In the early 1930s Macfadden made two trips to Europe, one to Mussolini’s Italy and another to Salazar’s Portugal, with two goals in mind. First, Macfadden hoped to strengthen bonds between the United States and these countries, a goal motivated by his own political ambitions. Additionally, and aware of the primacy placed on the body by both leaders, Macfadden planned to demonstrate the value that his unique brand of physical culture had for nation‐states.

Over the course of several months, Macfadden trained troops from both Italy and Portugal in the hope of improving their physical strength and fitness, a goal he ultimately achieved. Publicising his ‘experiments’ and results over several articles and monographs, Macfadden’s beliefs were founded on nationalist principles infused with a fascist respect for authority and a stress laid on the muscular body. Macfadden would, in time, come to disavow his fascist links and, during the [1940s], became an ardent supporter of American involvement.

[…]

Through Mussolini’s article, and a later piece penned by Macfadden entitled, ‘What Bernarr Macfadden did for Italian Physical Culture’, it was reported that Macfadden took personal responsibility for training forty [Fascist] naval cadets, ranging in age from their late teens to early thirties (Morgan 1932, 1–12). Cadets were brought to New York, trained under Macfadden and introduced to American culture.

The experiment, which lasted six months, was recorded by Thomas Morgan on behalf of the Macfadden publishing company. Between Macfadden’s articles in Physical Culture and Morgan’s 1932 writings, two messages emerged. First that Italian fascists had an appreciation of the body surpassing anything found in the United States. Mussolini’s article in Physical Culture, which contained musings from Macfadden on the Dictator’s writing, stressed the value of strength and athleticism in undertaking hard work.

‘A whole country organized for work’ was presented as the cornerstone of fascism (Mussolini 1932). Training men so they could undertake even greater labours was part of this project. As part of the great ‘Italianization’ of citizens undertaken the Fascists, men and women were trained to take civic pride in their surroundings. […] The cadets were called true ‘students of physical culture’ who, it was hoped, would serve as inspiration for fellow countrymen and women.

(Emphasis added.)

Events that happened today (August 27):

1874: Carl Bosch, founder of I.G. Farben, was born.
1923: Somebody stopped a delegation inspecting the disputed border between Greece and Albania by massacring General Enrico Tellini and four of his companions, thereby triggering the Fascist assault on Corfu later that this month.
1939: First flight of the turbojet‐powered Heinkel He 178, the world’s first jet aircraft.
1942: Axis officials, together with Ukrainian anticommunists, initiated the Sarny Massacre.
1943: Axis forces evacuated New Georgia Island in the Pacific Theater of Operations while the Luftwaffe in Crete razed the village of Vorizia to the ground.
1944: Georg von Boeselager, nobleman and Wehrmacht officer, died in battle. Oops!