Austerity served as proof of creditworthiness to international finance for the Fascist regime

Evidence

Mussolini’s message was clear: international fi nancial confi dence could make or break the Fascist regime. Settling the war debt and achieving the gold standard were the surest paths to guaranteeing the durability of that confi dence. Notably, this agenda of Mussolini’s presupposed proving the country’s creditworthiness through austerity. — Clara E. Mattei, The Capital Order, 1435

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the book’s core thesis about austerity as class weapon and the structural dependence of states on international capital credibility. — connects to: Liberal economist Einaudi celebrated fascism as restoring investor confidence — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism, 201; Britain pioneered austerity in 1920 and Mussolini’s Italy followed in 1922 — Clara E. Mattei, The Capital Order: How Economists…, 820; Fiscal austerity was framed as proof of national creditworthiness to reassure capital. — Clara E. Mattei, The Capital Order: How Economists…, 738 (+14 more)

Broader Connections

• Anglo-American financial acceptance was crucial for Fascist consolidation #corroborates (0.90) — Clara E. Mattei, The Capital Order, 1425
• Mussolini’s austerity policies won applause from international experts #corroborates (0.85) — Clara E. Mattei, Escape from Capitalism, 14
• Liberal economists supported fascist austerity despite opposing dictatorship #corroborates (0.80) — Gary Mongiovi, Austerity Is an Antidemocratic Strategy…, 107