What Is Nationalism and What Do Nationalists Want?

<p><em>What Is Nationalism and What Do Nationalists Want?</em> by Alfredo Rocco is the latest in our series of early 20<sup>th</sup> century works on Italian politics. Originally published in 1914 as <em>Che cosa è il nazionalismo e cosa vogliono i nazionalisti </em>it discusses what nationalism is and isnʼt and why; Italian political parties of the period; why nationalists are not liberals nor conservatives nor radicals nor republicans nor clericalists nor socialists. It discusses objections to and criticisms of nationalism and finally to whom nationalism appeals.</p><p></p><p>Alfredo Rocco (AD 1875 - 1935) was an Italian jurist and politician. Born in Naples he was the son of engineer Alberto Rocco and Maria Berlingieri. His three other brothers were like him all jurists.</p><p></p><p>A Professor of Civil Procedure at the University of Parma from 1906-1909 and at the University of Palermo from 1909-1910 Rocco later taught Economic Legislation of Labor and Commercial Law at the Sapienza University of Rome where he also served as rector from 1932-1935.</p><p></p><p>Originally a member of the Italian Radical Party Rocco become a Nationalist in 1913 while teaching at the University of Padua; it is during this time that he wrote the present work. He was a staunch advocate of Italyʼs intervention in the First World War.</p><p></p><p>Rocco was responsible for and his name is associated with the Italian Penal Code (the <em>Codice Rocco</em>) much of which remains in force in Italy today and which he had a direct hand in.</p><p>Under Mussoliniʼs government Rocco served as Undersecretary of State first for the Ministry of the Treasury then Finance from 1922 to 1924; in 1924 he was elected President of the Chamber of Deputies. From 1925 to 1932 he was Minister of Justice. From 1934 until his death he was a Senator of the Kingdom of Italy.</p>