Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (July 29, 1883 – April 28, 1945) was the prime minister and dictator of Italy from 1922 until 1943, when he was overthrown. He established a repressive fascist regime that valued nationalism, militarism, anti-liberalism and anti-communism combined with strict censorship and state propaganda. Mussolini became a close ally of German dictator Adolf Hitler, whom he influenced. Mussolini entered World War II in June, 1940 on the side of Nazi Germany. Three years later, the Allies invaded Italy. In April 1945 Mussolini attempted to escape to German-controlled Austria, only to be captured and killed near Lake Como by Communist Resistance units. July 29 is the 210th day (211th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 155 days remaining. ... 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... A prime minister is the very most senior minister of a cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ... Fascism (in Italian, fascismo), capitalized, was the authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... Eugène Delacroixs Liberty Leading the People, symbolising French nationalism during the July Revolution. ... Militarism or militarist ideology is the doctrinal view of a society as being best served (or more efficient) when it is governed or guided by concepts embodied in the culture, doctrine, system, or people of the military. ... Liberalism is an ideology, philosophical view, and political tradition which holds that liberty is the primary political value. ... This does not cite its references or sources. ... Censorship is the removal or withholding of information from the public by a controlling group or body. ... An Australian anti-conscription propaganda poster from World War One U.S. propaganda poster, which warns against civilians sharing information on troop movements (National Archives) The much-imitated 1914 Lord Kitchener Wants You! poster Swedish Anti-Euro propaganda for the referendum of 2003. ... Hitler redirects here. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Lake Como (Lago di Como in Italian, also known as Lario; Latin: Larius Lacus) is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. ...

Early years

Mussolini was born in the village of Dovo din Predappio in the province of Forlì, in Emilia-Romagna on July 29, 1883 to Rosa and Alessandro Mussolini. He was named Benito after Mexican reformist President Benito Juárez; the names Andrea and Amilcare were for Italian socialists Andrea Costa and Amilcare Cipriani. His mother, Rosa Maltoni, was a teacher. His father, Alessandro, was a blacksmith who often encouraged Benito to disobey authority. He adored his father, but his love was never reciprocated. Like his sister, who was a member of the first Socialist International, Benito became a socialist. He was not baptized as a child.^[3] Predappio is a town and comune in the province of Forlì-Cesena, in the region of Emilia-Romagna in Italy, with a population of 6,362. ... Forlì is a comune and city in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, famed as the birthplace of the great painter Melozzo da Forlì and of Fascist leader Benito Mussolini, at the nearby comune of Predappio. ... Emilia-Romagna is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. ... July 29 is the 210th day (211th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 155 days remaining. ... 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Benito Pablo Juárez García () (March 21, 1806 – July 18, 1872) was a Zapotec Amerindian who served five terms [1] (1858–1861), (1861–1865), (1865–1867), (1867–1871), and (1871–1872), as President of Mexico. ... Andrea Costa (1851-1913) was an Italian socialist activist, born in Imola. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A blacksmith A blacksmith at work A blacksmith at work A blacksmiths fire Hot metal work from a blacksmith A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from iron or steel by forging the metal; i. ... The official symbol of Socialist International The Socialist International is a worldwide organization of social democratic, labor, and democratic socialist political parties. ... Socialism refers to a broad array of doctrines or political movements that envisage a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community. ... Baptism in early Christian art. ...

By age eight, he was banned from his mother's church for pinching people in the pews and throwing stones at them outside after church. He was sent to boarding school later that year and at age 11 was expelled for stabbing a fellow student in the hand and throwing an inkpot at a teacher. He did, however, receive good grades, and qualified as an elementary schoolmaster in 1901.^[4]

In 1902 he emigrated to Switzerland to escape military service. During a period when he was unable to find a permanent job there, he was arrested for vagrancy and jailed for one night. Later, after becoming involved in the socialist movement, he was deported and returned to Italy to do his military service. He returned to Switzerland immediately, and a second attempt to deport him was halted when Swiss socialist parliamentarians held an emergency debate to discuss his treatment. A memorial statue in Hanko, Finland, commemorating the thousands of emigrants who left the country to start a new life in the United States Emigration is the act of nolan muir the phenomenon of leaving ones native country to settle abroad. ... John Everett Millais The Blind Girl: vagrant musicians See also vagrancy (biology) for an alternative use of the term. ... Deportation is the expelling of someone from a country. ...

Later, a job was found for him in the city of Trento, which was ethnically Italian but then under the control of Austria-Hungary, in February 1909. There, he did office work for the local socialist party and edited its newspaper L'Avvenire del Lavoratore ("The future of the worker"). It did not take him long to make contact with irredentist politician and journalist Cesare Battisti, and to agree to write for and edit his newspaper Il Popolo ("The People") in addition to the work he did for the party. For Battisti's publication he wrote a novel, Claudia Particella, l'amante del cardinale, which was published serially in 1910. He was later to dismiss it as written merely to smear the religious authorities. The novel was subsequently translated into English as The Cardinal's Mistress. In 1915 he had a son from Ida Dalser, a woman born in Sopramonte, a village near Trento.^[5] Panorama of Trento. ... Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ... irredentism is position advocating annexation of territories administered by another state on the grounds of common ethnicity and/or prior historical possession, actual or alleged. ... Cesare Battisti (February 4, 1875 – July 12, 1916), Italian-Austrian politician, revolutionary and irredentist. ... Ida Irene Dalser (1880 – 11 December 1937) was a beautician from Sopramonte, near Trento, which then was part of Austria-Hungary. ...

Mussolini giving a speech

By the time his novel hit the pages of Il Popolo, Mussolini was already back in Italy. His polemic style and growing defiance of Royal authority and, as hinted, anti-clericalism got him in trouble with the authorities until he was finally deported at the end of September. After his return to Italy (prompted by his mother's illness and death) he joined the staff of the "Central Organ of the Socialist Party",^[6] Avanti! ("Forward!"). Mussolini's brother, Arnaldo, would later become the editor of Il Popolo d'Italia, the official newspaper of Benito Mussolini's Fascist Party (November 1922). Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Anti-clericalism is a historical movement that opposes religious (generally Catholic) institutional power and influence in all aspects of public and political life, and the encroachment of religion in the everyday life of the citizen. ... Avanti! (Forward!) was an Italian daily newspaper, the official voice of the Italian Socialist Party, published since December 25, 1896. ... Editing may also refer to audio or film editing. ... Il Popolo dItalia (The People of Italy), was a paper founded by Benito Mussolini on November 15, 1914. ...

Service in World War I

The term Fascism is derived from the word "Fascio," which had existed in Italian politics for some time and referred to political action groups of many different orientations. A section of revolutionary syndicalists broke with the Socialists over the issue of Italy's entry into the First World War (the Socialists adhered to the principle of internationalism and opposed the war on the grounds that it strengthened capitalism). The syndicalists, on the other hand, harbored nationalist feelings. They formed a group called Fasci d'azione rivoluzionaria internazionalista in October 1914. Mussolini violently opposed intervention at first, but changed his mind. He soon became as violent a supporter of the war as he had been an opponent. Italian fascism (in Italian, fascismo) was the authoritarian political movement which ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 under the leadership of Benito Mussolini. ... Fascio (plural: fasci) is an Italian language word which was used in the late 19th century to refer to radical political groups of many different (and sometimes opposing) orientations. ... Syndicalism refers to a set of ideas, movements, and tendencies which share the avowed aim of transforming capitalist society through action by the working class on the industrial front. ... This article is becoming very long. ... Internationalism is a political movement which advocates a greater economic and political cooperation between nations for the benefit of all. ...

Massimo Rocca and Tulio Masotti asked Mussolini to settle the contradiction of his support for interventionism and still being the editor of Avanti! and an official party functionary in the Socialist Party. Mussolini responded by resigning from the paper, and he was expelled from the party. Two weeks later, he joined the Milan fascio. Mussolini claimed that the war would help strengthen a relatively new nation (which had been united only in the 1860s in the Risorgimento), although some would say that he wished for a collapse of society that would bring him to power.^{[citation needed]} Type anti-tank Nationality joint Germany/France Era Cold War, modern Launch platform Individual, Vehicle Target Vehicle, Fortification History Builder MBDA, Bharat Dynamics (under license) Date of design 70s Production period since 1972 Service duration since 1972 Operators 41 countries Variants MILAN 1, MILAN 2, MILAN 2T, MILAN 3, MILAN... Italian unification, also known as Risorgimento (resurrection), was a historical process by which the Kingdom of Sardinia (ruled by the Savoy dynasty with Turin as its capital) gradually conquered the Italian peninsula, including the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, the Duchy of Modena, the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the Duchy...

With the help of a publisher who favored Italy's entrance to the war, Mussolini founded a new paper, Il Popolo d'Italia (The People of Italy). Italy was a member of the Triple Alliance, thereby allied with Imperial Germany and Austria-Hungary. It did not join the war in 1914, but did in 1915, as Mussolini wished, on the side of Britain and France. Il Popolo dItalia (The People of Italy), was a paper founded by Benito Mussolini on November 15, 1914. ... , Italian: Triplice Alleanza) was the treaty by which Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Italy pledged on 20 May 1882 to support each other militarily in against any of them by two or more great powers. ... Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ...

Called up for military service, Mussolini served at the front between September 1915 and February 1917. During that period he kept a war diary in which he prefigured himself as a charismatic hero leader of a socially conservative national warrior community. In reality, he spent most of the war in quiet sectors and saw very little action.^[7] It has always been thought that he was seriously wounded in grenade practice in 1917 and that this accounts for his return to Milan to the editorship of his paper. But recent research has shown that he in fact used what were only very minor injuries to cover the more serious affliction of neurosyphilis.^[8] Syphilis is a sexually transmitted disease (STD) caused by spirochaete bacterium, Treponema pallidum. ...

Birth of Fascism

By the time of his return from the front, there was very little left of Mussolini the socialist (though for a time, his paper still called itself "a Socialist paper"). By February 1918, he was calling for the emergence of a leader "ruthless and energetic enough to make a clean sweep." In May, he hinted in a speech in Bologna that he might be that leader. Bologna (from Latin Bononia, Bulaggna in the local dialect) is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna in northern Italy, between the Po River and the Apennines. ...

On February 23, 1919, Mussolini reformed the Milan fascio as the Fasci Italiani di Combattimento (Italian Fighting League), consisting of 200 members. Its first manifesto promised broad reforms. It became an organized political movement a month later. The Fascisti, led by one of Mussolini's close confidants, Dino Grandi, formed armed squads of war veterans called Blackshirts (or squadiristi) to terrorize anarchists, socialists and communists. The government rarely interfered. The Fascisti grew so rapidly that within two years, it transformed itself into the National Fascist Party at a congress in Rome. Also in 1921, Mussolini was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for the first time. February 23 is the 54th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Fascist manifesto was the initial declaration of the political stance of the founders of Fascism in Italy. ... Count Dino Grandi (1895-1988), born in Mordano (BO), Emilia. ... The Blackshirts (Italian: camicie nere or squadristi) were Fascist paramilitary groups in Italy during the period immediately following World War I and until the end of World War II. The term was later applied to a similar group serving the British Union of Fascists before the War. ... Anarchism is a political philosophy or group of doctrines and attitudes centered on rejection of any form of compulsory government (cf. ... The factual accuracy of this article is disputed. ... This article is about communism as a form of society, as an ideology advocating that form of society, and as a popular movement. ... The National Fascist Party (Partito Nazionale Fascista; PNF) was an Italian party, created by Benito Mussolini as the political expression of Fascism (previously represented by groups known as Fasci; see also Italian fascism). ... Year 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for full calendar). ... Back side of Palazzo Montecitorio designed by architect Ernesto Basile. ...

In return for the support of a group of industrialists and agrarians, Mussolini gave his approval (often active) to strikebreaking, and he abandoned revolutionary agitation; he even dropped his earlier support for overthrowing the monarchy and transforming Italy into a "social republic." When the governments of Giovanni Giolitti, Ivanoe Bonomi, and Luigi Facta failed to stop the spread of chaos, and after Fascists had organized the demonstrative and threatening Marcia su Roma ("March on Rome") on October 28, 1922); Mussolini—despite commanding the support of only 22 other Fascist deputies—was invited by King Victor Emmanuel III to form a new government. At the age of 39, he became the youngest prime minister in Italian history on October 31, 1922.^[9] See also general strike, or for other uses see: strike (disambiguation). ... Giovanni Giolitti (October 27, 1842–July 17, 1928) was an Italian statesman. ... Ivanoe Bonomi (October 18, 1873 April 20, 1951) was an Italian politician and statesman. ... Luigi Facta (November 16, 1861 - November 5, 1930) was an Italian politician and journalist. ... For the movie by Dino Risi, see March on Rome (film) The March on Rome was a pseudo-coup détat by which Mussolinis National Fascist Party came to power in Italy. ... October 28 is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 64 days remaining. ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ... King of Italy is a title adopted by many rulers after the fall of the Roman Empire. ... Victor Emmanuel III Victor Emmanuel III (Italian: Vittorio Emanuele III) (November 11, 1869 - December 28, 1947), nicknamed The Soldier, was the King of Italy (July 29, 1900 - May 9, 1946), and claimed the titles Emperor of Ethiopia (1936 - 1943) and King of Albania (1939 - 1943). ... October 31 is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 61 days remaining. ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ...

Contrary to a common misconception, Mussolini did not become prime minister because of the March on Rome. Rather, Victor Emmanuel feared that if he did not choose a government under either the Fascists or Socialists, Italy would soon be involved in a civil war. Then as now, Italian governments were frequently formed without a majority, resulting in weak and indecisive administrations. Many conservatives saw Mussolini and Fascism as the best answer to the possibility of a Communist takeover. They also feared a Socialist government might take away what the Italian left called excessive war profits, give too much power to labor unions and force higher wages. They also feared possible government control of key industries. The king accordingly asked Mussolini to become Prime Minister, obviating the need for the March on Rome. However, because fascists were already arriving from all around Italy, he decided to continue. In effect, the threatened seizure of power became nothing more than a victory parade. Fascists from all over Italy came to Rome to cheer the "revolution." Thus, the March on Rome became a piece of fascist legend: that Fascism had taken over through force rather than compromise. But it is not entirely accurate to say that Mussolini came to power solely through legal means.

Early years in power

Mussolini and Gabriele D'Annunzio

Mussolini's fascist state, established nearly a decade before Adolf Hitler's rise to power, would provide a model for Hitler's later economic and political policies. Image File history File links Mussolini_and_DAnnunzio. ... Image File history File links Mussolini_and_DAnnunzio. ... Gabriele dAnnunzio (12 March 1863, Pescara – 1 March 1938, Gardone Riviera, province of Brescia) was an Italian poet, writer, novelist, dramatist and daredevil, who went on to have a controversial role in politics as a precursor of the fascist movement. ... Hitler redirects here. ...

As Prime Minister, the first years of Mussolini's rule were characterized by a right-wing coalition government composed of Fascists, Nationalists, Liberals and even two Catholic ministers from the Popular Party. In fact, the Fascists made up a small minority in his original governments. Nonethleless, Mussolini's domestic goal was the eventual establishment of a totalitarian state with himself as supreme leader (Il Duce). To that end he obtained dictatorial powers for one year. He favoured the complete restoration of state authority, with the integration of the Fasci di Combattimento into the armed forces (the foundation in January 1923 of the Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale) and the progressive identification of the party with the state. In political and social economy, he passed legislation that favored the wealthy industrial and agrarian classes (privatizations, liberalizations of rent laws and dismantlement of the unions). The Italian Peoples Party (Partito Popolare Italiano, PPI) was a christian-democratic political party in Italy. ... Duce is an Italian word meaning leader (derived from Latin dux of the same meaning). ...

In June of 1923, the government passed the Acerbo Law, which transformed Italy into a single national constituency. It also granted a two-thirds majority of the seats in Parliament to the party or group of parties which had obtained at least 25% of the votes. This law was punctually applied in the elections of April 6, 1924. The "national alliance," consisting of Fascists, most of the old Liberals and others, won 64% of the vote largely by means of violence and voter intimidation. These tactics were especially prevalent in the south. The Acerbo Law was a 1923 electoral law, ostensibly proposed by Baron Giacomo Acerbo, forced through the Italian Parliament - if a party gained 25 percent of the votes, they gained 2/3 of the seats. ... April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar). ...

The assassination of the socialist deputy Giacomo Matteotti, who had requested the annulment of the elections because of the irregularities committed, provoked a momentary crisis of the Mussolini government. The murderer, a squadristi named Dumini, reported to Mussolini soon after the murder. Mussolini ordered a cover-up, but witnesses saw the car used to transport Matteoti's body parked outside Matteoti's residence, which linked Dumini to the murder. The Matteotti crisis provoked cries for justice against the murder of an outspoken critic of Fascist violence. The government was shocked into paralysis for a few days, and Mussolini later confessed that a few resolute men could have alerted public opinion and started a coup that would have swept fascism away. Dumini was imprisoned for 2 years. On release he told others that Mussolini was responsible, for which he served further prison time. For the next 15 years, Dumini received an income from Mussolini, the Fascist Party, and other sources. This was clearly hush money, for he left a dossier full of incriminating evidence to a Texas lawyer in case of his own death. Giacomo Matteotti (22 May 1885, Fratta Polesine, Province of Rovigo—10 June 1924, near Rome) was an Italian socialist politician. ... Hush money is an informal term for financial incentives or rewards offered in exchange for not divulging information. ...

The opposition parties responded weakly or were generally unresponsive. Many of the socialists, liberals and moderates boycotted Parliament in the Aventine Secession, hoping to force Victor Emmanuel to dismiss Mussolini. But despite the leadership of communists such as Antonio Gramsci, socialists such as Pietro Nenni and liberals such as Piero Gobetti and Giovanni Amendola, they were incapable of transforming their posturing into a mass antifascist action. The king, fearful of violence from the Fascist squadristi, kept Mussolini in office. Because of the boycot of Parliament, Mussolini could pass any legislation unopposed. The political violence of the squadristi had worked only too well, for there was no popular demonstrations against the murder of Matteoti. Antonio Gramsci (IPA: ) (January 22, 1891 – April 27, 1937) was an Italian writer, politician and political theorist. ... Pietro Sandro Nenni (February 9, 1891—Rome, January 1, 1980) was an Italian socialist politician, the national secretary of the Italian Socialist Party (PSI) and lifetime Senator since 1970. ... Piero Gobetti (1901-1926) was a young journalist, intellectual and radical liberal. ... Giovanni Amendola (Salerno 15 April 1882 - Cannes 1 April 1926) was an Italian journalist and politician. ...

Within his own party, Mussolini faced doubts during these critical weeks. The more violent were angry that Mussolini had only killed a few dozen, and a bloodbath ensued that killed thousands. Others wanted to ask the left wing and moderates back into Parliament to form a new governing coalition.^[specify] Fifty senior militia leaders burst into his office and told him to act forcefully or that they would depose him. One account claims Mussolini recalled them to a sense of discipline. Another account claims that Mussolini burst into tears.

Whatever the case, on January 3, 1925 Mussolini made a speech before the Chamber in which he took responsibility for squadristi violence (though he did not mention the assassination of Matteotti). Promising a crackdown on dissenters, he dropped all pretense of collaboration and set up a total dictatorship. Before his speech fascist militia beat up the opposition and prevented opposition newspapers from publishing. Mussolini correctly predicted that as soon as public opinion saw him firmly in control the 'fence-sitters', the silent majority, 'and the place-hunters' would all place themselves behind him. In 1925, all opposition was silenced. And so the Matteoti crisis was the turning point between a Fascist Republic to a Fascist Dictatorship. From late 1925 until the mid-1930s, fascism experienced little and isolated opposition, although that which it did was memorable. January 3 is the 3rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar). ...

While failing to outline a coherent program, fascism evolved into a new political and economic system that combined totalitarianism, nationalism, anti-communism and anti-liberalism into a state designed to bind all classes together under a corporatist system (The "Third Way"). This was a new system in which the state seized control of the organization of vital industries. Under the banners of nationalism and state power, Fascism seemed to synthesize the glorious Roman past with a futuristic utopia.^[10] ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ...

Building a dictatorship

Police state

From left: Chamberlain, Daladier, Hitler, Mussolini, and his son-in-law, Ciano following the Munich Conference, 1938

Over the next two years, Mussolini progressively dismantled all constitutional and conventional restraints on his power, thereby building a police state. A law passed on Christmas Eve 1925 changed Mussolini's title from "president of the Council of Ministers" (prime minister) to "head of the government." He was no longer responsible to Parliament, and could only be removed by the king. Only Mussolini could determine the body's agenda. Local autonomy was abolished, and podestas appointed by the Italian Senate replaced elected mayors and councils. Image File history File links Munich_agreement. ... Image File history File links Munich_agreement. ... Arthur Neville Chamberlain (18 March 1869 – 9 November 1940), known as Neville Chamberlain, was a British Conservative politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1937 to 1940. ... French politician Édouard Daladier Édouard Daladier (June 18, 1884 - October 10, 1970) was a French politician, and Prime Minister of France at the start of the Second World War. ... Hitler redirects here. ... Galeazzo Ciano. ... The Munich Agreement was an agreement regarding the Munich Crisis between the major powers of Europe after a conference held in Munich in Germany in 1938 and concluded on September 29. ... A police state is a political condition where the government maintains strict control over society, particularly through suspension of civil rights and often with the use of a force of secret police. ... The Christmas Eve (1904-05), watercolor painting by the Swedish painter Carl Larsson (1853-1919) Christmas Eve, the evening of December 24th, the preceding day or vigil before Christmas Day, is treated to a greater or a lesser extent in most Christian societies as part of the Christmas season. ... For information on the phantom island of the same name, see Podesta (island). ... Palazzo Madama house of the Senate of the Republic. ...

Mussolini's skill in propaganda was such that he had surprisingly little opposition to suppress. Nonetheless, he was "slightly wounded in the nose" when he was shot on 7 April 1926 by Violet Gibson, an Irish woman and sister of Baron Ashbourne.^[11] He also survived a failed assassination attempt in Rome by anarchist Gino Lucetti,^[12] and a planned attempt by American anarchist Michael Schirru, which ended with his capture and execution.^[13] April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar). ... Violet Gibson, best known for shooting Benito Mussolini, Italys Fascist leader, in the middle of the street. ... The Irish are a European ethnic group who originated in Ireland, in north western Europe. ... Baron Ashbourne is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. ... Anarchism is a political philosophy or group of doctrines and attitudes centered on rejection of any form of compulsory government (cf. ...

At various times after 1922, Mussolini personally took over the ministries of the interior, foreign affairs, colonies, corporations, defense, and public works. Sometimes he held as many as seven departments simultaneously, as well as the premiership. He was also head of the all-powerful Fascist Party and the armed local fascist militia, the MVSN, or "Blackshirts", that terrorized incipient resistances in the cities and provinces. He would later form an institutionalised secret police that carried official state support, the OVRA. In this way he succeeded in keeping power in his own hands and preventing the emergence of any rival. The Blackshirts (Italian: camicie nere or squadristi) were Fascist paramilitary groups in Italy during the period immediately following World War I and until the end of World War II. The term was later applied to a similar group serving the British Union of Fascists before the War. ... This article is about secret police as organizations. ... The OVRA (Organizzazione di Vigilanza Repressione dellAntifascismo, English: Organisation for Vigilance Against Anti-Fascism) was the secret police of Benito Mussolini in Fascist Italy. ...

All other parties were outlawed in 1928, though in practice Italy had been a one-party state since Mussolini's 1925 speech. In the same year, an electoral law abolished parliamentary elections. Instead, the Fascist Grand Council, selected a single list of candidates to be approved by plebiscite. The Grand Council had been created five years earlier as a party body, but was now "constitutionalized" and became the highest constitutional authority in the state. Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ... The introduction of this article does not provide enough context for readers unfamiliar with the subject. ...

Economic projects

Mussolini launched several public construction programs and government initiatives throughout Italy to combat economic setbacks or unemployment levels. His earliest, and one of the best known, was Italy's equivalent of the Green Revolution, known as the "Battle for Grain", in which 5,000 new farms were established and five new agricultural towns on land reclaimed by draining the Pontine Marshes. This plan diverted valuable resources to grain production, away from other, more economically viable crops. The huge tariffs associated with the project promoted widespread inefficiencies, and the government subsidies given to farmers pushed the country further into debt. Mussolini also initiated the "Battle for Land", a policy based on land reclamation outlined in 1928. The initiative had a mixed success; while projects such as the draining of the Pontine Marsh in 1935 for agriculture were good for propaganda purposes, provided work for the unemployed and allowed for great land owners to control subsidies, other areas in the Battle for Land were not very successful. This program was inconsistent with the Battle for Grain (small plots of land were inappropriately allocated for large-scale wheat production) and the Pontine Marsh was lost during World War II. Fewer than 10,000 peasants resettled on the redistributed land and peasant poverty remained high. The Battle for Land initiative was abandoned in 1940. The Green Revolution is a term used to describe the transformation of agriculture in many developing nations that led to significant increases in agricultural production between the 1940s and 1960s. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Land reclamation is either of two distinct practices. ... Unemployment rates in the United States. ... In economics, a subsidy is generally a monetary grant given by a government to lower the price faced by producers or consumers of a good, generally because it is considered to be in the public interest. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... In a detail of Brueghels Land of Cockaigne (1567) a soft-boiled egg has little feet to rush to the luxuriating peasant who catches drops of honey on his tongue, while roast pigs roam wild: in fact, hunger and harsh winters were realities for the average European in the...

He also combated an economic recession by introducing the "Gold for the Fatherland" initiative, by encouraging the public to voluntarily donate gold jewellery such as necklaces and wedding rings to government officials in exchange for steel armbands bearing the words "Gold for the Fatherland". The collected gold was then melted down and turned into gold bars, which were then distributed to the national banks. According to some historians, the gold was never melted down and was thrown into a lake, found at the end of the war. GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... The term national bank has several meanings: especially in developing countries, a bank owned by the state an ordinary private bank which operates nationally (as opposed to regionally or locally or even internationally) In the past, the term national bank has been used synonymously with central bank, but it is...

Most of Mussolini's economic policies were carried out with more consideration to his popularity in mind than economic reality. Thus, while the impressive nature of his economic reforms won him support from many within Italy, there is serious disagreement about the success of the Italian economy in this period. Some believe it seriously underperformed under Il Duce's reign and others credit the industrialization that occurred under Fascism as laying the foundation for the "economic miracle" in Italy in the 1950s and '60s.

Government by propaganda

As dictator of Italy, Mussolini's foremost priority was the subjugation of the minds of the Italian people and the use of propaganda to do so; whether at home or abroad, and here his training as a journalist was invaluable. Press, radio, education, films — all were carefully supervised to create the illusion that fascism was the doctrine of the twentieth century, replacing liberalism and democracy. The principles of this doctrine were laid down in the article on fascism, written by Giovanni Gentile and signed by Mussolini that appeared in 1932 in the Enciclopedia Italiana. In 1929, a concordat with the Vatican was signed, the Lateran treaties, by which the Italian state was at last recognized by the Roman Catholic Church, and the independence of Vatican City was recognized by the Italian state. In 1927 Mussolini had himself been baptized by a Roman Catholic priest in order to take away certain Catholic opposition, who were then still very critical of a regime which had taken away papal property and virtually blackmailed several popes inside the Vatican. However, Mussolini was never known to be a practicing Catholic. But since 1927, and more even after 1929, Mussolini, with his anti-Communist doctrines, convinced many Catholics to actively support him. An Australian anti-conscription propaganda poster from World War One U.S. propaganda poster, which warns against civilians sharing information on troop movements (National Archives) The much-imitated 1914 Lord Kitchener Wants You! poster Swedish Anti-Euro propaganda for the referendum of 2003. ... Giovanni Gentile in his earlier years. ... The first volume of the Enciclopedia Italiana di scienze, lettere ed arti or Italian Encyclopaedia of Science, Letters, and Arts was published in 1925. ... The Lateran Treaties of February 11, 1929 provided for the mutual recognition of the then-Kingdom of Italy and the Vatican City. ... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Twelve Apostles, in particular Saint Peter. ... . ...

Under his dictatorship, the effectiveness of the parliamentary system was virtually abolished, though its forms were publicly preserved.^[specify] The law codes were rewritten. All teachers in schools and universities had to swear an oath to defend the Fascist regime. Newspaper editors were all personally chosen by Mussolini himself, and no one who did not possess a certificate of approval from the Fascist party could practice journalism. These certificates were issued in secret, so the public had no idea of this ever occurring; Mussolini thus skillfully created the illusion of a "free press". The trade unions were also deprived of any independence and were integrated into what was called the "corporative" system. The aim (never completely achieved), inspired by medieval guilds, was to place all Italians in various professional organizations or "corporations", all of which were under clandestine governmental control. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in U.S. English), is distinguished by the executive branch of government being dependent on the direct or indirect support of the parliament, often expressed through a vote of confidence. ... The concept of the corporate state developed under the context of Fascism in Mussolinis Italy as a means of regulating industrial relations. ...

Mussolini played up to his financial backers at first by transferring a number of industries from public to private ownership. But by the 1930s he had begun moving back to the opposite extreme of rigid governmental control of industry. Large sums of money was spent on highly visible public works, and on international prestige projects such as the SS Rex Blue Riband ocean liner and aeronautical achievements such as the world's fastest seaplane the Macchi M.C.72 and the transatlantic flying boat cruise of Italo Balbo, who was greeted with much fanfare in the United States when he landed in Chicago. Those projects earned him respect from some countries, but the economy suffered from Mussolini's strenuous efforts to make Italy self-sufficient. A concentration on heavy industry proved problematic, perhaps because Italy lacked the basic resources. The SS Rex was a product of Navigazione Generale Italiana (later become Italian Line - Italia Società di Navigazione). ... The Blue Riband is an award held by the ship with the record for a transatlantic crossing. ... A DeHavilland Single Otter floatplane in Harbour Air livery. ... Macchi M.C.72. ... Air Marshal Italo Balbo Italo Balbo (June 6, 1896 - June 28, 1940) was an Italian aviator, blackshirt leader and possible successor of Mussolini. ... Look up Autarchy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Foreign policy

In foreign policy, Mussolini soon shifted from the pacifist anti-imperialism of his lead-up to power to an extreme form of aggressive nationalism. An early example was his bombardment of Corfu in 1923. Soon after he succeeded in setting up a puppet regime in Albania and in ruthlessly consolidating Italian power in Libya, which was loosely a colony since 1912. It was his dream to make the Mediterranean mare nostrum ("our sea" in Latin), and he established a large naval base on the Greek Island of Leros to enforce a strategic hold on the Eastern Mediterranean. Eugène Delacroixs Liberty Leading the People, symbolising French nationalism during the July Revolution. ... Pontikonisi island in the background with the Vlaheraina Monastery in the foreground. ... Composite satellite image of the Mediterranean Sea. ... Leros: the village of Panteli Leros (Greek: Λέρος; Italian: Lèro) is a Greek island in the Dodecanese, in the southern Aegean Sea. ...

Conquest of Ethiopia

Main article: Second Italo-Abyssinian War

The invasion of Ethiopia was carried out rapidly (the proclamation of Empire took place in May of 1936) and involved several atrocities such as the use of chemical weapons, (mustard gas and phosgene), and the indiscriminate slaughter of much of the local population to prevent opposition. The armed forces used a vast arsenal of grenades and bombs loaded with mustard gas, which were dropped from airplanes. This substance was also sprayed directly from above on to enemy combatants and villages. It was Mussolini himself who authorized the use of the weapons: This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Dressing the wounded during a gas attack by Austin O. Spare, 1918. ... Airborne exposure limit 0. ... Phosgene (also known as carbonyl chloride, COCl2) is a highly toxic gas or refrigerated liquid that was used as a chemical weapon in World War I. It has no color, but is detectable in air by its odor, which resembles moldy hay. ...

"Rome, 27 October '35. A.S.E. Graziani. The use of gas as an ultima ratio to overwhelm enemy resistance and in case of counterattack is authorized. Mussolini." October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 65 days remaining. ...

"Rome, 28 December '35. A.S.E. Badoglio. Given the enemy system I have authorized V.E. the use even on a vast scale of any gas and flamethrowers. Mussolini." December 28 is the 362nd day of the year (363rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 3 days remaining. ...

Mussolini and his generals attempted to keep secret their use of chemical weapons, but it was revealed to the world through the denunciations of the International Red Cross and of many foreign observers. The Italian reaction to these revelations consisted in the allegedly "erroneous" bombardment (at least 19 times) of Red Cross tents posted in the areas of military encampment of the Ethiopian resistance.

Regarding the Ethiopian population, the orders given by Mussolini were very clear:

"Rome, 5 June 1936. A.S.E. Graziani. All rebels taken prisoner must be killed. Mussolini." June 5 is the 156th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (157th in leap years), with 209 days remaining. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

"Rome, 8 July 1936. A.S.E. Graziani. I have authorized once again V.E. to begin and systematically conduct a politics of terror and extermination of the rebels and the complicit population. Without the legge taglionis one cannot cure the infection in time. Await confirmation. Mussolini."^[10] July 8 is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 176 days remaining. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The predominant part of the work of repression was carried out by Italians who, besides the bombs laced with mustard gas, instituted forced labor camps, installed public gallows, killed hostages, and mutilated the corpses of their enemies.^[10] Graziani ordered the elimination of captured guerrillas by throwing them out of airplanes in mid-flight. Many Italian troops had themselves photographed next to cadavers hanging from gallows, or standing beside chests full of decapitated heads.

One episode in the Italian occupation of Ethiopia was the slaughter of Addis Ababa of February, 1937 which followed upon an attempt to assassinate Graziani. In the course of an official ceremony a bomb exploded next to the general. The response was immediate and cruel. The thirty or so Ethiopians present at the ceremony were impaled, and immediately after, the black shirts of the fascist Militias poured out into the streets of Addis Ababa where they tortured and killed all of the men, women and children that they encountered on their path. They also set fire to homes in order to prevent the inhabitants from leaving, and organized the mass executions of groups of 50-100 people.^[14]

Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler stand together on an reviewing stand during an official visit to occupied Yugoslavia

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (552x740, 99 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Benito Mussolini The Rome-Berlin Axis ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (552x740, 99 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Benito Mussolini The Rome-Berlin Axis ...

Spanish Civil War

Main article: Spanish Civil War and Foreign Involvement

His active intervention in 1936 - 1939 on the side of Franco in the Spanish Civil War ended any possibility of reconciliation with France and Britain. As a result, he had to accept the German annexation of Austria in 1938 and the dismemberment of Czechoslovakia in 1939. At the Munich Conference in September 1938 he posed as a moderate working for European peace. But his "axis" with Germany was confirmed when he made the "Pact of Steel" with Hitler in May 1939. Members of TIGR, a Slovene anti-fascist group, plotted to kill Mussolini in Kobarid in 1938, but their attempt was unsuccessful. The Spanish Civil War had large numbers of foreigners participating in both sides of the struggle. ... Francisco Paulino Hermenegildo Teódulo Franco Bahamonde (4 December 1892–20th (or possibly 19th) November[1] 1975), commonly abbreviated to Francisco Franco (pron. ... Combatants Spanish Republic With the support of: Soviet Union[1] Nationalist Spain With the support of: Italy Germany Commanders Manuel Azaña Francisco Largo Caballero Juan Negrín Francisco Franco Gonzalo Queipo de Llano Emilio Mola José Sanjurjo Casualties 500,000[2] The Spanish Civil War (Spanish: Guerra Civil Espa... The Munich Agreement was an agreement regarding the Munich Crisis between the major powers of Europe after a conference held in Munich in Germany in 1938 and concluded on September 29. ... The Pact of Steel was an agreement between Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany signed on May 22, 1939. ... TIGR, abbreviation for Trst (Trieste), Istra (Istria), Gorica (Gorizia) and Reka (Rijeka (Fiume)), was the first antifascist national-defensive organization in Europe, consisting of Slovenians in Slovenian region of Primorje (Primorski Slovenci). ... Area: 192. ...

The Axis of Blood and Steel

Main article: Pact of Steel

The term "Axis Powers" was coined by Mussolini, in November 1936, when he spoke of a Rome-Berlin axis in reference to the treaty of friendship signed between Italy and Germany on October 25, 1936. His "Axis" with Germany was confirmed when he made another treaty with Germany in May 1939. Mussolini described the relationship with Germany as a "Pact of Steel", something he had earlier referred to as a "Pact of Blood". The Pact of Steel was an agreement between Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany signed on May 22, 1939. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1936 (MCMXXXVI) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Pact of Steel was an agreement between Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany signed on May 22, 1939. ...

From this point, Germany's influence on Italian policy increased, something which even alarmed high-ranking Fascists. For example, in 1938 Italian soldiers began marching using the German goose step, which Mussolini called the passo romano ("Roman step") Also in 1938, the government passed anti-Semitic laws. Jews were fired from government jobs and barred from marrying "Aryans." Year 1938 (MCMXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article is about the marching step. ... The Eternal Jew: 1937 German poster. ...

World War II

Main article: Military history of Italy during World War II

Mussolini and Hitler

As World War II (WWII) approached, Mussolini announced his intention of annexing Malta, Corsica, and Tunis. He spoke of creating a "New Roman Empire" that would stretch east to Palestine and south through Libya and Egypt to Kenya. This page is intended to serve as a focal point for studying Italian military history during the WWII-era. ... Image File history File links Hitlermusso. ... Image File history File links Hitlermusso. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... (Territorial collectivity flag) (Territorial collectivity logo) Location Administration Capital Ajaccio President of the Executive Council Ange Santini (UMP) (since 2004) Departments Corse-du-Sud Haute-Corse Arrondissements 5 Cantons 52 Communes 360 Statistics Land area1 8,680 km² Population (Ranked 25th)  - January 1, 2006 est. ... The New Roman Empire (Italian: Nuovo Impero Romano, Latin: Novum Imperium Romanum) was the new state created by Benito Mussolini to describe the Italian colonial empire, especially following Italys 1935-36 conquest of Abyssinia. ... Map of the British Mandate of Palestine. ...

In April 1939, after a brief war, he annexed Albania. Mussolini decided to remain 'non-belligerent' in the larger conflict until he was quite certain which side would win. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full year calendar). ... A non-belligerent is a person or country who does not take part in aggression. ...

War Declared

From the start, Mussolini did not do well in World War II. Indeed, many Fascists had opposed entering the war. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

On 10 June 1940 Mussolini finally declared war on Britain and France. Italian forces on the French border were able to make extremely limited gains before France surrendered to Germany. The Italians suffered over 4,000 casualties in this brief campaign (the French lost just over 200 men).^[15] From the start, Italy was little more than a military satellite to Hitler. June 10 is the 161st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (162nd in leap years), with 204 days remaining. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

On 3 August 1940, Mussolini attacked British Somaliland from Italian East Africa. After this initial success, Italian forces in Italian East Africa were stalled. August 3 is the 215th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (216th in leap years), with 150 days remaining. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Italian East Africa (Italian: Africa Orientale Italiana) was an Italian colony in Africa. ... Italian East Africa (Italian: Africa Orientale Italiana) was an Italian colony in Africa. ...

On 13 September 1940, Mussolini attacked Egypt. By September 16, after a short advance, the Italians in Egypt were stalled. September 13 is the 256th day of the year (257th in leap years). ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

On 25 October 1940, Mussolini sent an expeditionary air force contingent to Belgium in order to take part in the Battle of Britain. But, once pitted against the Royal Air Force Fighter Command on its home ground, the mixed Italian fighter/bomber force was badly mauled and was retired to defensive duties.^[16] October 25 is the 298th day of the year (299th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Combatants United Kingdom Including combatants from:[1] Poland New Zealand Canada Czechoslovakia Belgium Australia South Africa France Ireland United States Jamaica Palestine Rhodesia Germany Including combatants from Italy Commanders Hugh Dowding Hermann Göring Strength 754 single-seat fighters 149 two-seat fighters 560 bombers 500 coastal 1,963 total...

On 28 October 1940, Mussolini attacked Greece in an attempt to break free of Hitler. But, after a brief period of success, the Italians were repelled by a relentless Greek counterattack. This resulted in the loss of one-quarter of Italian-controlled Albania. The Italians forces in Albania were stalled, and Mussolini was embarrassed into calling for Hitler's help. October 28 is the 301st day of the year (302nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 64 days remaining. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

On 11 November 1940, Mussolini's fleet was attacked and crippled at Taranto. The Italian navy in the Mediterranean was rarely committed to action again. November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Combatants Allied Nations Axis Powers The Naval Battle of the Mediterranean was waged during World War II, to attack and keep open the respective supply lines of Allied and Axis armies, and to destroy the opposing sides ability to wage war at sea. ...

Hitler and Mussolini parade through the streets of Munich after the successful Anschluss of Austria, 1939

Despite continued problems, Mussolini expanded Italy's participation in the war throughout 1941. By 7 February 1941, the British had completed Operation Compass in North Africa and the Italians were surrending in droves. By 18 May 1941, the commander of the Italian forces in East Africa, the Duke of Aosta, had surrendered to the British at Amba Alagi near Gondar. In April 1941, after a failed spring offensive, only the intercession by the Germans saved Mussolini's campaign against Greece from complete failure. In June 1941, Mussolini declared war on the Soviet Union and sent an army to fight in Russia. In December 1941, after Pearl Harbor, he declared war on the United States. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1039x683, 151 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Benito Mussolini Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1039x683, 151 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Benito Mussolini Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to... Munich (German: , pronounced  ; Austro-Bavarian: Minga; Italian: Monaco; Latin language: Monacum) is the capital of the German Federal State of Bavaria (German: ). Munich is Germanys third largest city and one of Europes most prosperous. ... German troops march into Austria on 12 March 1938. ... February 7 is the 38th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... Combatants Western Desert Force Italian Tenth Army Commanders Richard OConnor Rodolfo Graziani Pietro Maletti † Strength 50,000 soldiers 120 guns 275 tanks 100,000 soldiers 1,600 guns 600 light tanks Casualties 494 dead 1,225 wounded 3,000 dead 115,000 captured 400 tanks 1,292 guns Operation... May 18 is the 138th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (139th in leap years). ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... Amadeo di Savoia (October 21, 1898 - March 3, 1942) was the third Duke of Aosta and a cousin of the Italian king, Victor Emmanuel III. His baptismal name was Amadeo Umberto Isabella Luigi Filippo Maria Giuseppe Giovanni di Savoia. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... June is the sixth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with a length of 30 days. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... Look up December in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Husband Kimmel (USN), Walter Short (USA) Chuichi Nagumo (IJN), Mitsuo Fuchida (IJNAS), Shigekazu Shimazaki (IJNAS) Strength 8 battleships, 8 cruisers, 29 destroyers, 9 submarines, ~50 other ships, ~390 planes 6 aircraft carriers, 9 destroyers, 2 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 8...

Throughout 1942, with few exceptions, Mussolini's troops continued to perform poorly everywhere. They were hampered by a lack of supplies. Italy went into the war with almost no tanks or antitank guns. Clothing, fuel, food and vehicles were in short supply. Italian factories did not have enough raw materials to produce the weapons needed to fight a war of such magnitude, a problem that became more serious when the Allies began bombing factories in the north. In March 1943, the factories in Milan and Turin shut down to give workers and their families a chance to evacuate. 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1942 calendar). ... Type anti-tank Nationality joint Germany/France Era Cold War, modern Launch platform Individual, Vehicle Target Vehicle, Fortification History Builder MBDA, Bharat Dynamics (under license) Date of design 70s Production period since 1972 Service duration since 1972 Operators 41 countries Variants MILAN 1, MILAN 2, MILAN 2T, MILAN 3, MILAN... “Torino” redirects here. ...

Replaced by Badoglio

By 1943, following the Axis defeat in North Africa, setbacks on the Eastern Front, and the Anglo-American landing in Sicily, most of Mussolini's colleagues (including Grandi and Count Galeazzo Ciano, the foreign minister and Mussolini's son-in-law) turned against him. Italy's position had become untenable by this time, and court circles were already putting out feelers to the Allies. The Tunisia Campaign was a series of World War II battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African Campaign of the World War II, between forces of the German/Italian Axis, and allied forces consisting primarily of U.S., British and small numbers of Vichy French. ... Combatants Soviet Union,1 Poland (from January 1945) Germany,1 Italy (to 1943), Romania (to 1944), Finland (to 1944), Hungary, Slovakia Commanders Aleksei Antonov, Azi Aslanov, Ivan Konev, Rodion Malinovsky, Ivan Bagramyan, Kirill Meretskov, Ivan Petrov, Alexander Rodimtsev, Konstantin Rokossovsky, Pavel Rotmistrov, Semyon Timoshenko, Fyodor Tolbukhin, Aleksandr Vasilevsky, Nikolai Vatutin... Combatants United States United Kingdom Canada Australia India Nazi Germany Fascist Italy Commanders Dwight D. Eisenhower Harold Alexander Bernard Montgomery George S. Patton, Jr. ... Galeazzo Ciano. ...

On the night of July 24, Mussolini summoned the Fascist Grand Council to its first meeting since the start of the war. At this meeting, Mussolini announced that the Germans were thinking of evacuating the south. This led Grandi to launch a blistering attack on his longtime comrade. Grandi moved a resolution asking the king to resume his full constitutional powers--in effect, a vote of no confidence in Mussolini. The motion carried by an unexpectedly large margin, 19-7. July 24 is the 205th day (206th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar, with 160 days remaining. ... The Grand Council of Fascism (Italian: ) was the main body of Mussolinis Fascist government in Italy. ... A Motion of No Confidence, also called Motion of Non Confidence is a parliamentary motion traditionally put before a parliament by the opposition in the hope of defeating or embarrassing a government. ...

Mussolini didn't think the vote had any substantive value, and appeared for work the next morning as normal. That afternoon, Victor Emmanuel summoned him to the palace and dismissed him from office. Upon leaving the palace, Mussolini was arrested. For the next two months he was moved from place to place to hide him from the Germans. Ultimately Mussolini was sent to Gran Sasso, a mountain resort in central Italy (Abruzzo). He was kept there in complete isolation. Gran Sasso (Italian for great stone), a massif located in the Abruzzo region of central Italy, is the highest of the Apennines and the centerpiece of a national park (established 1991). ... Abruzzo is a region of Italy bordering Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east and the Adriatic Sea to the east. ...

Mussolini was replaced by Marshal (Maresciallo d'Italia) Pietro Badoglio, who immediately declared in a famous speech, "La guerra continua a fianco dell'alleato germanico" ("The war continues at the side of our Germanic ally"). In fact, Badoglio was working to negotiate a surrender. Marshal (also spelled Marshall) is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. ... Pietro Badoglio (September 28, 1871 - November 1, 1956) was an Italian soldier and politician. ...

45 days later, on 8 September 1943, Badoglio signed an armistice with the Allies. Badoglio and the King, fearing German retaliation, fled from Rome. They left the entire Italian Army without orders. Many units simply disbanded, some reached the Allied-controlled zone and surrendered, a few decided to start a partisan war against the Nazis, and a few rejected the switch of sides and remained allied with the Germans. In retaliation for the Italian armistice, the Germans launched Operation Axis (Operation Achse) which included the ruthless disarming of the Italian Army. September 8 is the 251st day of the year (252nd in leap years). ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... Partisans parading in Milan The Italian resistance movement was a partisan force during World War II. // After Italys capitulation on 8 September 1943, the Italian resistance movement became massive. ...

The Repubblica Sociale Italiana

Main article: Italian Social Republic

About two months after he was stripped of power, Mussolini was rescued by the Germans in Operation Oak (Unternehmen Eiche). This was a spectacular raid planned by General Kurt Student and carried out by Senior Storm Unit Leader (Obersturmbannführer) Otto Skorzeny. The Germans re-located Mussolini to northern Italy where he set up a new a Fascist state, the Italian Social Republic (Repubblica Sociale Italiana, RSI). War flag of the Italian Social Republic. ... The daring rescue of Benito Mussolini by German special forces in World War II. ... Kurt Student Kurt Student (May 12, 1890-July 1, 1978) was a German Luftwaffe General who fought as a pilot on the Eastern Front during the First World War and as the commander of the German parachute troops during the Second World War. ... SS-Obersturmbannführer Rank Patch SA-Obersturmbannführer Rank Patch Obersturmbannführer was a paramilitary Nazi Party rank which was used by both the SA and the SS. The title was first created as an SA rank in 1932 after an expansion of the SA created the need for an... After Operation Greif, Otto Skorzeny was labelled the most dangerous man in Europe Otto Skorzeny (June 12, 1908 - July 6[1] 1975) was an Obersturmbannführer in the German Waffen-SS during World War II. After fighting on the Eastern Front, he is known as the commando leader who rescued... War flag of the Italian Social Republic. ...

Mussolini lived in Gargnano on Lago di Garda in Lombardy during this period. But he was little more than a puppet under the protection of his German liberators -- indeed, he was little more than the Gauleiter of Lombardy. Gargnano is a town and comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy. ... Lombardy (Italian: Lombardia, Lombard: Lumbardìa) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy. ... A puppet state is a state whose government, though notionally of the same culture as the governed people - owes its existence (or other major debt) to being installed, supported or controlled by a more powerful entity, typically a foreign power. ... A Gauleiter was the party leader of a regional branch of the NSDAP (more commonly known as the Nazi Party) or the head of a Gau or of a Reichsgau. ...

Mussolini executed some of the Fascist leaders who had abandoned him. Those executed included his son-in-law, Galeazzo Ciano. Galeazzo Ciano. ...

As Head of State and Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Italian Social Republic, Mussolini used much of his time to write his memoirs. Along with his autobiographical writings of 1928, these writings would be combined and published by Da Capo Press as My Rise and Fall. Year 1928 (MCMXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar). ...

Death

Cross marking the place in Mezzegra where Mussolini was shot

Clara Petacci (left) and Benito Mussolini (right) hung by their feet following their executions

On April 27, 1945, in the afternoon, near the village of Dongo (Lake Como), just before the Allied armies reached Milan, as they headed for Chiavenna to board a plane to escape to Austria, Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci were caught by Italian communist partisans. After several unsuccessful attempts to take them to Como they were brought to Mezzegra. They spent their last night in the house of the De Maria family. Image File history File linksMetadata Cross_mezzegra. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Cross_mezzegra. ... Image File history File links Benito_Mussolini_Death. ... Image File history File links Benito_Mussolini_Death. ... April 27 is the 117th day of the year (118th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 248 days remaining. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Lake Como (Lago di Como in Italian, also known as Lario; Latin: Larius Lacus) is a lake of glacial origin in Lombardy, Italy. ... Type anti-tank Nationality joint Germany/France Era Cold War, modern Launch platform Individual, Vehicle Target Vehicle, Fortification History Builder MBDA, Bharat Dynamics (under license) Date of design 70s Production period since 1972 Service duration since 1972 Operators 41 countries Variants MILAN 1, MILAN 2, MILAN 2T, MILAN 3, MILAN... Chiavenna can refer to: Places Chiavenna (Sondrio), a commune of the Province of Sondrio, at one end of the Splügen Pass. ... Clara Petacci (Claretta Petacci) (February 28, 1912 – April 28, 1945) was a young Roman girl from an upper-class family who became Benito Mussolinis mistress. ... Partisans parading in Milan The Italian resistance movement was a partisan force during World War II. // After Italys capitulation on 8 September 1943, the Italian resistance movement became massive. ... Como (Comm in the local dialect of Lombard language) is a city in Lombardy, Italy, 45 km north of Milan. ...

The day after, April 28, Mussolini and his mistress were both shot, along with most of the members of their fifteen-man train, primarily ministers and officials of the Italian Social Republic. The shootings took place in the small village of Giulino di Mezzegra. According to the official version of events, the shootings were conducted by "Colonnello Valerio" (Walter Audisio). Audisio was the communist partisan commander who was reportedly given the order to kill Mussolini by the National Liberation Committee.^[17] However, a witness, Bruno Giovanni Lonati—another partisan in the Socialist-Communist Garibaldi brigades though not a Communist—abruptly confessed in the 1990s to having killed Mussolini and Petacci with an Italian-English officer from the British secret services, called 'John'. Lonati's version has never been confirmed, but neither has it been debunked; a polygraph test on Lonati proved inconclusive.^{[18][verification needed]} April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... War flag of the Italian Social Republic. ... Giulino di Mezzegra is a quarter of the city of Mezzegra, in the province of Como, which has passed into history because it is the place where Benito Mussolini and his lover Claretta Petacci were assassinated. ... Communism is an ideology that seeks to establish a classless, stateless social organization based on common ownership of the means of production. ... Polygraph results are sometimes recorded on a chart recorder A polygraph (commonly yet incorrectly referred to as a lie detector) is a device that measures and records several physiological variables such as blood pressure, pulse, respiration and skin conductivity while the subject is asked a series of questions. ...

On April 29 the bodies of Mussolini and his mistress were taken to the Piazzale Loreto (Milan) and hung upside down on meat hooks. They were hung this way, along with those of other fascists, to show the population the dictator was dead. This was both to discourage any fascists to continue the fight and an act of revenge for the hanging of many partisans in the same place by Axis authorities. The corpse of the deposed leader became subject to ridicule and abuse by many who felt oppressed by the former Italian dictator's policies. April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ... Fascism is an authoritarian political ideology (generally tied to a mass movement) that considers individual and other societal interests inferior to the needs of the state, and seeks to forge a type of national unity, usually based on ethnic, religious, cultural, or racial attributes. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Mussolini's body was eventually taken down and later buried in an unmarked grave in a Milan cemetery until the 1950s, when his body was moved back to Predappio. It was stolen briefly in the late 1950s by neo-fascists, then again returned to Predappio. Here he was buried in a crypt (the only posthumous honor granted to Mussolini; his tomb is flanked by marble fasces and a large idealized marble bust of himself sits above the tomb.) Castle Ashby Graveyard Northamptonshire A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. ... This page pertains to fascism after World War II. For post-World War II Nazi movements, see Neo-Nazism. ... Crypt is also a commonly used name of water trumpets, aquatic plants. ... Venus de Milo, front. ... Roman fasces. ... Bust of Richard Bently by Roubiliac A bust is a sculpture depicting a persons chest, shoulders, and head, usually supported by a stand. ... A tomb is a small building (or vault) for the remains of the dead, with walls, a roof, and (if it is to be used for more than one corpse) a door. ...

Legacy

Mussolini was survived by his wife, Donna Rachele Mussolini, by two sons, Vittorio and Romano Mussolini, and his daughter Edda, the widow of Count Ciano and Anna Maria. A third son, Bruno, was killed in an air accident while flying a P108 bomber on a test mission, on 7 August 1941.^[19] Mussolini's granddaughter Alessandra Mussolini, daughter of Romano Mussolini, is currently a member of the European Parliament for the extreme right-wing party Alternativa Sociale; other relatives of Edda (Castrianni) moved to England after the Second World War. Donna Rachele Mussolini (1890-1979) was the wife of Benito Mussolini. ... Romano Mussolini (born September 26, 1927 in Carpena, Forlì, Italy, died February 3, 2006 in Rome) was the third and youngest son of Benito Mussolini. ... Edda Ciano Mussolini - (September 1, 1901 - April 9, 1995) Daughter of Benito Mussolini and Rachele Guides. ... Galeazzo Ciano. ... August 7 is the 219th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (220th in leap years), with 146 days remaining. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... Alessandra Mussolini (born December 30, 1962) is an Italian fascist politician and Member of the European Parliament. ... Romano Mussolini (born September 26, 1927 in Carpena, Forlì, Italy, died February 3, 2006 in Rome) was the third and youngest son of Benito Mussolini. ... The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary body of the European Union. ... In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply the right, are terms which refer, with no particular precision, to the segment of the political spectrum in opposition to left-wing politics. ... Alternativa Sociale (English language: Social Alternative) is an Italian political coalition of neo-fascist parties. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Mussolini in popular culture

• Mussolini was a major character in Inferno by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, where he acted as guide to the protagonist during his journey through Hell.

• The last few days of Mussolini's life have been depicted in Carlo Lizzani's movie Mussolini: Ultimo atto (Mussolini: The last act, 1974).

• Mussolini is spoofed in Charlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator, where he is named Benzino Napaloni, dictator of Bacteria. The character is portrayed by Jack Oakie.

• An animated clay Mussolini fights and is defeated by Roberto Benigni in a Celebrity Deathmatch episode.

• In an episode of Friends, The One Where Chandler Can't Remember Which Sister, Joey warns his friend Chandler about his grandmother, telling him that his grandmother "was, like, the 6th person to spit on Mussolini's grave".

• Good Day, the first track on The Dresden Dolls' self-titled album, ends with Amanda Palmer reciting the rhyme "When the war was over Mussolini said he wants to go to heaven with a crown upon his head. The Lord said no, he has to stay below; all dressed up, and nowhere to go."

• In The Office episode, Dwight's Speech, Dwight Schrute gives a salesman award speech culled from Mussolini speeches.

• In the Simpsons episode The Italian Bob, Homer waves to a crowd in an Italian village in the same manner as Mussolini, though he thought he impersonated Donald Trump.

• In the Flash animation The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny, Mussolini was one of the many to rally against Chuck Norris.

Inferno is a science fiction novel written by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, published in 1976. ... Laurence van Cott Niven (born April 30, 1938 Los Angeles, California) is a US science fiction author. ... Jerry Pournelle at the 2006 Stanford Singularity Summit Jerry Pournelle, (born August 7, 1933) is an American essayist, journalist and science fiction author who contributed for many years to the computer magazine Byte. ... A protagonist is the, or a, central figure of a story. ... Medieval illustration of Hell in the Hortus deliciarum manuscript of Herrad of Landsberg (about 1180) Hell, according to many religious beliefs, is an afterlife of suffering where the wicked or unrighteous dead are punished. ... A film critic, Carlo Lizzani (born 1922 April 3 in Rome) became a scriptwriter and assistant director after World War II, and worked on such notable films of the late 40s as Roberto Rossellinis Germany Year Zero, Alberto Lattuadas The Mill on the Po (both 1948) and Giuseppe... “Charles Chaplin” redirects here. ... The Great Dictator is a film directed by and starring Charlie Chaplin. ... Jack Oakie (November 12, 1903 – January 23, 1978) is an actor. ... Roberto Remigio Benigni (born October 27, 1952) is an Academy Award-winning Italian film and television actor, writer and director. ... Celebrity Deathmatch is a claymation parody television show that pits celebrities against each other in a wrestling ring, almost always ending in a gruesome death of the celebrity who lost the match. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, the lead section of this article may need to be expanded. ... The One Where Chandler Cant Remember Which Sister is the eleventh episode of season three of the television situation comedy Friends. ... Joseph Joey Francis Tribbiani, Jr. ... Chandler Muriel Bing (born April 8, 1968) is a fictional character on the popular US television sitcom Friends (1994–2004), played by Matthew Perry. ... The Dresden Dolls are an American musical duo from Boston, Massachusetts. ... This article is about the musician-artist. ... The Office is an Emmy Award and Peabody Award-winning [1] American television comedy that debuted on NBC as a midseason replacement on March 24, 2005. ... Dwights Speech is the 17th episode of the second season of The Office (U.S. version). ... Dwight Kurt Schrute III is a fictional character on the NBCs The Office portrayed by Rainn Wilson. ... Simpsons redirects here. ... The Italian Bob is the eighth episode of The Simpsons seventeenth season. ... Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American business executive, entrepreneur, television personality and author. ... The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny is a Flash animation, song, and Internet meme released by Neil Cicierega under the pseudonym of Lemon Demon on December 23, 2005. ... Carlos Ray Chuck Norris (born on 10 March 1940) is an American martial artist, action star, Hollywood actor, and recently, an internet phenomenon, who is best known for playing Cordell Walker on Walker, Texas Ranger. ...

References

Time, (whose trademark is capitalized TIME) is a weekly American newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report. ... August 25 is the 237th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (238th in leap years), with 128 days remaining. ... 1924 (MCMXXIV) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... October 30 is the 303rd day of the year (304th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 62 days remaining. ... April 8 is the 98th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (99th in leap years). ... 1926 (MCMXXVI) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar). ...

Further reading

• Mastering Modern World History by Norman Lowe "Italy, 1918-1945: the first appearance of fascism.
• Europe 1870-1991 by Terry Morris and Derrick Murphy
• Mussolini's Rome: rebuilding the Eternal City, Borden W. Painter, Jr., 2005
• Il Duce- Christopher Hibbert

Zeev Sternhell is the Léon Blum Professor of Political Science at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. ... Renzo De Felice (1929-May 1996) was a Italian historian of Fascism. ...

Writings of Mussolini

• Giovanni Hus (Jan Hus), il veridico Rome (1913) Published in America under John Hus (New York: Albert and Charles Boni, 1929) Republished by the Italian Book Co., NY (1939) under John Hus, the Veracious.
• The Cardinal's Mistress (trans. Hiram Motherwell, New York: Albert and Charles Boni, 1928)
• There is an essay on "The Doctrine of Fascism" credited to Benito Mussolini but ghost written by Giovanni Gentile that appeared in the 1932 edition of the Enciclopedia Italiana, and excerpts can be read at Doctrine of Fascism. There are also links to the complete text.
• La Mia Vita ("My Life"), Mussolini's autobiography written upon request of the American Ambassador in Rome (Child). Mussolini, at first not interested, decided to dictate the story of his life to Arnaldo Mussolini, his brother. The story covers the period up to 1929, includes Mussolini's personal thoughts on Italian Politics and the reasons that motivated his new revolutionary idea. It covers the march on Rome and the beginning of the dictatorship and includes some of his most famous speeches in the Italian Parliament (Oct 1924, Jan 1925).

Jan Hus ( ) (IPA: , alternative spellings John Hus, Jan Huss, John Huss) (c. ... Giovanni Gentile in his earlier years. ... The first volume of the Enciclopedia Italiana di scienze, lettere ed arti or Italian Encyclopaedia of Science, Letters, and Arts was published in 1925. ... The Doctrine of Fascism is a seminal essay signed by Mussolini and officially attributed to him, although it was most likely written by Giovanni Gentile. ...

See also

• Military history of Italy during World War II
• The Italian economy under Fascism, 1922-1943
• Letter of general Alesandro Luzan to Benito Mussolini
• Faisceau
• Margherita Sarfatti
• Squadrismo

This page is intended to serve as a focal point for studying Italian military history during the WWII-era. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The letter of general Alesandro Luzan to Benito Mussolini from 1941 is one of the main documents that testifies about the concern Italian military had about the unrestrained crimes of Croatian Ustashe. ... The Faisceau was a short-lived French Fascist party. ... Margherita Sarfatti (1880 - 1961) was an Italian journalist, art critic, patron, collector, socialite, and one of Mussolinis mistresses. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ...

External links

• Mussolini In Pictures
• Comando Supremo: Benito Mussolini
• Did Mussolini really make the trains run on time?
• Photograph of Mussolini's corpse and article about the theft of his body
• Is Mussolini quote on corporatism accurate?
• 2 Mussolini autobiographies in one book. English. Searchable. Click on the result titled "My Rise and Fall" (usually the top result). Then use the search form in the left column titled "search within this book."
• The 1928 autobiography of Benito Mussolini. Online. My Autobiography. Book by Benito Mussolini; Charles Scribner's Sons, 1928.
• Michael Schirru's failed attempt on Mussolini's life
• 1926: The attempted assassination of Mussolini in Rome by Gino Lucetti
• The Jewish mother of Fascism Haaretz article on Margherita Sarfatti by Saviona Mane
• Il Duce 'sought Hitler ban', BBC News 27 September, 2003

Fascism is an authoritarian political ideology (generally tied to a mass movement) that considers individual and other societal interests inferior to the needs of the state, and seeks to forge a type of national unity, usually based on ethnic, religious, cultural, or racial attributes. ... July 29 is the 210th day (211th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 155 days remaining. ... 1883 (MDCCCLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Predappio is a town and comune in the province of Forlì-Cesena, in the region of Emilia-Romagna in Italy, with a population of 6,362. ... April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday. ... Giulino di Mezzegra is a quarter of the city of Mezzegra, in the province of Como, which has passed into history because it is the place where Benito Mussolini and his lover Claretta Petacci were assassinated. ...