Nicola Avallone
PhD project: “For a Greater Italy. Fascist Italy and Public Diplomacy in the United States 1922–1946”
My project examines how Fascist Italy sought to extend its influence abroad through culture, identity, and soft power, with a particular focus on its engagement with Italian American communities and broader American audiences during the interwar period.
After the First World War, many Italian immigrants lacked a strong national identity, often identifying instead with their home regions. Fascist policymakers aimed to cultivate a shared cultural identity among these communities, spreading fascist ideology and promoting Italy’s influence overseas. Because the regime could not use the repressive tactics employed in Italy, it turned to what we would now call public diplomacy, seeking to transform emigrants into informal ambassadors for fascism—improving Italy’s image abroad and influencing American foreign policy in Rome’s favour. This approach occasionally proved effective: during the invasion of Ethiopia in 1935, many Italian Americans opposed League of Nations sanctions on Italy.
To explore how this cultural diplomacy worked, my project focuses on three case studies that the regime used to project Italian modernity, strength, and prestige:
- The charismatic figure of Italo Balbo as a symbol of Fascist modernity
- The regime’s strategic use of tourism to craft and project a desired image of Italy
- The institution of official festivities and holidays to bind Italian Americans through
symbolism and rituals.
These examples reveal how Fascist Italy crafted a compelling image of a revitalized, dynamic nation in both American and Italian American imaginations.
This study argues that cultural diplomacy was central—not peripheral—to fascist foreign policy, serving as a key instrument in Italy’s bid to present itself as a modern empire with transatlantic influence. By examining the United States as a primary site of fascist engagement, the dissertation highlights the long-term effects on Italian American identity and challenges conventional narratives that underestimate Mussolini’s propaganda sophistication. Drawing on newly available archival material, it offers a comprehensive view of how Fascist Italy worked to shape its global image and extend its ideological reach during a pivotal period in international history.
The legacy of this soft power campaign endures: in Chicago, a monument to Italo Balbo still stands, raising questions about how these efforts have shaped Italian American identity and collective memory.