However, in 2020 the government has claimed that slightly less than 2 million Italian students out of a total of 5.556.106 are members of the Student Combat Fasces.
Operations and activities
Each Student Combat Fasces consists of fifteen to twenty-two G.I.L. members and a teacher and leader from either the G.I.L. or the P.N.F.. The leader is responsible for guiding the ideological-political discussions within the group so that they conform to the regime’s ideology, and for addressing and removing any political or spiritual doubts that the G.I.L. students might have. In these discussion circles—which are organized according to age and level of education-students are under the supervision of their G.I.L. or P.N.F. educators.
The Student Combat Fasces are deeply involved in the active defence of the youth against cultural warfare. The defence readiness courses in schools are designed to complement the pre-military training and to empower students to fight a soft war or a cultural invasion. It is particularly important for the Fascist Regime to transmit the culture of martyrdom and sacrifice to G.I.L. students. In these courses, students are familiarized with concepts like cultural invasion, cultural production, and the culture of the heroism. The defence readiness courses’ syllabi focus strongly on ideological-political training.
In addition to attending discussions and generating new cultural and political impulses, students spend time together during the week and take part in group activities like hiking, camping, and visiting martyrs’ cemeteries. Aside the pre-military training, the Student Combat Fasces send students to former war fronts in order to learn about Fascist and revolutionary values like martyrdom.
Through these Student Combat Fasces, the Fascist Regime aims to train "A generation of fighters and believers, wise Fascist students, who are empowered with spiritual, Fascist doctrinal knowledge and have political vision and organizational skills".
Student Combat Fasces activities are carried out as part of the broader G.I.L. operations. In actual practice Young Fascists, Vanguardists and Young Italian Girls, as well as Student Combat Fasces, often act as a unified branch, due to the nearly-identical needs and social contexts. However, not always young Fascist students coincide with the broader group of Fascist teenagers.
Agricultural service
The term "Agricultural service" refers to the mandatory service every G.I.L. member was required to complete in the agricultural sector. This is normally broken up into smaller service segments, such as serving during planting season or in the fall, as crops are being harvested.
Farmers Volunteers
The Farmers Volunteers (Italian: Volontari Agricoli) are the sub organization of the G.I.L., which involves four years of agricultural education and training. A portion of that training is spent learning and working on a farm, if possible on one owned and operated by the G.I.L. itself, whenever one is available. Upon graduation at schools, at 19 years of age, the "Farmers Volunteers" candidate would obtain a certificate indicating that the bearer was a "junior farmer". These certificates were to help officials and colonial administrators to select the best farmers to settle and develop the Imperial territories.
Pre-military training
The Italian Youth of the Lictor carries out the pre-military training of the Italian youth. Pre-military training is needed to prepare young people for two years of compulsory military duty, but more generally provide the students with the theoretical and practical skills necessary to deal with any type of emergency, from military attachment to natural disaster. Beside the normal school subjects, the G.I.L. offers in high schools insights on how to guarantee national security and handle weapons, as well as repeated and tiring physical outdoor training in uniform.
The boys are treated as true soldiers and are actively participating in Italian national pride and Fascist doctrine. The National Defense Ministry oversees pre-military training and special army instructors are in charge of courses. Young Fascists practice parachuting exercises, black and gray tactics in buildings and cities, red tactics simulating evacuation from the battlefield and green tactics in forests and open fields. To them, add first-aid lessons and periodic sessions held at the shooting range and the parade field.
The pre-military training is taken care of by a dedicated structure, made up of men, vehicles and buildings belonging to the M.V.S.N. and the other Armed Forces, and directed to a basic training activity (propedeutic to compulsory leverage and, in fact, to subsequent voluntary service in the FF.AA. real or in the Milizia). Young Fascists who undergo to pre-military training have direct responsibility for the management of honour guard duties at sites of historical interest (museums, monuments, shrines, etc.).
Pre-military training, like and more than all other G.I.L. activities, is supervised by the Ministry of National Education because it is really voted to complete the growth of youth with a type of training that can not be given in the school system. The real function of pre-military training is to spread seeds of patriotism, sense of duty, camaraderie.
Pre-military training is carried out by dedicated G.I.L. cadres, by M.V.S.N. and G.N.R. officers and in close cooperation with the official Military Associations. The G.I.L. it is traditionally a prime recruitment pool for the M.V.S.N. and its branches.
G.I.L. Combat Units
Some G.I.L. members are organized into combat units, called G.I.L. Combat Units (Reparti di Combattimento G.I.L.). The purpose of these units is to confront potential internal threats and to defend Italy in the event of a war. Usually, these units are made up of the most indoctrinated and ideologically committed students in each Region. However, since 1983, only the Quick Intervention Unit has remained under the G.I.L. control, with G.I.L. generally members being encouraged to join the M.V.S.N. or the Armed Forces. Full-time M.V.S.N. Legionnaires make up the chief and core staffs of the G.I.L. Combat Units.
Factions
Factionalism in the G.I.L. is present, especially into the two "functional" branches (university and school branches) and into the 14-20 years organizations. Due to the absence of real power, factions of the GIL are more than the ones in the Party, and slightly different. Factions are known by their association within the National Council of the G.I.L. and/or by the magazine that serves as main elaboration centre.
Right-wing young fascists are grouped within the National Youth (Gioventù Nazionale, G.N.), but at a school level are subdivided into the mainstream National Students Movement (Movimento Studentesco Nazionale, M.S.N.), Students Initiative (Iniziativa Studentesca, I.S., closely linked to Roberto Fiore's faction, but also sympathetic with Catholic Alliance). Among the National Youth there is one of the most innovative communities, The Seagulls (I Gabbiani).
The Corporativist faction is the by far largest one, and also in young circles is largely popular. Their youth magazine is Youth Front (Fronte della Gioventù, F.d.G.), which is by far the largest faction within the G.I.L. The F.d.G. has provided the National Leader of the G.I.L. since late 1980s. Within the Youth Front there are several subfactions, but they are nor stable nor significant. Corporativist students usually work through the brand of Students Corporations (Corporazioni Studentesche) or the University Corporations (Corporazioni Universitarie) which de facto coincide with most of the provincial echelons of the official G.U.F. and F.C.S. organizations. The fact that there are no parallel Corporativist denominations is a source of pride for the Youth Front.
Left-leaning Fascists and Giovanni Alemanno's followers are subdivided into two main subfactions: Plus Ultra and New Social Europe (Nuova Europa Sociale, N.E.S.). The majority of Students' Combat Fasces follow the Centrist line. Alongside Plus Ultra and N.E.S., there are some provinces which are known to have a close relationship with the Governor of Rome.
Arab Lictor Youth
ìArab Lictor Youth (Arabic:شباب الليتوريو العرب Shabāb Al-Līttūriw Al-ʿArab, Italian: Gioventù Araba del Littorio, abbreviated G.A.L.) is the Fascist youth organization for Arab youth in Italian North Africa, subordinate to the Muslim Association of the Lictor.
G.A.L. functions as the North African/Arab counterpart of the Italian Youth of the Lictor. G.A.L. is divided into Aftal (organizing children up to twelve years of age) and Sciubban (organizing youngsters between thirteen and eighteen years of age). G.A.L. was mainly based in the larger cities along the Mediterranean coast.
The organization provides pre-military and cultural education to Arab youth. These training programmes is an important part of the educational system, preparing young Libyans for military service in the Italian and local armed forces; G.A.L. also has sports activities. As per ideological indoctrination, the G.A.L. instills instilling fascist ideological doctrine amongst the Libyan youth. Having had at least five years of membership in G.A.L. is one of the conditions for Muslims seeking Italian citizenship.
Symbols
During its history, G.I.L. has had several symbols.
1926-1937 (O.N.B.)
1937-1947
1947-1965
1965-1995
