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He was the father of Fascism, the iron fisted dictator who ruled Italy for more than two
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decades.
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During that time, he plunged his country to disaster, forming an alliance with Adolf Hitler
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and bringing the wrath of the world and his own people upon him.
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In the end, his own citizens expressed their own ruthless verdict on the man who called
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himself Il Duce.
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In this weeks, Biographics we track the life and death of Benito Mussolini.
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Beginnings
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Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was born on the 29th of July, 1883 in a small village
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near the northern Italian town of Predappio in the province of Forli.
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His father, Allesandro, was a blacksmith and an atheist who was heavily involved in Socialist
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politics, while his mother, Rosa, was a devout Roman Catholic schoolteacher.
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With his parents divergent beliefs, the young Mussolini was raised to put his faith
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in both Karl Marx and the Pope.
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His mother took him to mass several times a week, while his father dragged him to the
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pub to learn from his Socialist friends.
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From the start, Benito proved to be an aggressive, rebellious child.
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In later life reflected . . .
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I was not a good boy.
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I was, I believe, unruly.
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By the time he was eight, Benito was spending long hours helping his father in the furnace.
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Here he would listen to Allseandros socialist ideas and these were to mould his future philosophy.
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But the boys heart was with his mother.
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He feared displeasing her, yet, this did not curb his wayward tendencies.
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By the time he was nine, Rosa had become so exasperated with Benito that she sent him
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to a school run by Roman Catholic monks in order to instil some much-needed discipline.
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But the defiant Benito chafed at the strict discipline and his behaviour became even worse.
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He got into a number of fights and was eventually expelled when he took on one of the monks.
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Rosa now sent her wayward son to a less strict school closer to home.
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This did nothing to improve his behaviour and before long he was again expelled, this
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time for threatening another student with a knife.
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His exasperated mother managed to find a third school, where he managed to see out his schooling.
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At the age of seventeen, Benito completed his ten years of compulsory schooling.
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His main accomplishments over that period were the ability to play the trombone and
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to speak in public.
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However, despite his poor academic record, in 1901, he qualified as a school teacher.
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But, he soon discovered that teaching did not suit him.
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He was far more interested in the two passions that he had inherited from his father socialism
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and womanizing.
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The eighteen-year old Benito was a strong, handsome young man with a forceful personality
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and a certain charisma.
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He easily drew the attention of young women, often the wives of other men.
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This often resulted in fist fights with outraged husbands.
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Rabble Rouser
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After less than a year, Mussolini had lost his teaching job after getting into a violent
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argument.
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With no money and very little prospects, he moved to Switzerland.
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He worked in a succession of manual jobs to support himself.
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Within a short time, he had attached himself to a group of Marxists.
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He also joined a trade union and began attending rival political rallies, where he would heckle
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the speaker and start fights with those in the crowd.
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As a result of these political agitations, Benito was arrested and deported back to Italy
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several times.
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But each time he returned, more determined than ever to keep stirring the political pot.
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Mussolini struggled to make ends meet in Switzerland.
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On one occasion he accosted two elderly women on the street and stole food from them.
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In his 1928 autobiography, he related that if the women had struggled he would have strangled
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them.
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In 1904, he returned to Italy and joined the Italian army.
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He served out the compulsory eighteen months.
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Ten months into his military service, Mussolinis beloved mother, Rosa, died.
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A distraught Benito later called this the greatest sorrow of his life.
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He was discharged from the army in September, 1906.
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He had clearly not learned discipline while in his countrys service as his life now
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revolved around drinking, womanizing and fighting.
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Fervent Socialist
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He managed to gain employment as a teacher again with a succession of temporary contracts.
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During this period prior to the First World War, Mussolinis moral character deteriorated
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as his socialist ardor increased.
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He wrote for and edited several socialist newspapers, railing against the government,
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the democratic system, the middle classes and the church.
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In one pamphlet, entitled God Does Not Exist, he wrote that priests were black microbes,
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who are as fatal to mankind as tuberculosis germs.
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When Italy engaged in a war against Libya in 1911, Mussolini led the internal criticism
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against the governments actions through his newspaper writings.
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His outspoken opposition led to his arrest and a five-month imprisonment.
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Yet his fist shaking public opposition to the government had also garnered the attention
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of the countrys top Socialist leaders who looked on admiringly.
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The young Benito Mussolini was viewed by them as a rising star of the left.
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In December,1912, shortly after his release from prison, Benito was appointed editor of
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the countrys national socialist newspaper, Avanti.
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It was a natural fit and within six months, his firebrand style of journalism had increased
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the papers readership five-fold.
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He now had a national forum with which to air his views.
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The First World War
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When war broke out in 1914, Mussolini held firm non-interventionist views.
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He saw war as anti-socialist as it pitted the working classes of one nation against
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those of another.
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Within months, though, he had changed his view.
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He now saw war as an opportunity to foment revolution.
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He now used his voice through the pages of Avanti to call on the young men of Italy to
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join the army.
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Mussolinis about face on the war situation put him at odds with more moderate socialist
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leaders and resulted in his expulsion from the party and loss of editorship of Avanti.
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Defiantly he started his own newspaper, Il Populo Italia or The People of Italy.
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This paper ran continuously from November 1914 until Mussolinis removal from power
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twenty-nine years later.
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In his first editorial he proclaimed the famous line . . .
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Blood alone moves the wheels of history.
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Around this same time, Mussolini founded his first political party the Fascii of Revolutionary
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Action.
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This was soon simply known as the Fascist Party.
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The main Allied Powers, Britain and France, supported Mussolini, seeing him as a key to
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getting Italy more involved in the war effort.
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They provided much needed financial support to the new party.
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The British Secret Service even paid Mussolini a wage of one hundred pounds per week.
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In July 1915, Italy signed the Treaty of London, committing itself to fighting alongside the
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Allies against Germany.
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But Italys war soon became a fiasco.
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It was plagued by poorly trained and inexperienced officers and unwilling, belligerent conscripts.
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They became bogged down in a battle of attrition against Austria-Hungary.
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By the time it was all over more than 650,000 Italians were dead, half a million were missing
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and nearly a million were wounded.
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Mussolini himself re-joined the army in September, 1915.
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He attained the rank of corporal, winning acclaim for his bravery and devotion to his
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men.
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On February 22, 1917, he was in a trench when one of his fellow soldiers grenades exploded.
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He was badly wounded, requiring numerous operations over the course of the next month and then
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being sent home to recuperate.
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Mussolinis message now morphed from Socialism and the plight of the working man to patriotism
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and the cause of ultra-nationalism.
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Rise of the Fascists
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During the post war talks in Paris, Italy was treated dismissively by the major powers.
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The territories that she had been promised during the 1915 treaty of London were not
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handed over.
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The Italian Prime Minister, Vittorio Orlando, walked out of the conference in disgust.
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Orlando bore the brunt of public discontent and was soon removed from office.
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In the following elections, Mussolinis Fascist Party failed to win a single seat.
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His political rivals made fun of this, staging a mock funeral for the party.
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Chief among his adversaries were the Socialists, who had won a third of the seats in parliament
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and who Mussolini was now firmly opposed to.
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Over the next three years, the political situation in Italy was etremely unstable, with four
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prime ministers and coalition governments, none of which was able to yield any real power.
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The country was in a state of near anarchy, with rampant inflation and unemployment driving
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people to despair.
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Mussolinis Fascists.
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dressed in their intimidating black shirts, roamed through the streets, seeking out and
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beating up Socialists, Communist or anyone one else they didnt like the look of.
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The police, who had sympathy for the Fascists, usually stood by and let Mussolinis men
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get on with it.
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On May 15, 1921 national elections were held.
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This time, the Fascists joined a coalition of right-wing parties, the National Block,
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and won 35 seats out of the total of 535 in the House of Parliament.
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Mussolini himself gained a seat in the chamber of deputies.
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He was now an official member of the Italian government.
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Realizing that he now needed to broaden his base, Mussolini did an about face on a couple
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of his underpinning principals.
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He became both pro-monarchy and pro-church.
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But his hatred of socialism remained.
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Mussolini renamed the party, now calling it the National Fascist Party.
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His reputation began to grow and he became known as a man with the ability to rule with
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a firm hand and restore order amid the chaos that Italy had fallen into.
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Public opinion was beginning to turn in his favor.
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That popularity was bolstered when Mussolini Black Shirts broke up a Socialist backed strike
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in October, 1922.
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At a rally shortly thereafter, Mussolini declared in a speech that either the government would
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hand over power to him or he would seize it for himself.
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This was no idle bluster.
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With no sign of capitulation by the government, Mussolini decided to stage a coup by marching
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on Rome.
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His forces were no match for the Italian army but still the Prime Minister, Luigi Facta,
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offered Mussolini a position in his government in order to avoid conflict.
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The offer was roundly rejected and the fascists marched on the capital.
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The panicked Prime Minister urged the King to allow him to use the army to quash the
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rebellion.
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The king agreed but quickly changed his mind, fearing civil war.
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This enraged the Prime Minister who resigned his office.
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The twenty thousand Fascists marching on the capital stopped twenty miles north of the
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city.
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There, half of them left off and returned home.
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The rest carried on, with Mussolini himself joining them at various points to have his
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photo taken at the front of the line.
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But with the rain pouring down he was content to leave the heavy marching to others and
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took an express train into Rome.
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The king, who secretly admired Mussolini, now tried to placate him by offering him a
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governmental role.
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Mussolini would consider nothing but the prime ministership.
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Eventually, the king offered this position to him.
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At age 39, Mussolini had become Prime Minister, not through violent revolution, but through
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threat, bluster and unequivocal demand.
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In the wake of his victory, ecstatic Fascist roamed the streets in search of down heartened
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Socialists that they could terrorize.
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Attaining Absolute Power
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Mussolini was now both Prime Minister and Foreign Minister.
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But his government was very much a minority in the House of Parliament.
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This forced him to work with the confines of democracy, which left him at the mercy
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of the majority coalition.
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This was not a situation that the power-hungry autocrat would tolerate for long.
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Within eight weeks of assuming office, Mussolini formed the Fascist Grand Council.
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The Grand Council acted as a conduit between the Fascists and the Chamber of Deputies.
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Filled with his hand picked appointees, it was, in effect, a mouthpiece for Mussolini
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which effectively lessened the power of Parliament to act.
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In 1923 the Grand Council passed a law that rigged the electoral system to ensure that
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the Fascists gained a sizable majority in the next election.
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When the election was held the following April, the Fascist won 374 of the 535 seats.
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The new law helped to gain this 70% majority, but so too did the vigilant presence of Mussolinis
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Black Shirts, who coerced the public to vote for the Fascists.
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In addition, opposition party meetings were broken up and their candidates beaten.
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In the wake of this overwhelming electoral victory, socialist leader, Giacomo Matteoti,
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openly denounced the Fascists and their leader.
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Eleven days later, Matteoti was assassinated.
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This led to nationwide protest against Mussolini and his party of thugs, with many people calling
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on the king to depose the Prime Minister.
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For his part, Mussolini pleaded innocence and acted shocked and revolted by the murder.
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He did his best to distance himself from the crime.
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Still, Politicians from all parties responded by withdrawing from Parliament in an effort
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to force Mussolinis ejection from office.
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But the king refused to get rid of Mussolini.
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In a vote of confidence on January 3rd,1925, few of the Prime Ministers opponents showed
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up.
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Ever the opportunist, he now took the opportunity to cement his absolute authority.
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He declared that only the Fascists could provide stability in the country and it would be achieved
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through dictatorship.
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Totalitarianism
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As Mussolinis propaganda machine infiltrated every area of Italy, a cult of personality
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developed around him.
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People considered him to be a genius man of action, but one with the common touch.
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When things went well, it was all thanks to Il Duce (the leader) However, when things
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went wrong it was never his fault.
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He was a mesmerizing speaker, who used facial expressions and gestures to capture and enthral
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his audience.
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He stood only 56 inches tall and liked to dress in striped trousers and shirts with
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butterfly collars.
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He was not a well man physically, suffering from ulcers and stomach upset.
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His health problems forced him to give up smoking and drinking.
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Beginning to lose his hair in his late twenties, he took to shaving his head.
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He was also short sighted but too vain to wear glasses.
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Mussolini spent the next two years dismantling democracy in Italy and establishing his own
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totalitarian regime.
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During that time, he instilled three key messages into the public consciousness . . .
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Believe, Obey, Fight
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This message gained widespread approval.
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Even many former Socialists now turned to Fascism.
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The firm hand of the state was seen as the only solution to the countrys woes.
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All forms of criticism of the state were banned and opposition parties disbanded.
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Mussolini himself was answerable to only the king.
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Spies were everywhere, eager to report to the authorities anyone who spoke or acted
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against the state.
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During the 1920s, the Fascists had made modest improvements in the Italian economy.
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However, all of this was overturned with the global depression that followed the Wall Street
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Crash in October, 1929.
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Once again, the country was in a state of economic chaos.
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Mussolini responded by embarking on foreign invasions.
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During the 1930s he sent his armies into Libya, Ethiopia and Spain.
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Italys invasion of Ethiopia began in 1935 and resulted in a devastating occupation that
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would continue until 1941, when the British army forced the Italians out.
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During that time it has been estimate that 8% of Ethiopias population was put to death.
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Mussolini ordered that the male populations of entire towns be wiped out.
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Ethiopias leader, Haile Selassie, was forced to flee to England from where he petitioned
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the United Nations.
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They eventually imposed sanctions on Italy.
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This infuriated Mussolini and sent him into the arms of aneighboring dictator by the name
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of Adolf Hitler.
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Pact of Steel
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On May 22, 1939, Hitler and Mussolini signed a Pact of Steel, by which they promised to
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come to each others aid in the event of war.
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Les than four months later, Germany invaded Poland to ignite the Second World War.
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Mussolini proved erratic in his response to the prospect of fighting a European war alongside
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the Nazis.
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One day he appeared jubilant, only to seem to rue the pact that would bring the wrath
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of the major European powers down on his country the next.
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On the very day that Germany invaded Poland, Mussolini announced to his cabinet that he
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had decided not to fulfil his Pact of Steel obligation on the basis that Germany had signed
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a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union, an act that violated provisos of the pact.
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The truth was that Il Duce had absolutely no confidence in his countrys readiness
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for war.
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Despite his announcement to cabinet, Mussolini continued to put up a pretence of support
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before Hitler.
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However, in private he spoke of joining the British / French coalition.
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Finally, on June 10th, 1940, with the Nazis looking assured of an easy victory over the
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French, Mussolini declared war on Britain and France.
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Italian troops were quickly sent to France in order that Mussolini could have some share
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in the spoils of victory.
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At the same time, he mobilized forces into Africa to attack British holdings there.
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Large scale forces were sent into Egypt, while other divisions focused on Greece.
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At the same time, Mussolini was overseeing the air force as they joined with the Nazi
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Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain.
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In every theatre the ill-prepared Italian forces were driven back or stalemated.
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This enraged Hitler, who was forced to send Germany troops in to save the Italians.
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By the beginning of 1942, it was apparent that Italy was fighting a losing war.
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They were badly beaten in Egypt at the Battle of El Alamain.
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Then the Allied invasion of French North Africa pushed them further back on their heels.
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The allied invasion of Sicily was the final straw.
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Italys complete defeat was only a matter of time.
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An Ignoble End
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The country was in a state of emergency.
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There was no fuel so all the factories were down.
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Food was incredibly scarce with widespread starvation resulting.
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The people were desperate and furious.
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In this climate, a massive march on Rome took place a march against Il Duce.
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Bowing to the will of the people, King Victor Emmanuel ordered Mussolini to his palace where
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he informed him that he was removing him from office.
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Guards then came in and arrested Il Duce and took him into custody.
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The New Italian Prime Minister, Pietro Badoglio, was intent on braking the alliance with Germany
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and signing an armistice with the Allies.
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However, in order to stall for time, he kept up the ruse of alliance with Hitler.
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Unsurprisingly, when Hitler learned that Badoglio had signed an armistice on September 3rd,
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1943, he was furious.
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He ordered a full-sale invasion of his former ally.
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Nazi forces used Blitzkrieg tactics to storm and capture Rome, forcing the King and Prime
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Minister flee the city.
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Some elements of the Italian army attempted to resist but many of them simply threw down
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their arms and surrendered.
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Meanwhile, Mussolini was being held at a resort-turned prison at Campo Imperatore in the Alps.
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He knew the situation was chaotic but was surprised to see German paratroopers landing
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right outside his cell window.
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The Germans quickly overpowered the guards and made their way into Mussolinis cell
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where one of them said . . .
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Il Duce, the Fuhrer has sent me to set you free.
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Mussolini was taken to Hitlers East Prussian headquarters.
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Hitler genuinely admired Mussolini and considered him a great influence on his own career.
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But he was disappointed to see the man before him.
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All of Mussolinis will to continue the fascist struggle had deserted him.
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The Fuhrer was dumbfounded when Il Duce asked if he could be permitted to retire from public
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life.
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Hitler would have none of it.
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He installed Mussolini as the puppet ruler of northern Italy, which was now in Nazi hands.
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For the next eighteen months, Mussolini played this role, an impotent leader who ruled over
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a people who hated him and that was surrounded by armed Nazis and approaching Allies.
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With the writing well and truly on the wall, Mussolini tried to escape to Switzerland on
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April 27th, 1945.
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Just short of the border, he was intercepted by Communists who took him and his companions
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into custody.
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The following day they decided to execute him, along with his long-time mistress, Clara
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Petacci.
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After riddling the bodies with bullets, the Communist drove them into Milan and dumped
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them in the middle of the town square.
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For hours the citizens of Milan took out their enmity on the man who had led them to disaster.
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His body was spat upon, stoned, beaten and, finally, strung up by the feet.
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There the body of the once revered leader was subjected to the abuse of the crowd.
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His corpse was eventually thrown into an unmarked grave.
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Photo credit: Screenshot from video
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