War of the Waves: Radio and Resistance during World War II

Stefano Gagliarducci, Massimiliano Onorato, Francesco Sobbrio and Guido Tabellini

American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 2020, vol. 12, issue 4, 1-38

Abstract: We analyze the role of the media in coordinating and mobilizing insurgency against an authoritarian regime, in the context of the Nazi-fascist occupation of Italy during WWII. We study the effect of BBC radio on the intensity of internal resistance. By exploiting variations in monthly sunspot activity that affect the sky-wave propagation of BBC broadcasting toward Italy, we show that BBC radio had a strong impact on political violence. We provide further evidence to document that BBC radio played an important role in coordinating resistance activities but had no lasting role in motivating the population against the Nazi-fascist regime.

JEL-codes: D74 L82 N44 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (24)

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Related works:
Working Paper: War of the Waves: Radio and Resistance During World War II (2018)
Working Paper: War of the Waves: Radio and Resistance During World War II (2018)
Working Paper: War of the Waves: Radio and Resistance During World War II (2018)
Working Paper: War of the Waves: Radio and Resistance During World War II (2018)
Working Paper: War of the Waves: Radio and Resistance during World War II (2017)
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DOI: 10.1257/app.20190410

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