Post-war Fascism in Italy from an intergenerational perspective: the legacy of Fascist veterans for the generation of activists during the Years of Lead

This contribution by Faust examines the relationship between two generations of post-war Fascists in Italy: the generation of Fascist veterans and the following second generation of Fascist activists who were politically active during the so-called anni di piombo (Years of Lead). It argues that the familial component regarding the legacy of the Fascist veterans for the following generation are key to understanding post-war Fascists in this period of political struggle and terrorism. Faust’s article analyses mechanisms and dynamics of the intergenerational transmission of memory reflected in psychological theory. Based on in-depth anthropological fieldwork, it zooms in on two cases of the sons of Fascist veterans involved in extra-parliamentary neo-Fascist organizations during the Years of Lead. Most descendants of Fascist families share an experience of being born into a family in which the father is portrayed as a hero and victim of the violence of Italian partisans during the Italian Civil War (1943–1945). Close family structures and the resulting strong ties and dependencies between family members have made it difficult for children to critically examine their parents’ pasts. The public anti-Fascist discourse on the past has in fact reinforced solidarity with parents and their world-view in favour of maintaining a family identity.