Un caso di «volontarismo simulato» durante la Seconda guerra mondiale: la marcia della giovinezza del 1940

The “Marcia della giovinezza” (March of Youth) was a military parade organized by the Gioventù Italiana del Littorio immediately after the declaration of war and presented by the newspapers as an act of volunteerism. About 22,000 young people marched on the Alpine arc and participated in an impressive ceremony in Padua. The initiative, lasted from June to November, was reported with great emphasis by the press and by the Istituto Luce. The regime wanted to show that “its” youth was ready to fight and to sacrifice themselves for Mussolini. The volunteerism, however, was simulated: although the youths were presented as war volunteers, in reality they took part in a propaganda display on Italian territory. The regime agreed to send only a minority of them into combat. The March of Youth is an example of the importance that the Fascist regime attached to outward appearances. Overall, the volunteers of the Gil who fought in World War II were few, but many other members of the organization took part in the conflict as conscripts.