Italian Fascism Transportation Propaganda (Jenny Meneses)

    The Metropole / Colony: Africa and Italy exhibition includes items that show the role of transportation as propaganda during the colonization of East Africa by the Italian Fascism.

The rapid construction of roads during the occupation period (1936-1941) was part of development plan for the new colonize territories. The need to transport troops, construction materials, and food was fundamental for the colonization campaign in East Africa. The fascist party saw this as an opportunity in the transport infrastructure to use it as propaganda.

The building of roads connecting the different colonies of East Africa allowed for public transportation service to become an asset for the government.  Photographs of vehicles touring East Africa were used to show a tourist friendly empire. This misleading representation of a pacified place intended to persuade Italians to spend their vacations in the new East African Colonies.

Road workers were also used as propaganda to benefit the fascism government.  They were show as part of the driving force responsible for the firm progress in East Africa. By doing this, the Fascism government appealed to other workers in main land to believe in the corporatist economic system. The idea of progress was vital for the Italian government given the economic conditions Italy was facing after World War I.  Italian workers were lead to see themselves as heroes; taking part in the colonization of new territories. Also, the creation of fascist identity is obvious in the used of road workers and engineers as advertising. The Reinforcement of political violence and war as a positive means to achieve progress creates a direct relationship between war- transport infrastructures (workers) - development.

Also, air transportation was used to promote the success of the colonization process. By showing the engineering and monetary power which represents this kind of transportation the government appealed to Italians. All this attempts to show power were made in order to contrast the debt and unemployment left by the Italian Liberal Party through Italy. Poster showing planes were used to show the leisure to travel from Italy to East Africa.

Italian nationalism and the territorial expansionism of Italian fascism used propaganda to create identity and reinforced their power. The used of print advertisement was seen as an effective mean of manipulating the population to gain support. Transportation infrastructure was not only a necessity but also a marketing strategy for both new colonies and for Italians citizens. The Idea of unparalleled progress was sold to Italians by the fascism government to elevate their party as the ideal form of government.