Pulitzer Prize Biography Winner
The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe
by David I. Kertzer
Summary
Kertzer examines the tangled relationship between Pope Pius XI and Benito Mussolini as Fascism took hold in Italy between the world wars. Using newly opened Vatican archives, the book reveals how the church and the dictator each used the other to secure power. It offers a troubling account of the bargains the papacy struck even as Mussolini moved toward alliance with Hitler.
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Historical Context & Significance
Kertzer based the book on Vatican secret archives that Pope Benedict XVI opened to researchers in 2006.