Between Pope and Duce: Catholic Students in Fascist Italy

Between Pope and Catholic Students in Fascist Italy traces the fascinating history of young Catholic intellectuals in Italy under Fascism. It is a complex story of courageous resistance to Fascist pressures and periodic willing collaboration. Despite Mussolini’s efforts to thoroughly «fascistize» Italy’s youth, a significant minority of university students, thanks to the Federazione Universitaria Cattolica Italiana, remained resistant to all but the most generic Fascist appeals. In the process, the leadership of the postwar Christian Democratic party was nurtured and its relationship with the Catholic Church solidified.