Physical education and sport under GIL (1937-1943)

Halfway through the Thirties, the idea grew strong that sports victories, with records and idols, were the most effective means to show the world the greatness of fascist Italy.

It was therefore necessary to start raising future sport champions from a tender age, as CONI stated.⁸⁴ But these ideas were in contrast to Ricci’s ONB programmes. The latter - as mentioned before - was based on youth

sport and physical education, but considered competitiveness dangerous, if instilled before the age of 18.

Conflicts with the PNF followed, up to the loss of Mussolini’s support of Renato Ricci, who had always operated with a certain independence.⁸⁵ Consequently, with the Royal Legislative Decree of 27 October 1937, ONB was suppressed and all competencies regarding physical, sports, political and military education of the young were taken over by GIL.

This institution was created by the same Decree that passed into Law, No.

2566, on 23 December 1937. Since then, enrolment in GIL was mandatory, at least formally.

Article 1 of this Law stated that: "GIL, a unitary and totalitarian organization of young forces of the fascist regime, is established within the PNF, under direct supervision of the Secretary of the Fascist National Party (…).

Youngsters of both sexes, between the ages of 6 and 21, belong to it and are assigned to the subdivisions of male Young Fascists, Vanguardists, Balilla, Children of the She-Wolf, and female Small Italians, Young Italians, Young Fascists, Children of the She-Wolf."

Article 5 stated some of the fundamental duties of GIL such as: "spiritual, sport and pre-military training; teaching of physical education in elementary and middle schools according to the programmes issued by GIL in agreement with the Minister of National Education; the creation and functioning of courses, schools, colleges, academies pertaining to the goals of GIL; assistance enacted through fields, health resorts and scholastic patronage or through other means provided by the PNF Secretary, Minister Secretary of State, Commanding General; the organization of trips and cruises."

The PNF Secretary at the time was a member of the fascist hierarchy, Achille Starace, who was also President of CONI and, by law, director of the new GIL organization.

In 1935, Starace had already instituted the 'Fascist Saturday', as opposed to the English weekend, to massively spread the 'fascist style' through activities of a political, militaristic, cultural and sports nature.⁸⁶ Through GIL, Starace could now finally carry out the project of centralizing all youth activities in his and the Party’s hands, turning Italians into a nation of determined sportsmen, this time with the priceless support of CONI.

For this purpose, in 1938, Starace issued dispositions guaranteeing that all sport programmes of GIL be established in agreement and coordinated by both GIL and CONI.⁸⁷

To fully sustain the task of student 'fascistization' and 'sportivization', in 1939, the Minister of National Education reasserted the important role that GIL covered in the school system. Through the IV Declaration of Bottai’s School Charter, the value of education bestowed by GIL was emphasized.

The exercise technique had to aim "at obtaining harmony of development, validity of training, moral elevation, self-confidence, high sense of discipline and duty."⁸⁸

Yet, despite the continuous services of proselytism conducted by GIL, the number of enlisted subjects was higher in the North than in the South and decreased with age.⁸⁹

The tendency was even more evident as years went by because, even though born and raised during Fascism, the young believed less and less in the social revolution and in the ideals of the Duce, finding GIL choreographic rituals and celebratory parades, pompous and meaningless.⁹⁰ As an example, in 1937, GIL inherited 2,478,768 Balilla, 960,118 Vanguardists, 2,130,350 Small Italians and 483,145 Young Italians from ONB, but towards the end of 1941, GIL had only 1,865,290 Balilla, 988,733 Vanguardists, 1,759,625 Small Italians and 454,204 Young Italians.

In conclusion, after four years of efforts and propaganda, the number of Vanguardists and Young Italians enlisted in GIL had remained about the same, while that of Balilla and Small Italians had visibly decreased. Also in the new section Giovani Fascisti [Young Fascists] from 18 to 21 years, enrolment numbers were not satisfactory, since in 1941 they showed only 1,313,900 male Young Fascists and 527,112 female Young Fascists.⁹¹

Other than numbers, the efforts made by the regime to 'fascistize' school-age youngsters did not show expected results. As proof of this, it is noteworthy that among partisans in combat against fascists and their dangerous Nazi allies, about 85% were under the age of 22 and therefore educated in scholastic and extra-scholastic institutions of fascist faith, doctrine and aesthetics.⁹²

After 1937, a search for popular consensus occurred for the war-oriented political choices of the regime. The alliance with Germany and the desire to

imitate its perfect organization, as well as the dream of arousing the admiration of the whole world thanks to sports achievements, further emphasized the phenomenon of champion-seeking and of turning sports into show business.

In those years, the competitive spirit of youngsters was underlined by GIL through the Ludi Juveniles [Juvenile Games] of arts and culture, reserved to students of secondary schools, and which included tests of sports of a paramilitary nature.

Following lively national propaganda that exalted the physical strength and moral courage of Mussolini’s new Italians, all GIL members, from students to workers, were involved in spectacular displays organized jointly by GIL and CONI in the hope of discovering new sports talent.

The goal was to ensure the "control of sports disciplines for the training of future champions", to operate for "youth sport-perfecting, essential from an Olympic viewpoint, and for military preparation", to direct "the selected forces of fascist sports, not only in national competitions, but also in international ones, in order to once again claim the growing spiritual boldness, physical value and aggressive geniality of Mussolini’s Italians."⁹³ Towards the end of the Thirties, despite the usual prejudices and some anti-feminist resurgence that still hindered female emancipation, the sports system received a great boost through an increase in gymnastics and sports competitions on a local, regional and national scale and of championships and international meets that saw Italian women compete with the best, and sometimes coming out on top. (Chapter .5.6)