Mussolini's message was clear: international fi nancial confi dence could make or break the Fascist regime. Settling the war debt and achieving the gold standard were the surest paths to guaranteeing the durability of that confi dence. Notably, this agenda of Mussolini's presupposed proving the country's creditworthiness through austerity.

Clara E. Mattei, The Capital Order, loc. 1435