The Italian fascist special court for the defense of the State (1926-1943)

This article investigates the nature, composition, and development of the Special Tribunal for the Defense of the State, founded by the Fascist regime in 1926 to punish political crimes. In many respects, the Special Tribunal was established as a Military Court: the President of the panel was an Army General, the Prosecutor was the Military Attorney General, and the Court applied the procedure according to the Military Penal Code. This article suggests that the jurisdictions and military scope of the Special Tribunal gradually broadened during the 1930s and after the Italian entry into the war, covering all violations of the rules on the circulation of foreign currencies as well as common crimes committed by taking advantage of circumstances that depend on the state of war. Ultimately, the article suggest that the Fascist regime conceived of the Special Tribunal as an institution whose aim should have been to teach new men and women how to behave as true fascists.