Absolute power and influence, is and has always been something extremely difficult to obtain, and as we have seen throughout the course of history such authority and control left in the hands of a single person can quickly crumble at their very feet. As with most, this often happens in part by self-destructive means. Case and point, Benito Mussolini, a man who at one point held total power over the entire Italian population; seemingly overnight he lost all control and eventually found himself hanging from the end of a meat hook. Now knowing just who he was as a person, what actions he took, and the decisions he made, some might argue that his reign in the end was preordained for catastrophe. Myself, I would tend to agree with this statement. Nevertheless, let us take a few steps back and revisit the periods of Mussolini’s life leading up to his ultimate demise. The stages of his life in which he was influenced by loved ones and strangers alike. In essence, the moments in time that sculpted the intellect, opinions, beliefs, even ideologies of the man who was. Starting from the beginning and working forward, I want to dissect Mussolini in a way that helps us understand why and how he was shaped into the person he became. How was Mussolini influenced by his father and mother? What drove Mussolini to eventually create and promote Fascism as we know it? Then, with a freshly painted portrait of the man we knew as “Il Duce”, we can pinpoint the flaws of his being to see what went wrong in, or rather how Mussolini went about, implementing the fascist idea incorrectly. Moreover, with these questions in mind we can evaluate my perceived notion that Mussolini was simply destined for failure.
Benito Mussolini was born the son of a blacksmit...
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...ists) (Gregor 95). This was the first step of many that would take Mussolini’s small, organized group of followers and himself to their futures as ruling fascists.
Once more Mussolini completely reinvented himself and his ideology in the years to come. On March 23, 1919, Mussolini founded the Fasci Italiani di Combattimento, welcoming civilians and veterans alike in the fight for Fascism (Hoyt 113). Fascism in its’ early state spread under the values of nationalism and unity, despite ones class. However, Mussolini’s idea of fascism was not what it turned out to be. He took philosophies and ideologies alike and blended them to his approval. Mussolini’s fascism opposed democratic rule, protected the class system, rejected egalitarianism, encouraged militarization, and demanded civic duties for the states wellbeing; fascism was action and with action came results.
Mussolini was considered one of the first modern dictators and he essentially paved the way for Hitler and others to follow. Italy was still in chaos after World War I and showed no signs of recovery. When Mussolini attempted his rise to power, he did it through the political channels being voted in by the people. However, rather than seeking to improve Italy, “Mussolini's new cause became personal power; he sought to place himself in the position of dictator” (Gale). The way in which Mussolini spoke captivated crowds and made Italy fall in love with him. What Mussolini lacked in height he made up for in public speaking, as one of his critics describes, “Yet by the power of his public speaking, by his gestures and tone of voice, he was capable of inspiring tremendous enthusiasm in the crowds who gathered to hear him” (Gale). Italy felt as if Mussolini’s cult of personality was never going to leave, like it seemed as if Big Brother was never going to
These were pivotal times in the annals of world history in the 20th century. Mussolini and Hitler’s rise to power was clearly a threat to the freedoms of the United States and its Allies. Through God’s grace and omnipotence, the US alliance, industrialization and intellectual might, we had the resources required to overcome the fierce and mighty threat of Fascism in the Free World.
To understand why Fascism gained such popularity after WWI, it is essential to find a working definition of what Fascism actually is. According to Benito Mussolini and his document What is Fascism, Fascism is “the conception of the state, its character, its duty, and its aim.” It is concerned primarily and totally with the affairs of state rather than those of the individual. The chief duty of a man in a Fascist nation is to do what he can to elevate the state to higher power or assist the state in whatever means necessary in its goals. As is evident to anyone studying this period in history, Fascism “repudiates the doctrine of Pacifism…” meaning that it is most certainly not afraid to use force or war to accomplish its objectives. A Fascist, especially a male Fascist, aspires to be a hero to his country and an ally to the state or nation of which he is a part. A woman ...
Fascism is one of the great political ideology in the 20th century. It is a kind of authoritarian government that, according to Wikipedia, “considers the individual subordinate to the interests of the state, party or society as a whole.” Two of the most successful and to be in the vanguard of fascism government is Italian fascism – led by Benito Mussolini, and Nazi Germany – led by Adolf Hitler. Fascism in Italy and Germany, though in many regards very similar - have the same political ideologies, still have many aspects to them that make them different from each other. Before analysing the similarities and differences between the fascism that emerged in Italy and Germany since the very first of 20th century, it is better to discover - what is fascism.
Mussolini, Benito. “The Political and Social Doctrine of Fascism.” The Human Record . By Alfred J. Andrea and James H. Overfield. Vol. 2. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2011. 2 vols. 399-400.
In 1922, Benito Mussolini held leadership in Italy, promising a proficient and militaristic nationalistic state. During his control as prime minister, he gained a large group of followers, banned the disparagement of government, and used extreme violence against his enemies within the parliament. According to Oppenheimer, Adolf Hitler idolized Mussolini’s rise and respected his tactics to gain power. Hitler was a violent leader who brought For example, “corporatism” largely contributed to later policies that we still practice today.
Benito Mussolini was brought up in one the poorest regions in Northeastern Italy. When he was in school, he always kept to himself and very quiet. He wasn’t a class clown, never cried or rarely laughed. He always sat in the back of the classroom and read a book. He rather do that than play with the other children in his class. He got kicked out his first boarding school. When he was growing up he was surrounded by many political philosophies. There was anarchism, socialism, and others. Both Benito and his father Allesandro had very bad violent tempers.
Unlike Marxism, Fascism does not believe that class conflict can bring about change, instead fascism believes that class conflict can hurt the integrity of a country. Fascism emerged in Italy in the 20th century to stop the rapidly growing workers movement which was pushing up wages and threatening revolution. Led by Mussolini, they were funded by various wealthy big businesses (the rich minority) in order to smash picket lines and attack left-wing organisers. Fascism was very attractive in its time as democracy was new in much of Europe and not very well established, many of the countries had been run by the monarchy; democracy appeared weak in comparison to a strong charismatic leader.
Mussolini’s population policy was a clear effort to exercise his authoritarian control over the people of Italy, regulating the most personal and private details of their lives. In his bid for complete control, he used new laws, propaganda, and sometimes brutal tactics in order for his wishes to be recognized. It is during the 1920’s to the 1940’s that totalitarian control over the state escalated into full dictatorships, with the wills of the people being manipulated into a set of beliefs that would promote the fascist state and “doctrines.”
"The manner in which Mussolini and the Fascist Party gained possession of the government was regarded in most foreign circles as an illegal act of violence." (3) As the nation of Italy began to suffer great debts, Mussolini had been summoned by the King to form a government to aid in the economic needs. This marked the birth of the Fascist Party in Italy. In the beginning of his rise to the top, Mussolini was popular amongst his people. His popularity was high, and people began to trust in his judgment and ideas. (4) He was, in essence, saving the people from the turmoil that had ensued the nat...
It is true that the Italian dictatorship was more conservative in its application than that of Hitler’s reign of terror. But, both the fascist ideas and rulings of these two leaders proved to have some similarities worth mentioning. Both leaders left their countries with an economic and social debt to the Allies, which is still strong in the minds of many older members of the community.
Mussolini’s Consolidation of Power Between 1922 and 25. “ It seems that Mussolini from the outset was determined to retain power in his hand; but he was uncertain of the method to be employed. towards the other political parties and their leaders, towards the press, and towards parliament” (F.L. Carsten, an academic historian and specialist on European history. Fascism, The Rise of Fascism (1967). In 1922 Mussolini had just been appointed Prime Minister after the fascist march on Rome.
The positive effects of Benito Mussolini’s reign in Italy benefitted the country greatly. By putting Cesare Mori in charge of eliminating the mafia, he caused 11,000 of Italy’s criminals to be arrested, which caused the country’s crime rates to plummet. The nearly absolute end of the mafia brought peace and order to Italy, which the country’s citizens desperately needed. He also defended his country’s interests by going against the allies for not giving Italy the land that was promised to them if they joined them in the first world war. Mussolini also upgraded infrastructure in Italy and improved the Italian economy.
Mussolini came into power in 1922 and sought to make Fascism the only party in Italy, because he believed it was superior to all other parties. Both Mussolini and Hitler wanted to create a better economy for their countries, and had big plans to change the way their countries viewed things. Mussolini abolished democracy, and would not listen and shunned any ideas or citizens who opposed his political views. Although the men were quite similar in the ways they set goals for their countries, Hitler was extreme in his plans for future Germany. According to the lecture, Hitler’s plans were to make it known the Germans were the superior race, Jews and Gypsies were subhuman, Hitler promised to take back the land taken from the after the war, and Lebensraum. Both men had their countries became a part of the Axis powers, and along with Japan became Fascist nations. Mussolini’s rise to power came through his influence on the fascists people. According to the lecture it was fascists that marched to Rome in October 1922, and the people demanded that the king put Mussolini in charge of the government. It was through fear that Mussolini gained his power. Hitler on the other hand was
In the 1930’s, when the Fascists rose to power in Italy, Mussolini had most of Cosa Nostra thrown in jail. This gave way to the Mafia’s sympathy to the American cause, or at least their hostility to the fascist one. “In reality, the relationship between the Fascists and the Mafia was ...