"Fascism...was a super-relativist movement with no fixed principles, ready for almost any alliance."
(Denis Mack Smith in 'Mussolini' - 1981)
Background
Italian unification was in 1861, from this point up until Mussolini came into power in 1922 Italy was ruled by 'parliamentary liberals.'
Liberals had never solved the problems of the economically backward South, therefore they were resented there.
It can be suggested that the liberal regimes did little to raise the standard of living for the majority of Italians.
Mussolini was a 'renegade socialist' with a strong desire for power. His aims and doctrine were difficult to pin down. He was intolerant and embraced violence, therefore diametrically opposed liberalism.
Mussolini's Rise to Power
Mussolini's fascist regime (an extreme change for the nation from years of liberalism) took control without any substantial opposition.
There were many factions in Italian politics who absolutely opposed fascism but a 'united front' was never formed as the Communists, Socialists and the Catholics had too many unresolved differences with each other. They were too busy arguing amongst themselves to agree to fight fascism together, the one way they could defeat it.
D'Annunzio's regime in Fiume had openly defied the liberal government and had been well supported by military officers and sections of the ruling classes. Mussolini witnessed this popular appeal to nationalism with great interest.
Mussolini realised towards the end of 1920 that he had to make deals with certain parts of his opposition in order to succeed in parliament.
Mussolini embraced the political right (despite his left wing background) as he knew it would unite his own party whose strength would appeal to many in Italy who had completely lost faith in the weak liberal government.
Mussolini was an opportunist who gained the support of different parties with calculated concessions. For example, before the election of May 1921 he made 'conciliatory gestures' towards the Catholic Church. His turn away from the left had meanwhile also attracted many liberals who feared a Marxist revolution more than anything. Thus, as Mussolini looked like restoring the proper rule of law (rather than instigating a revolution) they began to see his accession as not so awful after all.
He appealed to the Conservatives by assuring them that he was primarily in favour of the concepts of war and empire with far less emphasis on revolutionary tendencies.
Mussolini had originally been a Republican but in a speech on the 20 September 1922 he 'grudgingly' accepted the monarchy. He knew that he must do this to get to power as although many in the military supported him their primary allegiance was to the throne.
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
Multiple historians have touched on the change in government during Fascist Italy’s reign in World War II. In Italian Fascism: Its Origins and Development, Alexander De Grand clarifies the many promises Benito Mussolini fabricated for the Italian people in order to get them to join his cause such as the improvement on poverty with the rise of a new Roman Empire. De Grand also gives an opposite view, with some citizens seeing Fascism as a “model of efficiency.” In Melton S. Davis’ Who Defends Rome?, t...
Italy achieved her unification in 1870. She had a constitutional monarchy like that of Great Britain, but democratic society failed to develop in Italy because the government was controlled by corrupt politicians, called the party bosses. They controlled the elections by bribing the voters. Once they were in power, they were more interested in achieving personal gains for themselves than in solving the social and economic problems of the people. As a result of this political corruption, Italy remained a poor country. Industrial progress was slow. Italy was poor in natural resources and lack of fertile land. Many of the farm laborers were landless and were often unemployed, so millions of Italians were forced to emigrate.
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.
With brutal charisma and pounding fists, Benito Mussolini called upon the myth of a new roman empire. He made himself its Caesar. Mussolini became the Father of Fascism and seized power by a combination of terror and persuasion. He held Italy firmly in his grasp by crushing his enemies while still promising glory.
"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.
The Importance of the Economic Factors in the Rise to Power of the Fascist Party in Italy
Benito Mussolini was the premier-dictator of Italy from 1922 to 1943. He was the founder and leader of Italian Fascism. Mussolini, along with his Facets government, was able to successfully suppress the Mafia during the time of World War II. However, after the war ended in 1945, the Mafia emerged and ruled once again. Over the next thirty years, the Sicilian Mafia was not only able to gain control Sicily, but all of Italy as well.
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 allied powers promised Italy land in exchange for joining them against the central powers during WWI. But, Italy was mostly ignored during the Treaty of Versailles and received very little land. This can be seen as one of the reasons Mussolini aligned with the Axis powers in WWII. He knew that the allies did not treated Italy fairly so he went against them in the next war. He also began invading countries in Africa such as Ethiopia so that Italy could establish itself as the rightful leading power of the Mediterranean. While the invasion of other countries may seem bad, Mussolini did it to increase the power of his own country. He fought for Italy first, proving himself a true nationalist. Another example of this can be found when Hitler came to power and it became apparent to Mussolini that Austria was threatened. He wanted Italy to have influence in Austria, so he threatened to go to war with Germany in the event of an invasion of
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
Benito Mussolini created a group of fascists to represent a means to stop the socialists and the communists coming into his nation. Mussolini also wanted to eliminate conflict between employers and workers, by using the corporate state. All were to work for the common good, and trade unions or strikes were forbidden. Every profession had its own corporate branch, and all problems were to be solved through negotiation. This may seem very democratic or reasonable, however the fascist state controlled the issues of the negotiating sides, wages were very low and so were the living standards.
Mussolini was a great dictator rather than a benevolent dictator due to the actions that he has taken and the fact that he persist characteristic of a good leader. He was a proud and intense individual. He wanted to stand out, to be recognized as the very best and appreciated. He is a man with big dreams, determination, vitality, spirit and then enthusiasm. Mussolini was good at reading his people, he was also a tolerant and generous man but on the other side he was superficial. Benito Mussolini served as Italy’s 40th prime minister from 122 till 1942. Mussolini was considered as a central figure in the creation of Fascism. He created the fascist party in 1919, eventually making himself dictator prior to world war II and was killed in 1945. I am going to discuss young Mussolini’s background, how he rose to power, the motivation, key influences and how he was a dictator.