Benito Mussolini Fascist dictator of Italy, associate of Hitler Date of Birth: 29.07.1883 Country: Italy

Benito Mussolini: Biography of a Fascist Dictator

Benito Mussolini was born in the village of Varano di Costa in the province of Emilia-Romagna on July 29, 1883. His father, a militant socialist and follower of Bakunin, worked as a blacksmith. His mother was a teacher known for her devoutness. According to biographers, Mussolini learned to read at the age of 4 and mastered playing the violin at 5. Despite their modest means, Mussolini's father managed to find the money to continue his son's education at the Faenza Church School. Mussolini was intellectually advanced for his age but had an explosive temperament. He inherited his father's mannerisms and his passion for socialist ideas. In 1900, he joined the Socialist Party and began writing political articles. After completing high school, Mussolini became a teacher in the village of Pieva Sali-cheto, but he was soon forced to emigrate to Switzerland to avoid military service. In Switzerland, Mussolini became even closer to the socialists. He met Vladimir Lenin and Angelica Balabanova, who introduced him to the works of Marx, Nietzsche, Kropotkin, and Sorel. Mussolini was particularly influenced by the ideas of syndicalist Sorel, who advocated for the violent overthrow of capitalism. Mussolini's authority gradually grew, and after being expelled from Geneva, he became known as "Piccolo Duce" or "Little Leader". His unique oratory and journalistic skills propelled him to the forefront of the popular struggle. In 1912, he became the editor of the socialist newspaper "Avanti!", increasing its circulation fivefold. However, Mussolini's views changed with the onset of World War I. While all socialists advocated for neutrality, he called for decisive government action. This conflict led to his expulsion from the party. In 1915, Mussolini went to the front but did not actively participate in combat. Returning to a devastated Italy, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. Having experienced life in the trenches, Mussolini understood the soldiers like no one else. The defeat in the Battle of Caporetto in 1918 and the economic devastation pushed society to a revolutionary state. On March 21, 1919, Mussolini gathered about 60 radical nationalists and futurists in Milan, forming a new organization called the "Italian Combat Union". Later, they became known as fascists, derived from the word "fascio", which means "union". In 1921, the organization transformed into a political party and began its struggle for power in the Italian Parliament. The number of party members and sympathizers quickly grew, and the fascists soon became a powerful force. On October 27, 1922, Mussolini organized the famous March on Rome, which was the first alarming sign for the political elite. He left the capital, but not for long. Fearing a civil war, on October 29, King Victor Emmanuel III appointed Mussolini as Prime Minister. On the same day, Mussolini arrived in Rome in a sleeper car. This event was later referred to as the "Revolution in a Sleeper Car". Despite the demonization of Benito Mussolini, he was perhaps the most ambiguous dictator of the 20th century. Seizing absolute power, he effectively sidelined Victor Emmanuel III and established a rigid authoritarian regime. However, in the midst of chaos and confusion, his rule brought positive results. Mussolini began by encouraging private initiative and reducing state regulations. He introduced proportional taxation, denationalized tram lines, telephone and telegraph services, abolished rent control, and reduced social insurance. While these measures hit taxpayers' pockets, they allowed Italy to overcome the crisis. In 1928, Duce approved the "Comprehensive Land Improvement Program", which resulted in Italy gaining 7.7 million hectares of new arable land. New farms, hospitals, schools, and churches were built. In a few years of Mussolini's rule, Italy not only recovered from the crisis but also achieved significant successes in foreign policy. The leader of the Italian people gained recognition worldwide. He was admired by Sigmund Freud, Mahatma Gandhi, and Pope Pius XI. Winston Churchill referred to Benito Mussolini as the "greatest of rulers". Mussolini's political career was ruined by his megalomania and belief in the rebirth of the Roman Empire. In the 1930s, the leader of the nation began to tighten his control, limiting political and economic freedoms. He began building an authoritarian state, introducing new behavioral norms that defined the "fascist style". Women were prohibited from wearing trousers, handshakes were abolished, and Saturdays were dedicated to political and military sports training. But the most absurd restriction was Mussolini's attempt to discourage Italians from drinking tea. The fascists considered this habit bourgeois and unacceptable for the "new physical and moral type of Italian". With propaganda and the immense support of the Church, Mussolini had millions of believers. And the Duce himself often inspired the masses with his personal example. He received a symbolic salary, lived modestly, and had no qualms about visiting the most remote villages, where he participated in manual labor and danced with peasant women. He was adored by ordinary people who saw him as a man striving for social justice. Benito Mussolini never belonged to anyone and lived only for himself. He had numerous mistresses but only one woman whom he truly loved - his former student, Rachele Guidi. In 1909, he eloped with Rachele and they began living together. In 1932, a twenty-year-old beauty named Claretta Petacci entered Mussolini's life. They did not hide their relationship and often appeared in public together. Rachele knew everything but could do nothing, as her husband was the ruler of all Italy. Mussolini's life could not end other than tragically. He pursued an expansionist foreign policy, first occupying Corfu and then waging war against Ethiopia in 1935. The victory in the Italo-Ethiopian War emboldened Mussolini, and he sought to conquer Tunisia. To achieve this, he formed a defensive and offensive alliance with Nazi Germany in 1939, relying on the military might of the German war machine. However, the relationship between Hitler and Mussolini remained hostile for a long time. Duce criticized Hitler for his racism, skepticism towards the theory of Aryan superiority, and laughed at the fanaticism of the Germans. But in 1937, after visiting Germany, he became convinced of Hitler's determination and believed in his victory. It was a fateful choice. In July 1943, a conspiracy emerged within the top echelons of the fascist party, which considered the war disastrous for Italy. Mussolini was arrested, and the new government announced Italy's withdrawal from the war. In response, German troops occupied Italy and established the puppet state of the Italian Social Republic on its territory, with Mussolini as its leader. He was merely a puppet in Hitler's hands. After the country was liberated from Nazi occupation, Mussolini attempted to escape to Switzerland but was captured by partisans and executed on April 28, 1945, along with his lover Clara Petacci.