Benito Mussolini ( 1883-1945

Benito Mussolini ( 1883-1945

1. born in small town in north

   • harsh father leniant mother

2. Boy

   • bully in school
   • average student

3. politics

   • a socialist when young
     • belief in workers control over society
     • socialist opposed ww1
       • wanted italy to join in 1915 to gain land later

4. soldier

   • became a seargeant
   • loved war
   • slightly injured but kept crutch to look good

5. Fasci

   • founded fascist party in 1919
   • wanted one strong leader as dictator
   • wanted totalitarian ( one party ) rule
   • opposed communism
     • wanted the state to take over all wealth in the name of the workers
   • private army of blackshirts
     • used roman salute

6. march 'on' Rome

   • in 1922 they threatened the king with civil war
     • invited mussolini to rome to form a government
       • came on the train
         • claimed they marched to rome

7. Electoral law 1923

   • Gave his fascist party control of Italy
     • soon became a dictator
       • il duce
         • promised to crush communism and the mafia