1. Benito Mussolini
Rise of Fascism

2. Political and Economic discontent
Treaty of Versailles—Italy is outraged
Victorious Ally in WWI
Expected to gain territory but didn’t
Economic Chaos
Unemployment
Decline of Trade
Higher Taxes

3. Benito Mussolini Il Duce
1919-Organizes the Fascist Party
Pledges to revive Roman
greatness, end corruption, and replace chaos with order

4. Seizing Power
Mussolini’s Black Shirts
Used violence, terror, and intimidation as a means to an end
Eliminated opposition leaders and government officials
Organized more than 100,000 Fascists to “March on Rome”
Fearing Civil War Italy’s King makes Mussolini Prime Minister

5. Mussolini’s Italy Economics—Brought all business under state control
---Large corporations and Fascist party controlled industry, agriculture, and trade
---Workers were forbidden to strike
---Workers were given less than adequate wages
Social ---Individual is not important
---State is the only thing that is important
---Created Fascist youth groups where children were taught to obey strict military discipline

6. What is Fascism?
Defined as: any authoritarian government that is not communist
Each country has a little different view of it’s meaning but all include the following
Rooted in extreme Nationalism
Promote blind loyalty to the state
Reject democratic principles of equality and liberty
An aggressive foreign policy
Are the sworn enemies of Communists
Supporters include: Business leaders, landowners, and the middle class

7. Totalitarianism Why would people give in to this?
Single party dictatorship
State control of the economy
Use of Secret police and spies—terror to enforce Gov. policies
Strict censorship of the media
Use of schools to indoctrinate citizens
Unquestioned obedience to a single leader
Why would people give in to this?
Mussolini promise of a strong and stable government to end chaos
Mussolini revived Italian national pride
Mussolini projected confidence in a time of turmoil