The ‘Examination of Conscience’ of the Nation: The Lost Debate About the ‘Collective Guilt’ in Italy, 1943-1945 The article tries to assess the still controversial question concerning the legacy of fascism in Italy focusing on the early post-war discussion about the dictatorship. It shows the emergence of the theme of Italians’ ‘collective guilt’, generally neglected by Italian historiography. It is a matter of fact that the final result of the struggle between conflicting narratives was to draw a veil of oblivion over the past. Anyway, I suggest that for a better understanding of the awkward relationships between Italian society and its fascist past it is necessary to put aside a moralistic approach toward the contemporaries’ attitude to forget and try to evaluate it, rather, as the dramatic consequences of the totalitarian experience.

The Examination of Conscience of the Nation: The Lost Debate About Collective Guilt in Italy, 1943-5

LA ROVERE, LUCA
2008

Abstract

The ‘Examination of Conscience’ of the Nation: The Lost Debate About the ‘Collective Guilt’ in Italy, 1943-1945 The article tries to assess the still controversial question concerning the legacy of fascism in Italy focusing on the early post-war discussion about the dictatorship. It shows the emergence of the theme of Italians’ ‘collective guilt’, generally neglected by Italian historiography. It is a matter of fact that the final result of the struggle between conflicting narratives was to draw a veil of oblivion over the past. Anyway, I suggest that for a better understanding of the awkward relationships between Italian society and its fascist past it is necessary to put aside a moralistic approach toward the contemporaries’ attitude to forget and try to evaluate it, rather, as the dramatic consequences of the totalitarian experience.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11391/122585
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