ABSTRACT
On 2 August 1914 the Italian government announced that it would remain neutral, for the conservative Prime Minister Salandra hoped that what he termed Italy's sacred egoism could be satisfied by negotiating substantial concessions from the Central Powers. When the Germans suffered their first reverses the nationalists, intoxicated by visions of territorial aggrandisement, began to press for war. Benito Mussolini, editor of the socialist daily newspaper Avanti, remained true to the spirit of the resolutions of the Socialist International against war at Stuttgart in 1907 and Basel in 1912. He denounced both the German aggressors and the Anglo-French imperialists, announcing that the only war for socialists was that between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. He was promptly obliged to resign from Avanti, and shortly afterwards started a new paper called Il popolo dItalia, which was financed in large part by French money, with substantial contributions from other members of the Entente.
