The Totalitarian Acceleration and Architecture

After the “resounding” success of the conquest of Ethiopia, Mussolini grew increasingly convinced that the relationship between the nations was about to change radically and that Italy had to be readied for “a new age.” In the face of the crisis assailing the West, Mussolini wanted to lead the country to “its appointment with history,” assigning it a special role, a mission for the “new civilization.”¹ In the new global order, Italy’s “civilizing role” would “naturally” stem from the fact that it was heir to the universal and classical spirit exerted by ancient Rome through its empire. Mussolini took charge