Mussolini Rise to Power Il Duce Mussolini Rise to Power
Italy during the 1920s & 1930s
What was Italy like during the 1920s & 1930s? Democracies had been weakened by WWI and Great Depression Many workers are crippled by WWI or unemployed Italy feels cheated by Versailles Treaty Many businessmen are worried about the communists seizing power Led by a King-Victor Emmanuel III
Who was Benito Mussolini? Son of a Communist blacksmith and a school teacher Named after Mexican Revolutionary
Continued… Communist Newspaper editor WWI veteran (wounded himself with a hand grenade) (against war 1911, then pro-Allies in WWI)
How does he become Il Duce (“the Leader”)? Politician who founded the Fascist Party in 1919 What is Fascism?
What is Fascism? Fascism: Political Party Advocates totalitarianism Extreme Nationalism The State is more important than the individual like Communism -but doesn’t call for state ownership of property
Slogans: “Believe, Obey, Fight” “The Country Is Nothing Without Conquest”
What changes did Mussolini promise?: He promised : To revive the economy and rebuild the Armed Forces Anti-communist Anti-democracy
Industrialist picked him as the lesser of two evils Monarch or Fascist? Created the “Black Shirts” (Fascist Thugs) Mussolini’s private army (thousands) beat & sometimes killed communists and political rivals.
How does he seize power? 1922- 30,000 to 40,000 Fascists march from Milan to Rome and demanded that Mussolini be named Prime Minister of Italy. The King of Italy was worried that the Fascist would start a civil war so he agreed Mussolini therefore took power “legally.”
Fascists Fascists
What did Mussolini do while in power? Wanted to rebuild Italy into the Roman Empire Outlawed strikes Censored the press Allied with industrialists and large land owners Built a strong military Started public works project to help during the Depression Secret police jailed opposition leaders (Summarize 2 or 3 of these facts in your notes)
Il Duce (1922 to 1945) 1st of the three great dictators of Europe to come to power But Mussolini never had absolute and total control over his nation like Stalin or Hitler.