Dux by Margherita Sarfatti: the construction of myth and ideological propaganda aimed at children

In My Fault (2014) Margherita Sarfatti distanced herself from Benito Mussolini, who was transformed into a brutal figure by Hitler's power and national socialism. This thought is far from Dux, Mussolini's biography that Sarfatti wrote halfway through the 1920s to build his myth in a free and intentional way. The editorial history of this text can be traced with the support of the documents kept at the Historical Archives of the Arnoldo and Alberto Mondadori Foundation, and allows to appreciate the success of Dux. The editorial correspondence allows to better understand the conception of the biography, the control of authorship and editorial strategies aimed at maintaining over time the dissemination of the text providing for popular and economic editions (1932), illustrated editions (1934 and 1935) which were recommended by the Ministry of National Education to be read in schools in Italy and in Italian schools abroad. This research will outline the reasons behind Dux's success, reflecting on the narrative strategies adopted and the educational models conveyed, along with the ideological propaganda addressed to the young audience that much contributed to generate popular consensus around fascism.