Benito Mussolini: The Man Who Destroyed Democracy

He was the father of fascism, the heavy-handed dictator who ruled Italy for more than two decades. During that time, he plunged his country into disaster, formed an alliance with Adolf Hitler, and brought the wrath of the world (and his own people) upon himself. In the end, his own citizens expressed their own merciless verdict on the man who called himself Il Duce. In this week, Biographies we trace the life and death of Benito Mussolini. Beginnings Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was born on July 29, 1883 in a small town near the town of Predappio, in northern Italy, in the province of Forli.

His father, Allesandro, was a blacksmith and atheist, heavily involved in socialist politics, while his mother, Rosa, was a devout Catholic school teacher. With his parents' divergent beliefs, the young Mussolini was raised to put his faith in both Karl Marx and the Pope. His mother took him to mass several times a week, while his father dragged him to the pub to learn from his socialist friends. From the beginning, Benito proved to be an aggressive and rebellious child. In later life he reflected. . . He wasn't a good boy. I was, I think, rebellious. When he was eight years old, Benito spent long hours helping his father in the oven.

Here he would listen to Allseandro's socialist ideas and these would shape his future philosophy. But the boy's heart was with his mother. He was afraid of upsetting her, but that didn't stop her wayward tendencies. When he was nine years old, Rosa had become so exasperated with Benito that she sent him to a school run by Roman Catholic monks to instill in him the discipline she so desperately needed. But the defiant Benito became irritated by the strict discipline and his behavior worsened even more. He got into several fights and was finally expelled when he confronted one of the monks.

Rosa now sent her wayward son to a less strict school closer to home. This did not improve his behavior and soon he was expelled again, this time for threatening another student with a knife. His exasperated mother managed to find a third school, where she managed to finish her studies. At the age of seventeen, Benito completed his ten years of compulsory schooling. His main achievements during that period were the ability to play the trombone and speak in public. However, despite his poor academic record, in 1901 he obtained the title of school teacher. But he soon discovered that teaching did not suit him.

He was much more interested in the two passions he had inherited from his father: socialism and womanizing. Benito, eighteen years old, was a strong, handsome young man, with a forceful personality and a certain charisma. He easily attracted the attention of young women, often wives of other men. This often resulted in fist fights with outraged husbands. Troublemaker After less than a year, Mussolini had lost his teaching job after having a violent argument. With no money and very few prospects, he moved to Switzerland. He worked a succession of manual jobs to support himself. Soon he joined a group of Marxists.

He also joined a union and began attending rival political rallies, where he would boo the speaker and start fights with those in the crowd. As a result of these political upheavals, Benito was arrested and deported to Italy several times. But each time he returned more determined than ever to continue stirring the political pot. Mussolini had difficulty making ends meet in Switzerland. On one occasion he accosted two elderly women on the street and stole food from them. In his 1928 autobiography, he recounted that if the women had fought, he would have strangled them. In 1904 he returned to Italy and joined the Italian army.

He served the mandatory eighteen months. Ten months after his military service, Mussolini's beloved mother, Rosa, died. Benito, distraught, later called this the greatest pain of his life. He was discharged from the army in September 1906. He clearly had not learned discipline while serving his country, as his life now revolved around drinking, women and fighting. A fervent socialist, he managed to regain employment as a teacher with a succession of temporary contracts. During this period leading up to World War I, Mussolini's moral character deteriorated as his socialist ardor increased. He wrote and edited several socialist newspapers, criticizing the government, the democratic system, the middle classes and the church.

In a pamphlet, titled God Does Not Exist, he wrote that priests were "black microbes, as fatal to humanity as the germs of tuberculosis." When Italy engaged in a war against Libya in 1911, Mussolini led domestic criticism of the government's actions. through his journalistic writings. His open opposition led to his arrest and five months in prison. However, his public opposition to the government also attracted the attention of the country's top socialist leaders, who regarded him with admiration. They considered the young Benito Mussolini a rising star of the left. In December 1912, shortly after his release from prison, Benito was appointed editor of the country's National Socialist newspaper, Avanti.

It was a natural fit and within six months, his incendiary journalistic style had quintupled the paper's readership. He now had a national forum to express his opinions. World War I When war broke out in 1914, Mussolini held firm non-interventionist views. He considered the war to be anti-socialist, as it pitted the working classes of one nation against those of another. However, after a few months he changed his mind. He now saw the war as an opportunity to foment revolution. He now used his voice through the pages of Avanti to call on the youth of Italy to join the army.

Mussolini's change of attitude towards the war situation put him at odds with more moderate socialist leaders and resulted in his expulsion from the party and the loss of the editorship of Avanti. Defiantly, he founded his own newspaper, "Il Populo Italia" or "The People of Italy." This newspaper was published continuously from November 1914 until Mussolini's removal from power, twenty-nine years later. In his first editorial he proclaimed the famous phrase. . . Only blood moves the wheels of history. Around this same time, Mussolini founded his first political party: the Fascii of Revolutionary Action. It soon became known simply as the Fascist Party.

The main Allied powers, Great Britain and France, supported Mussolini, seeing him as a key player in involving Italy more in the war effort. They provided much-needed financial support to the new party. The British Secret Service even paid Mussolini a salary of one hundred pounds a week. In July 1915, Italy signed the Treaty of London, committing to fight alongside the Allies against Germany. But the Italian war soon became a fiasco. It was plagued by inexperienced and poorly trained officers and belligerent and unwilling recruits. They were stuck in a battle of attrition against Austria-Hungary. When it was all over, more than 650,000 Italians had died, half a million were missing, and almost a million were injured.

Mussolini himself rejoined the army in September 1915. He achieved the rank of corporal, winning praise for his bravery and devotion to his men. On February 22, 1917 he was in a trench when a grenade belonging to one of his comrades-in-arms exploded. He was seriously injured and required numerous operations over the next month and was then sent home to recover. Mussolini's message now shifted from socialism and the plight of the worker to patriotism and the cause of ultranationalism. The Rise of the Fascists During the postwar talks in Paris, the major powers treated Italy with disdain. The territories that had been promised during the Treaty of London of 1915 were not delivered.

Italian Prime Minister Vittorio Orlando left the conference in disgust. Orlando bore the brunt of public discontent and was soon removed from office. In the following elections, Mussolini's Fascist Party failed to win a single seat. His political rivals mocked this and organized a mock funeral for the party. His chief adversaries were the socialists, who had won a third of the seats in parliament and whom Mussolini now strongly opposed. For the next three years, the political situation in Italy was extremely unstable, with four prime ministers and coalition governments, none of which were able to cede any real power.

The country was in a state close to anarchy, with rampant inflation and unemployment driving people to despair. Mussolini's fascists. Dressed in their intimidating black shirts, they roamed the streets, searching for and beating up socialists, communists, or anyone else whose appearance they didn't like. The police, who sympathized with the fascists, usually stood by and let Mussolini's men carry on. On May 15, 1921, national elections were held. This time, the fascists joined a coalition of right-wing parties, the National Bloc, and won 35 seats out of a total of 535 in the House of Parliament. Mussolini himself obtained a seat in the chamber of deputies.

He was now an official member of the Italian government. Realizing that he now needed to broaden his base, Mussolini radically reversed a couple of his fundamental principles. He became both pro-monarchy and pro-church. But his hatred of socialism persisted. Mussolini changed the name of the party and now calls it the National Fascist Party. His reputation began to grow and he became known as a man with the ability to rule with a firm hand and restore order in the midst of the chaos into which Italy had fallen. Public opinion was beginning to lean in his favor. That popularity was reinforced when Mussolini's Blackshirts broke up a socialist-backed strike in October 1922.

At a rally soon afterward, Mussolini declared in a speech that either the government would hand over power to him or he would take it for himself. This was no idle boast. With no signs of capitulation from the government, Mussolini decided to stage a coup by marching towards Rome. His forces were no match for the Italian army, but Prime Minister Luigi Facta still offered Mussolini a position in his government to avoid conflict. The offer was roundly rejected and the fascists marched towards the capital. The panicked prime minister urged the king to allow him to use the army to quell the rebellion.

The king agreed, but quickly changed his mind for fear of civil war. This angered the Prime Minister, who resigned from his position. The twenty thousand fascists marching towards the capital stopped thirty kilometers north of the city. There, half of them left him and returned home. The rest moved on, and Mussolini himself joined them at various points to take a photo at the front of the line. But with the rain pouring down he was content to leave the heavy walking to others and took an express train to Rome. The king, who secretly admired Mussolini, now attempted to appease him by offering him a government role.

Mussolini would consider nothing more than the position of prime minister. Finally, the king offered him this position. At age 39, Mussolini had become Prime Minister, not through violent revolution, but through threats, bluster, and unequivocal demands. In the wake of his victory, ecstatic fascists roamed the streets looking for despondent socialists whom they could terrorize. Achieving absolute power Mussolini was now Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs. But his government was largely a minority in the House of Parliament. This forced him to work within the confines of

democracy

, which left him at the mercy of the majority coalition. This was not a situation the power-hungry autocrat would tolerate for long.

Eight weeks after taking office, Mussolini formed the Great Fascist Council. The Grand Council acted as a conduit between the fascists and the Chamber of Deputies. Filled with his own appointees, he was, in effect, a mouthpiece for Mussolini who effectively reduced Parliament's power to act. In 1923, the Grand Council passed a law that rigged the electoral system to ensure that the fascists won a sizeable majority in the following elections. When elections were held the following April, the fascists won 374 of the 535 seats. The new law helped obtain this 70% majority, but so did the vigilant presence of Mussolini's Blackshirts, who forced the public to vote for the fascists.

In addition, meetings of opposition parties were broken up and their candidates were beaten. In the wake of this overwhelming electoral victory, socialist leader Giacomo Matteoti openly denounced the fascists and his leader. Eleven days later, Matteoti was murdered. This sparked nationwide protests against Mussolini and his thug party, and many people called on the king to dismiss the Prime Minister. For his part, Mussolini declared himself innocent and was shocked and outraged by the murder. He did everything he could to distance himself from the crime. Still, politicians of all parties responded by walking out of Parliament in an effort to force Mussolini's ouster from office.

But the king refusedget rid of Mussolini. In a vote of confidence on 3 January 1925, few of the Prime Minister's opponents turned up. Ever the opportunist, he now seized the opportunity to consolidate his absolute authority. He declared that only fascists could provide stability to the country and that this would be achieved through a dictatorship. Totalitarianism As Mussolini's propaganda machine infiltrated all areas of Italy, a cult of personality developed around him. People considered him an action genius, but with a common touch. When things were going well, it was all thanks to Il Duce (the leader). However, when things went wrong, it was never his fault.

He was a fascinating speaker, who used facial expressions and gestures to capture and captivate his audience. He was only 5'6 inches tall and liked to dress in striped pants and butterfly-collared shirts. He was not physically well, suffering from ulcers and an upset stomach. His health problems forced him to stop smoking and drinking. He started losing his hair when he was in his twenties and started shaving his head. He was also nearsighted but too vain to wear glasses. Mussolini spent the next two years dismantling

democracy

in Italy and establishing his own totalitarian regime. During that time, he instilled three key messages in the public consciousness. . .

Believe, Obey, Fight This message received widespread approval. Even many former socialists now turned to fascism. The firm hand of the State was considered the only solution to the country's problems. All forms of criticism of the State were prohibited and opposition parties were dissolved. Mussolini himself responded only to the king. There were spies everywhere, eager to report to the authorities anyone who spoke or acted against the State. During the 1920s, the Fascists had made modest improvements in the Italian economy. However, all this changed with the global depression that followed the Wall Street Crash of October 1929. Once again, the country was in a state of economic chaos.

Mussolini responded by embarking on foreign invasions. During the 1930s he sent his armies to Libya, Ethiopia and Spain. The Italian invasion of Ethiopia began in 1935 and resulted in a devastating occupation that would continue until 1941, when the British army expelled the Italians. During that time it is estimated that 8% of Ethiopia's population was executed. Mussolini ordered the male population of entire cities to be annihilated. Ethiopia's leader, Haile Selassie, was forced to flee to England, from where he petitioned the United Nations. They finally imposed sanctions on Italy. This angered Mussolini and sent him into the arms of a neighboring dictator named Adolf Hitler.

Pact of Steel On May 22, 1939, Hitler and Mussolini signed a Pact of Steel, in which they promised to help each other in the event of war. Less than four months later, Germany invaded Poland and sparked World War II. Mussolini was erratic in his response to the prospect of fighting a European war alongside the Nazis. One day he seemed jubilant, only to appear to regret the pact that the next day would bring the wrath of the major European powers upon his country. On the same day that Germany invaded Poland, Mussolini announced to his cabinet that he had decided not to fulfill his Pact of Steel obligation on the basis that Germany had signed a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union, an act that violated the pact's provisions. .

The truth is that Il Duce had no confidence in his country's preparation for war. Despite his announcement to the cabinet, Mussolini continued to feign support for Hitler. However, he privately spoke of joining the British-French coalition. Finally, on June 10, 1940, when the Nazis seemed certain of an easy victory over the French, Mussolini declared war on Britain and France. Italian troops were quickly sent to France so that Mussolini could share in the spoils of victory. At the same time, he mobilized forces in Africa to attack British possessions there. Large-scale forces were sent to Egypt, while other divisions were focused on Greece.

At the same time, Mussolini oversaw the air force when it joined the Nazi Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain. In all scenarios, ill-prepared Italian forces were either driven back or stalled. This angered Hitler, who was forced to send German troops to save the Italians. By early 1942, it was evident that Italy was fighting a losing war. They were severely defeated in Egypt at the Battle of El Alamain. Then the Allied invasion of French North Africa drove them back even further. The Allied invasion of Sicily was the last straw. Italy's total defeat was only a matter of time.

An ignoble end The country was in a state of emergency. There was no fuel and all the factories were closed. Food was incredibly scarce, leading to widespread famine. The people were desperate and angry. In this climate a massive march on Rome took place: a march against Il Duce. Yielding to the will of the people, King Victor Emmanuel ordered Mussolini to go to his palace where he informed him that he would remove him from office. Then the guards came in, arrested Il Duce and took him into custody. The new Italian Prime Minister, Pietro Badoglio, intended to break the alliance with Germany and sign an armistice with the allies.

However, to gain time, he maintained the ruse of alliance with Hitler. Unsurprisingly, when Hitler learned that Badoglio had signed an armistice on September 3, 1943, he was furious. He ordered an all-out invasion of his former ally. Nazi forces used Blitzkrieg tactics to assault and capture Rome, forcing the king and prime minister to flee the city. Some elements of the Italian army attempted to resist, but many of them simply threw down their weapons and surrendered. Meanwhile, Mussolini was being held in a resort-turned-prison at Campo Imperatore in the Alps. He knew the situation was chaotic, but he was surprised to see German paratroopers landing right outside his cell window.

The Germans quickly overpowered the guards and headed to Mussolini's cell, where one of them said. . . "Il Duce, the Führer has sent me to free you." Mussolini was taken to Hitler's headquarters in East Prussia. Hitler genuinely admired Mussolini and considered him a great influence on his own career. But he was disappointed when he saw the man in front of him. All of Mussolini's will to continue the fascist struggle had abandoned him. The Führer was stunned when Il Duce asked if he could be allowed to retire from public life. Hitler would have none of that. He installed Mussolini as the puppet ruler of northern Italy, which was now in the hands of the Nazis.

For the next eighteen months, Mussolini played this role, a powerless leader ruling over a people who hated him and who were surrounded by armed Nazis and approaching allies. With the deed well done, Mussolini attempted to escape to Switzerland on April 27, 1945. Shortly before the border, he was intercepted by communists who detained him and his companions. The next day they decided to execute him, along with his lifelong lover, Clara Petacci. After ridding the bodies with bullets, the communists took them to Milan and dumped them in the middle of the town square. For hours, the citizens of Milan vented their enmity against the man who had led them to disaster.

His body was spat on, stoned, beaten, and finally hung by his feet. There the body of the once revered leader was subjected to the abuse of the crowd. His corpse was eventually thrown into an unmarked grave.