The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe Paperback – January 6, 2015

Having grown up in Rome, with parents and grandparents who had lived during the Mussolini years, from the “March on Rome” to the end of WWII; having heard their many stories about “Il Duce“; and having watched various Italian movies about the war years; I was very interested in reading this recently published (2014) book.Like most of the better educated Italians and, by the end by the war, like the vast majority of the Italian population, no one in my family appreciated Mussolini’s dictatorship, or his fascist ideas. Consequently, the stories that they told were not entirely objective or flattering towards “Il Duce“. I purchased the book for an unbiased description of the Mussolini character and of the times of his dictatorship.I decided to write the review: perhaps the readers will appreciate the point of view of someone like myself who “almost” (that means through her closest older relatives) experienced the Mussolini times directly.So let us start from the beginning.First of all - before seeing the actual book, and based on the number of reviews by Amazon.com customers (209, as this review is being published) - I was pleasantly surprised to discover so much interest on the part of the American people in two individuals - the pope and Mussolini - who lived (1) during a period of history when most of us were not born, and (2) in a country located so far from the United States.The Pope and Mussolini is about 550 pages long, of which 400 or so are dedicated to the actual narrative. The rest includes review excerpts from newspapers and magazines, maps of Rome and the Vatican and the “Cast of Characters” (prior to the narrative); some extensive notes, the bibliography and the index (following the narrative). There are many black and white photographs throughout, which enhance the narrative: it is always interesting to see the pictures of the individuals about whose lives and actions we are learning.The book is very well written and very informative. It may at times provide more information than necessary, but Mr. Kertzer is such a good narrator that I just could not stop reading until I came to the very end.Good is the idea of including a separate “Cast of Characters” - that is short biographies of the two title characters, as well as of Mussolini’s associates, and of members of the Church and the many other individuals mentioned in the narrative. These save the tedious effort of having to search through the 400 plus pages of the book, should one need to clarify the information about any such characters, for example, the date and place of birth.The major emphasis is on the exchanges between (1) Mussolini and his closest associates and (2) the Pope and the rest of the Vatican; in other words, between a dictator with a humongous ego and the most powerful being on earth - the representative of God himself, the being who, through excommunication, can condemn the soul rather than the body, thus punishing the unfortunate individual till the end of time, not just the end of his/her life.Most of the readers will be surprised how extensive and influential those exchanges were. Although, like most Romans, I was aware of the intrigues going on at the Vatican, I did not realize how involved Mussolini had been with the Church.I was not entirely happy with the character description of Mussolini which, at least based on the feelings of many of his compatriots, seems far too positive: the man comes through as a reasonably well balanced individual. Even though self centered, he is still within the limits of normality. Mussolini was not within those limits. He was out of touch with reality and expected too much from his fellow citizens, for example, when trying to turn them into a population of heroes. Heroes are born not made, and rare in any population.I do not agree with Mr. Kertzer, when he suggests that the Italians were “weak“, because they did not respond to Mussolini’s demands with the same enthusiasm as the Germans responded to Hitler‘s. Well, he does not actually state that they were weak, he indicates that this is what Mussolini believed. The Italians are not weak, in fact they were never afraid nor hesitated to fight for the right cause, for example, the country’s independence during the 19th century. But they did not believe in Mussolini. They recognized the unrealistic nature of his goals and did not try to accomplish those goals. What better proof for such conclusions than Italy’s (not Mussolini’s) decision to change sides (as decided by Mussolini) half way through the war - criticized by other nations, possibly justly so.Unfortunately, when a dictator is in charge, the population has little opportunity to decide whether or not to go along with his decisions.The final outcome - when both Hitler and Mussolini lost the war and died indecorous deaths (Mussolini certainly did) - confirms those conclusions. The support that the Germans gave to Hitler did not help him in the outcome of the war any more than the lack of support hindered Mussolini.The description of the events immediately before, during and after Mussolini’s death, is probably short, when compared with he descriptions of other events. It leaves out many details which are important for a full understanding of Mussolini‘s personality and character: those events expose the man in his true image, not the image that he had tried to project: a man with the leadership qualities of Julius Cesar and Napoleon combined. It is unfortunate that Colonnello Valerio (Walter Audisio), and the other partisans likely responsible for Mussolini’s capture, execution and transportation to Piazzale Loreto, are hardly mentioned at all, not during the narrative, not in the “Cast of Characters“. They deserve the proper credit for putting an end to a dictatorship that should never have happened.Many photographs were taken of the dead bodies of Mussolini and of other prominent fascist leaders, as displayed at Piazzale Loreto in Milan. The addition of at least one or two such photographs would have made the description of the conclusion of Mussolini’s life - when he reaped the results of the seeds that he had sowed during the previous twenty some years - more complete.I agree with Mr. Kertzer regarding the lack of popularity of Pius XI. Although there was abundant published controversy about Pius XII during the 1960‘s and 70‘s, I never ever heard anything being said - good or bad - about this pope.All in all - except for the very end - The Pope and Mussolini is a very good book, easy to read, informative and very well written. I learned a great deal from it…… , but I did not change my mind, definitely not my feelings, towards “Il Duce”.

I heard about this book when Terry Gross interviewed the author on NPR's "Fresh Air". While the interview sounded interesting, I was skeptical that I would learn anything useful from reading this book. Reluctantly, I ordered this book from Amazon as part of my winter reading. I'm glad I did.This book is a page-turner and engaging. History teaches endlessly. In this book, Professor David Kertzer teaches us history like he's teaching us great classic Greek or Roman literature. This book reads like a compelling novel.I'm delightfully pleased that I learned an exceptional amount of knowledge about Pope Pius XI (Achille Ratti of Milan), Benito Mussolini ("Duce") and the hierarchy of the Catholic Church, and gained much wisdom from reading this eloquently written and exhaustively researched book. This books reveals that pederasty infected the pinnacle of the Church hierarchy during Pius XI's papacy.To the uninitiated like me, I gained a deeper appreciation for this book after watching PBS Frontline's program entitled "Secrets of the Vatican" that originally aired on February 25, 2014, and vice versa.The ten years that the author and his dedicated, tireless team toiled in the Vatican Secret Archives, Italy's Central State and Foreign Ministry Archives, the archives at Rome's Jesuit headquarters and the French Foreign Ministry Archives, and the long days and nights they spent drafting, redrafting, editing and reediting to produce this book yielded additional extraordinary insights into the cliche: "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely."This elegant book should be taken for what it is: a very important lesson in History. Our society will continue to be enlightened by the lessons and wisdom contained in this book.I would have rated this eloquent book five (5) stars had the title omitted the subtitle "The Rise of Fascism in Europe." This book vividly and painstakingly details the rise of Fascism in Italy under Mussolini but the subtitle over-promises: e.g., Fascism never took hold in the United Kingdom and France, fortunately.The author makes only passing references to French fascists. Indeed, the author notes that France offered refuge to certain prominent Italian anti-Fascist exiles. In fact, Duce (and Adolph Hitler) declared war on France and both Nazi and Italian troops invaded France. Professor Kertzer explains: "In the spring of 1940, German armies were marching from conquest to conquest. Eager to share in the spoils, on June 10, Mussolini declared war on France and Britain. He rushed Italian forces into southern France to grab territory before Nazi troops seized everything for themselves."This book briefly mentions Spain's civil war: "An electoral victory by Spain's leftist Popular Front in the spring of 1936 triggered a military rebellion."Sadly, this book fails to shed substantive light on the plight of the Italian populace during the Mussolini years. This book notes certain unflattering remarks Mussolini and Pius XI made about their own people. The author notes: "Italians, thought Mussolini, were a weak people. He needed to toughen them up." Pius XI purportedly said "I am ashamed, not as pope, but an an Italian! The Italian people have become a flock of stupid sheep." But, after Mussolini was arrested in July 1943: "Jubilant crowds celebrating the end of the regime filled Rome's streets, embracing one another and tearing pictures of the Duce to pieces."Professor Kertzer's tells a compelling story about the hubris of Pius XI, who believed "God was guiding him," and Duce, who acquired "an image of almost godlike proportions" among Italy's Catholic clergy in an Italy where 99 percent of the population, 40 million strong, was Catholic, that fostered, maintained and achieved "Catholic totalitarianism" and "Fascist totalitarianism." Pius XI and Duce formed a fraternal alliance and each exploited that alliance in such a manner that would have made even the Florentine Niccolo Machiavelli (1469-1527), who masterfully authored "The Prince," supremely proud and gleeful.Parenthetically, Professor William J. Connell of Seton Hall University argues: "For Mussolini . . . Machiavelli offered a practical guide to the exercise of political power stripped of the false liberal democratic pieties that Mussolini thought were the enemy of true national greatness."Professor Kertzer notes: "The Vatican played a central role both in making the Fascist regime possible and in keeping it in power. . . .the Vatican made a secret deal with Mussolini to refrain from any criticism of Italy's infamous anti-Semitic 'racial laws' in exchange for better treatment of Catholic organizations."Professor Kertzer writes: "Mussolini thought the Holy See was profiting too much from its alliance with the Fascist state to want to jeopardize it. For years the Vatican had been counting on its privileged relations with the regime[.] Italian taxes were used to pay for Church expenses, and that Catholic clergy were given positions of honor at all state functions."After having gone down the road of no return with Mussolini, the "gladiatorial, defiant, commanding and uncompromising" Pius XI, during his dying days, acknowledged: "What a boor and a traitor Mussolini has been with me!"Professor Kertzer laments: Pius XI "remains all but forgotten" among those within the Church. However, this books shows that Pius XI likely saved the Vatican and the Catholic Religion in Italy, arguably by using evil means.This books fails to help the reader understand why Pius XI (and his predecessors and the Vatican powerful insiders) demonized, marginalized and caused to be savagely persecuted Italy's 46,000 Jews, when nearly 40 million Italians worshiped him and cardinals and bishops "knees literally quaked in fear of provoking [his] wrath." Rome's Jewish community, comprised of 11,000 people, was not wealthy. Perhaps no one will ever understand, regardless of how keenly and intelligently one studies the Vatican Secret Archives.Pope Pius XI (1922-1939), a Vatican Library prefect turned Pope, must have studied Machiavelli's writings, including The Prince, even though the Church banned them in 1559. The Renaissance Florentine's writings on statecraft must have piqued Achille Ratti's curiosity. In The Prince, Machiavelli writes: "It was therefore necessary for Moses to find the people of Israel in Egypt, enslaved and oppressed by the Egyptians, so that in order to escape servitude they were disposed to follow him." (Ch. 6.) Moreover, Jesus Christ was a Jew, according to historical consensus. Further, Machiavelli instructs: "And yet one cannot call it virtue to kill one's fellow citizens, to betray one's friends, to be without faith, without compassion, without religion. These modes may be used to acquire rule but not glory." (Idem at Ch. 8.) The Church and Pius XI forever preach "Glory to God!"We should seek to understand the wisdom Professor Kertzer sought to impart in this book because the actions Pius XI, the Vatican, Jesuit generals and DUCE, undertook 70 years ago have parallels today in one guise or another. The power of faith should never be underestimated. Mussolini said: "It is faith that moves mountains, not reason."I was aghast to learn that the Catholic Church then was staunchly anti-Semitic and influential Catholic and Jesuit figures encouraged and caused anti-Semitic laws to be instituted and Jews to be disenfranchised, dispossessed, raped, murdered and massacred. Protestants and Freemasons were also targeted.I'm amazed that such a learned person as Pope Pius XI, who headed a universal religion and ruled the Catholic Church with an iron-hand, could blind himself and be blinded by his own SIN -- his searing, throbbing hatred for Jews. For a novice of religious history, I am shocked and baffled to learn from this book how deep virulent anti-Semitic venom ran within the Vatican: in mid-August 1938, the Vatican daily newspaper reported "that over the centuries the popes had restricted Jews' rights in order to protect Christians."Professor Kertzer writes: "The Vatican newspaper thus offered a blueprint of the anti-Semitic laws that Mussolini would begin enacting less than three weeks later." The author is perplexed, as am I, by Mussolini's anti-Semitic actions: "Historians have debated why Mussolini chose to mount a campaign against Italy's Jews. For years, the Jewish Margherita Sarfatti had been both his lover and his trusted adviser."Religious leaders, whether they are popes, cardinals or Jesuit generals, are mere mortals who time and again throughout history have committed unspeakable harm against OTHERS in the name of their Religion! The 21st Century is no different and we should heed the wisdom this book seeks to impart upon us. The take-away is that we all must be vigilant to prevent such horrific history from being repeated.Like everyone, I was awed and suffered sensory overload when I visited St. Peter's, especially its Sistine Chapel. During my visit, I wondered what world-changing secrets laid trapped dormant inside the imposing walls and spectacular ceilings that comprised St. Peter's. This book teased out some of those secrets that were spawned under Pius XI's papacy. Professor Kertzer and his team artfully pieced together relevant secret facts and used them to tell a coherent, compelling and engaging story. This story is poignantly relevant today still, and perhaps beyond.Professor Kertzer does a masterful job of creating a sense of "tunnel-vision" as regards Pius XI, which is befitting since Pius XI was isolated and isolated himself inside St. Peter's. It's encouraging that recent popes, including the much beloved Pope John Paul II and the current Pope Francis, travel the world over to connect with everyone. And the Jesuit university where I studied and obtained my graduate degree in a secular subject embraces everyone as God's child.Although one does get a whiff here and there about Mussolini's psyche, this book portrays him as a two-dimensional tyrant, who had a voracious sexual appetite and lavishly indulged that appetite.Perhaps we will never understand the humane being within Duce. Professor Kertzer writes: "Giovanni Bottai, one of the Fascist leaders closest to Mussolini, had a similar experience on his return from Ethiopia. 'Not the man, but the statue, stood before me,' he wrote in his diary. A 'hard, stony statute, from which a cold voice emerged.'"Mussolini himself purportedly said: "One must accept solitude. . . . A chief cannot have equals. Nor friends. The humble solace gained from exchanging confidences is denied him. He cannot open his heart. Never."This book details Mussolini's alliance with Adolf Hitler, expounding on the Fuhrer's 1938 extravagant state visit to Italy's famed cities like Rome, Naples and Florence where streets were adorned with Italian flags and Nazi flags and swastikas, providing further insights about Mussolini's grand ambitions to be as great as Caesar, Cicero, Virgil, and Augustus, combined. The author writes: "Mussolini's ambitions -- and ego -- were growing ever larger. He wanted to be seen as the man who restored Rome to its ancient grandeur. For this a new empire was needed."Many current day dictators in different nations are not unlike Mussolini, who was consumed by "his megalomania, his infatuation with the Third Reich, and his sense of invincibility[.]"

David Kertzer wrote a book that was not only informative but readable, historically significant and thoroughly satisfying as one trusted his research that was extensive and I'm sure completel accurate. His analysis of that terrible time during the second world war regarding the relationship between the Italian government and the church, was truly amazing and horrifying in the treatment not only of the Italian Jews but the Italian people themselves. It is unbelievable that Pope Pius XI seemed to do very little to help the situation. This was truly a horrific time in history which seems to be repeating itself perhaps not with the Jews but with other ethnic groups. We need more books llike this one with the hopes that history will eventually stop repeating itself!

This is a revelation, even handed, academically sound, and compelling. The Vatican has a lot to answer for. Would Jesus have turned a blind eye to the mass executions to save the temple?Not for one second, if we are to believe his Word. He would have sacrificed himself and everything he had. This book should be required reading in every school in the Christian world.To do anything else would be to hide the sordid truth, for the sake of protecting those in power.

Interesting book which showed the strategy of Mussolini in his manipulation of the Vatican. Many of us great respect for the role of the Vatican, but the benefits the church gained from the association with Mussolini could not be justified. The book was well written, easily read and a great contribution and thankfully the author was given access to Vatican archives - though it reveals how they were duped. The world was in great mess with the financial collapse caused by the Great War and folk desperately and banefully looked to one other '..ism' for direction. It is interesting and wrong that Pius XI and the other pious turned their eyes from the Vatican Pedophilia, seemingly indifferent to the human anguish it caused. Horrible place the Vatican, where power and influence seeking thobbs. All praise for the impact of Pope Francis

Although not as compelling as thought it would be, it is hard not to be impressed by the quality and depth of the research that has gone into this invaluable addition to historical accounts of the error.

Like other books by David Kertzer , this one was clearly written and the narrative was compelling.It is a history that moves along with sufficient detail but does not become a quagmire that requirespauses to try to interpret the story that the author is telling. A good , informative history.