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This article investigates how democracy was established in Italy between 1943 and 1948, against the two-fold backdrop of the end of the Second World War and the end of the Fascist regime. By analyzing school reform, perceived as a key opportunity for rebuilding Italian society, it traces the successive stages of democratization, its challenges, and its limits. Realizing that mere defascization would not be enough to fundamentally transform society, the Allies introduced new practices and ideals in the classroom, while dealing with powerful actors throughout the country, including the Vatican. Thus, an original democratic model was established that would serve as a matrix for early republican Italy.