The Risorgimento and the origins of anarchist violence -- Malfattori : government repression and anarchist violence -- Bombings, insurrections, and cosmopolitanism : Paolo Lega and Sante Caserio -- Crispi and the "exceptional laws" -- Anarchist assassins : Acciarito, Angiolillo, and Lucheni -- Fatti di Maggio and Gaetano Bresci -- U.S. investigation and death of the giustiziere -- Conclusion : terrorists or giustizieri?
Summary:
"Assassins against the Old Order delves into the history of Italian anarchist violence and sets out to understand the causes and general conditions that led to it. Despite a proliferation of new studies on anarchism, anarchist violence and its main school of thought--"propaganda of the deed"-- remain generally understudied and misunderstood. Misconceptions about anarchism in general, and anarchist violence in particular, have dominated public discourses and popular culture from its inception. Anarchists were quickly and conveniently branded as a "demonic menace to society" - a view that was reinforced by the period's pseudo-scientific criminologist theories as well as sensationalist accounts of the fin-de-siecle political assassinations which were framed as part of a presumed terrorist anarchist conspiracy to overthrow the established order. This book provides a cutting-edge synthesis of the intellectual origins, milieu and nature of Italian anarchist violence as well as a fascinating portrait of its major players"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.