Benito Mussolini was born on 29 July 1883 in
Predappio in northern central Italy. His
father was a blacksmith. Employment
prospects in the area were poor so in 1902
Mussolini moved to Switzerland, where he
became involved in socialist politics.
He returned to Italy in 1904, and
worked as a journalist in the socialist
press, but his support for Italy's
entry into World War One led to his
break with socialism. He was drafted
into the Italian army in September
1915.
 Fascists:
 Dictatorship:
Believed in
Rule by one
nationalism,
person or party,
dictatorship,
using
racism and the use
propaganda and
of violence. They
the secret police
were opposed to
democracy and
communism
W H A T C AU S E D M U S S O L I N I
TO R I S E TO P OW E R
1. Italian nationalists were
disappointed at the end of WW1
because they did not gain all the land
they were promised by joining the
war
They failed to get Fiume and the
region of Dalmatia
2. The Italian economy was in a
depressed state. Soldiers were
demobilised. 2 million were
unemployed
3. There were strikes and riots in the
cities. Labourers in the countrside
took over the landed estates
4. There was a fear that communism
would take over
5. The Italian government were weak
and were not able to solve the
economic and social problems of
the country. Many blamed
democracy
6. Mussolini formed the Blackshirts
They attacked socialist and comunist
groups and broke up strikes. By
1922, they had 250,000 members,
mostly soldiers and ex-officers
7. Mussolini organised the March on
Rome and was appointed Prime
Minister of Italy
The people started to look to an
alternative , the fascist party.
Mussolini promised to create low
paid jobs, crush communism and
crime and restore the roman
empire.
MA
MARCH ON ROME
Fascist's went on the march on
Rome on October 1922 to seize
power. Mussolini was made prime
minister by the king to avoid Civil
War
HOW DID MUSSOLINI
ESTABLISH A
DICTATORSHIP?
1.He passed the Acerbo law (1923) which
meant that the party with the greatest
number of votes in the general election
would get two-thirds of the seats in
Parliament. Mussolini used violence to win
the 1924 election
PROPAGANDA
2. Mussolini controlled the press,
radio and cinema. Mussolini used
propaganda to develop a ‘cult of
personality’. His motto was
‘Mussolini is always right’
RULE BY DECREE
3. Mussolini had the power to
make any law without approval
by the parliament.
4. Gradually Mussolini
Took out all opposition
by banning other
parties and setting up
a secret police
(OVRA)to arrest
opponents.
SOCIALISTS
5. A socialist leader Giacomo
Matteoto was murdered by
the Fascists. In protest the
Socialist party withdrew from
parliament. This gave greater
power to Mussolini
6.Young boys and
girls from eight
years of age had to
join the ballilla for
boys and Piccole
Italiane for girls.
( youth movement)
EDUCATION
7. Mussolini and the Fascists
used education to teach
children the fascist virtue of
obedience. Textbooks were
changed to support fascism.
Teachers had to be fascists
CORPORATE STATE
8. This was the organisation of
workers and employers in order
to end strike and disputes.
Trade unions were controlled by
fascists. Very little freedom was
compensated by benefits given to
workers e.g. paid holidays
BUT....
 Mussolini’s totalitarian
state did not have complete
power over the King or the
Catholic Church
LATERAN PACTS 1929
Many say Mussolini’s best achievement was when
he formed alliances with the catholic church with
the Lateran treaty which gave the Pope his own
independence in the Vatican
VATICAN
1935 Mussolini invades Abyssinia
In October 1935 he invaded
Abyssinia (Ethiopia) against the
wishes of the League of Nations.
 Mussolini wanted to enlarge
his empire. The League of
Nations imposed sanctions on
Italy that had little effect
ALLIANCE WITH HITLER
Mussolini formed an alliance with
Hitler in 1936 with the Rome Berlin
axis and Pact of Steel
MUSSOLINI AND
HITLER
ITALY AND WW2
 Italy joined Germany in the war against the
Allies.
 Italy were defeated by British forces in North
Africa and Greece.
 Hitler had to send troops to help the Italians
 Germany and Italy lost the war
 The king removed Mussolini from power
Mussolini had a wife, Donna Rachele Mussolini, who
survived world war II and two children.
Mussolini was captured by
Italian partisans and shot on 28
April 1945
.