cover image Hitler's Contract: How Mussolini Became Hitler's Publisher. The Italian Edition of Mein Kampf

Hitler's Contract: How Mussolini Became Hitler's Publisher. The Italian Edition of Mein Kampf

Giorgio Fabre, . . Enigma, $25 (249pp) ISBN 978-1-929631-37-7

This enlightening volume uses the story of how Hitler's memoir got published in Italy to shed light on the German dictator's effect on Mussolini's racial policies. Relying on a series of letters that are included in a lengthy appendix, Italian journalist Fabre depicts how, in early 1933, the Nazis proposed that the Italian fascists publish an Italian edition of Mein Kampf . In a secret deal, Mussolini agreed to generously sponsor the book to help defray Nazi election costs. Fabre then focuses the rest of the book on whether Mein Kampf affected Mussolini's racial theories and policies. He shows that Mussolini likely read some of Mein Kampf and then details how soon after this time, Il Duce began a purge of Jewish officials. Fabre is unable to prove any direct link, but the notion that Mussolini would have scaled down Hitler's anti-Semitic ideas for an Italian audience is plausible. The work also debunks the myth that Mussolini didn't use anti-Semitism early in his regime as a mechanism to retain power. While Fabre's argument isn't fully demonstrated, he adds a plot line to the ongoing discussion about the relationship between the two fascist leaders. 30 illus. not seen by PW . (Dec.)