Maria Montessori - A Biography

Maria Montessori in Europe

photo of a maria studying at her table

Benito Mussolini

The Spanish government invited Maria to set up a research institute which she did in 1917. She began conducting a series of teacher-training courses in London in the year 1919.

In 1922, Benito Mussolini took over the government of Italy. Mussolini being a politician wanted Maria on his side. So, initially he encouraged and fully supported the Montessori movement in Italy. The government of Italy funded the Montessori schools and also helped Maria establish a training centre for teachers.

Mussolini was nurturing colonial ambitions and in 1934 he was planning an attack on the African state of Abyssinia. To carry out his designs he needed the people of Italy, especially the youth, to be war-minded. To achieve this he set up a Fascist youth organisation whose members wore uniform at all times and gave the Fascist salute. Mussolini insisted that all children should enroll into this organisation. This meant even children from the Montessori schools should join. Maria disagreed on this and did not comply with his wishes. Mussolini immediately ordered the closure of all Montessori schools, and Maria was exiled from Italy.

She moved to Spain and lived there until 1936. This again was a mistake. A civil war broke out in Spain. General Franco another fascist took over the government of Spain. She was rescued by a British cruiser. Maria opted to stay in the Netherlands for sometime. In 1938, she opened the Montessori Training Center in Laren in the Netherlands. She continued with her work in the country till 1939.