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Brian J Griffith

@brianjgriffith

Modern European historian. Writing book on 🍷 in Fascist Italy. . . Projects: @NewFascismSyllabus.bsky.social @WMAB-2018-2019.bsky.social . . Websites: https://www.brianjgriffith.com https://www.newfascismsyllabus.com https://www.wheremonstersareborn.com

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Latest posts by Brian J Griffith @brianjgriffith

If you're interested in learning about the history of American-Soviet agricultural exchange during the interwar decades, join Dr. Fedorova and I on March 24th from 11am to 12:30pm via Zoom. RSVP here: fresnostate.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

05.03.2026 20:47 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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New book chapter on its way! This one's on the (quasi-abandoned) field of Generic Fascism. I hope to make somewhat of a splash with a Digital History integration. More soon!

24.02.2026 17:21 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I recently hosted Dr. Simone Cinotto at the @fresnostatelibrary.bsky.social for a book talk on his latest research monograph, Gastrofascism and Empire: Food in Italian East Africa, 1935-1941 (Bloomsbury, 2024). The following is a video recording of Dr. Cinotto's presentation.

16.02.2026 00:05 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Interessante! Lo guardero'.

05.02.2026 16:04 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

... (i.e. the "Matteotti Crisis"), which influenced Mussolini's infamous declaration of dictatorship in the Chamber of Deputies in January 1925.

04.02.2026 22:00 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

... of cheating in the previous year's elections, and called for the results to be cancelled. The following month, Matteotti's body was discovered in a wooded area outside of Rome, which launched Italy into a six-month crisis ...

04.02.2026 22:00 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

... thereby implying that there would be violent consequences for local communities if the election results didn't sway in the favor of the National Fascist Party. In May 1924, Matteotti publicly accused Mussolini and his political terrorism movement ...

04.02.2026 22:00 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

In May 1924, Giacomo Matteotti -- the influential socialist MP under Benito Mussolini's pre-dictatorship government -- accused the Blackshirts of intimidating voters at the polls. In some cases, Matteotti contended, the Duce's fascists flashed daggers or pistols, ...

04.02.2026 22:00 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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UN risks 'imminent financial collapse', secretary general warns AntΓ³nio Guterres says the international body could run out of money by July due to members' unpaid fees.

Welcome to Hell.

03.02.2026 00:39 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 3

To my Fresno State colleagues and friends, please consider attending!

28.01.2026 01:12 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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An Open Letter in Defense of Academic Freedom and the Historian Grzegorz RossoliΕ„ski-Liebe - The New Fascism Syllabus We, the undersigned, protest against the state-sponsored defamatory attacks on the German-Polish Holocaust historian Grzegorz RossoliΕ„ski-Liebe and the ongoing campaign of intimidation against scholar...

See the open letter co-signed by over 300 scholars on the state-sponsored attacks against historian Grzegorz RossoliΕ„ski-Liebe. We stand against intimidation and for academic freedom.

#AcademicFreedom #History #Holocaust #Poland

23.01.2026 00:57 πŸ‘ 10 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1
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S1 E6: Early Modern Monsters and Early Ideas of Race

Congratulations to Dr. Maritere Lopez on the launch of her podcast, "The Early Modern Monster Manual."

ABOUT THE PODCAST:

What made a monster in the early modern world? In The Early Modern Monster Manual, students at Fresno State explore how monsters were imagined ...

22.01.2026 18:27 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

The panopticon perfected.

08.01.2026 17:05 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

For anyone interested in further exploring the visual culture of Italy's neofascist groups, see @wmab-2018-2019.bsky.social.

07.01.2026 20:01 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

The leader calls the names of the dead, and the crowd cries "Presente!" (Present!). This practice dates back to Mussolini’s regime, symbolizing the "eternality" of fallen Blackshirts. It remains a controversial symbol of far-right identity in modern Italy.

#AccaLarenzia #CasaPound #Italy #History

07.01.2026 20:00 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Every year, neo-fascists (informally led by CasaPound Italia) gather to commemorate the deaths. The ceremony features a military-style procession through the streets, culminating at the former MSI center where participants organize in tight rows for a specific ritual of remembrance.

07.01.2026 20:00 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Later that day, a demonstration outside the headquarters turned violent. Following a confrontation with police, shots were fired into the crowd. A third young man, Stefano Recchioni, was struck by a police bullet and died two days later. The three became known as the Acca Larenzia "martyrs."

07.01.2026 19:59 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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On Jan 7, 1978, five members of the MSI’s youth group were ambushed by militants in Rome’s Tuscolano neighborhood. Franco Bigonzetti was killed at the scene; Francesco Ciavatta died shortly after. This event, at the Via Acca Larenzia social center, remains a flashpoint in Italian history. 🧡

07.01.2026 19:59 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Thanks for the review, Alexander!

28.11.2025 23:44 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Where Monsters Are Born was reviewed in this month's issue of The Public Historian! See below.

25.11.2025 20:21 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Of course this was not implied in any way.

24.11.2025 18:53 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Germany has a growing neo-Nazi community and is the strongest ally of authoritarian Israel in Europe. I'm not prepared to extend any confidence in Berlin's direction ...

24.11.2025 18:53 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Scientists: We must stop using fossil fuels and develop an alternative, renewable energy paradigm so that we can save human civilization from a rapidly approaching full-scale collapse due to an industrially-driven destabilization of Earth's climatic systems.

Industrialists: Let's blot out the sun.

23.11.2025 23:04 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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I don't know how many of you out there are history buffs, but I can think of at least two reasons why Germany building up "Europe's strongest army" is a bad idea...

23.11.2025 23:01 πŸ‘ 16 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 0

Headlines: Hitler had a micropenis.

*iPhone > Power > Off*

16.11.2025 00:19 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0