Benito Mussolini

Benito Mussolini was born in Dovia di Predappio, Forlì, July 29, 1883 and he died executed in Giulino di Mezzegra, April 28, 1945. He was a military, political and Italian dictator. Benito Mussolini started his political life as socialist and was imprisoned for his opposition to Italy’s expansionist activities in Libya in 1911-1912. By the 1920s, however, he had changed his views and used his considerable rhetorical power to whip up popular support for his fascist policies of nationalism, anti-socialism and state control of industry and economy.

Benito Mussolini founded the National Fascist Party (PFI) in 1921. Mussolini possessed a talent for arousing enthusiasm and giving a sense of power and direction to a society in crisis. Through put Italy together in the same ideology, indoctrination and the creations of the cult of himself as “II Duce” (the leader), he was able to balance in different interest of his supporters. His nationalist persuaded war veterans, while his promise to deal with the treat of revolutionary socialism won the support of the lower middle classes and a proportion of the peasantry. Some workers saw the fascist syndicates as an attractive alternative to socials unions, while landowners and industrialists made large donations to fascists groups because the battered peasant labor organizations into submissions. The most important thing was that the political establishment tolerated fascism and helped facilitate the way for Mussolini’s rise to power; with the “March on Rome” in 1922. Mussolini, as Prime Minister, signaled the begging of a new era.

As part of his plan to revive Italian national pride, Mussolini sought to create an Italian empire comparable to those of Britain and France. He not only expanded Italy’s Libyan territory, but in 1935 launched a successful assault on Ethiopia. He also extended Italy’s territories on the eastern Adriatic coast.

After Hitler came to power in Germany, and after the first German victories in World War II, Mussolini decided to declared war on the Allies. However, the failure of the Italian army in Greece, Libya and East Africa, and the advance of Allied troops, led to his imprisonment order by Victor Emmanuel III, who promoted a coup and declared the end of fascism on July 1943. Released by Germans on September 12, 1943, created a fascist republic in northern Italy (Republic of Salò), but the Allied advance was forced to take flight to Switzerland. Attempted to cross the border disguised as a German officer, but he was discovered in Dongo by members of the Resistance on April 27, 1945, and the next day he was shot.

I think Mussolini was supported at the beginning because he appeared to respond to a discontent that is evident in all areas: economic and social (labor and dehumanization of the rural exodus), political (new democratic regimes and political disorder), cultural (modern rationalism and weakness of moral and religious values​​). It is by this that the call comes to an authoritarian power that is able to punish the excesses of economic and political liberalism and the disappearance of this discontent. Benito Mussolini compromised only in a political way by the end of his regime.

By Giovanna Trisoglio

References:

·         CHANTAL MILLON-DELSOL, 1998, Las ideas políticas del siglo XX. Paris, Francia. Editorial Docencia.

·         FARAH & KARLS, 2001, World History. Ohio, Estados Unidos. National Geographic Society.

·         PATRICK O’ BRIEN, 2010, The Atlas of World History. Oxford University, Great Britain. Oxford University Press.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mF4ZjJ88wU