{"product_id":"original-wwii-italian-black-shirt-mvsn-fascist-medical-captain-s-fez-with-bullion-badge","title":"Original WWII Italian Black Shirt MVSN Fascist Medical Captain’s Fez with Bullion Badge","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. This excellent condition fez features a gold fascist wheat symbol to the front which has retained most of its original color. The side of the cap has what appears to be a rank insignia for a Captain or higher rank. The front badge has a medic’s cross at the bottom, denoting a Medical officer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe interior is unlined with a leather sweatband in wonderful condition, although the stitching is heavily worn away.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe condition is excellent and shows moderate wear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eComes ready for display!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistory of the black shirts:\u003cbr\u003eBlackshirt, Italian Camicia Nera, plural Camicie Nere, member of any of the armed squads of Italian Fascists under Benito Mussolini, who wore black shirts as part of their uniform.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first squads - each of which was called Squadre d’Azione (Action Squad) - were organized in March 1919 to destroy the political and economic organizations of socialists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBy the end of 1920 the Blackshirts were attacking and destroying the organizations not only of socialists but also of communists, republicans, Catholics, trade unionists, and those in cooperatives, and hundreds of people were killed as the Fascist squads expanded in number. A Fascist convention in Naples on October 24, 1922, provided the pretext for the contingent of armed Blackshirts from all over the country for the famous March on Rome that put Mussolini into power.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEarly the next year, on February 1, 1923, the private Blackshirts were officially transformed into a national militia, the Voluntary Fascist Militia for National Security. The black shirt was worn not only by these military Fascists but also by other Fascists and their sympathizers, especially on patriotic occasions. With the fall of Mussolini in 1943, however, the black shirt and the Blackshirts fell into disgrace.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43704699125829,"sku":"ONAC25SD0071","price":695.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/ONAC25SD0071__03.jpg?v=1759266396","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-wwii-italian-black-shirt-mvsn-fascist-medical-captain-s-fez-with-bullion-badge","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}