Italy emerged from World War I with a weakened economy characterized by mass unemployment, food shortages, strikes, and government debt. These economic conditions, along with disappointment that Italy had not gained more territory in Europe or colonies in Africa from its sacrifices during the war, led to the rise of fascism under Benito Mussolini, who seized power in 1922. This poster of 1920 urges Italians to devote their savings to the reconstruction of the homeland, presumably by purchasing Italian government bonds. The poster shows an enormous piggy bank being lifted by a crane; below is an outline map of Italy as seen from the north. The poster is by Plinio Codognato (1878–1940), a prominent Italian illustrator and advertising executive, who after the war worked for the Italian automobile manufacturer FIAT and other Italian companies and brands, including Pirelli, Campari, and Cinzano.