m Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Mussolini) "Mussolini" redirects here.

For other uses, see Mussolini (disambiguation). Page semi-protected Benito Mussolini Mussolini biografia.jpg Head of Government of Italy and Duce of Fascism In office 24 December 1925 25 July 1943 Monarch Victor Emmanuel III Preceded by Office created Succeeded by Office abolished 27th Prime Minister of Italy In office 31 October 1922 25 July 1943 Monarch Victor Emmanuel III Preceded by Luigi Facta Succeeded by Pietro Badoglio Duce of the Italian Social Republic In office 23 September 1943 25 April 1945 Preceded by Office created Succeeded by Office abolished First Marhsall of the Empire In office 30 March 1938 25 July 1943 Preceded by Office created Succeeded by Office abolished Personal details Born Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini 29 July 1883 Predappio, Forli Kingdom of Italy Died 28 April 1945 (aged 61) Giulino di Mezzegra, Como Kingdom of Italy Resting place San Cassiano cemetery, Predappio, Forli, Italian Republic Nationality Italian Political party Republican Fascist Party (1943 1945) National Fascist Party (1921 1943) Italian Fasci of Combat (1919 1921) Fasci of Revolutionary Action (1914 1919) Autonomous Fasci of Revolutionary Action (1914) Italian Socialist Party (1901 1914) Spouse(s) Rachele Mussolini Relations Ida Dalser Margherita Sarfatti Clara Petacci Children Benito Albino Mussolini Edda Mussolini Vittorio Mussolini Bruno Mussolini Romano Mussolini

Anna Maria Mussolini Profession Dictator, politician, journalist, novelist, teacher Religion None (atheist) (See this section for details.) Signature Military service Allegiance Kingdom of Italy Italian Social Republic Service/branch Royal Italian Army Years of service active: 1915 1917 Rank First Marshal of the Empire Corporal Unit 11th Bersaglieri Regiment Battles/wars World War I World War II Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (Italian pronunciation: [be'nito musso'lini]; 2 9 July 1883 28 April 1945) was an Italian politician, journalist, and leader of the National Fascist Party, ruling the country as Prime Minister from 1922 until his ousting in 1943. He ruled constitutionally until 1925, when he dropped all pretense of democracy and set up a legal dictatorship. Known as Il Duce ("the le ader"). Mussolini was one of the key figures in the creation of fascism.[1] Originally a member of the Italian Socialist Party (PSI), Mussolini was expelled from the PSI due to his opposition to the party's stance on neutrality in World War I. Mussolini denounced the PSI, and later founded the fascist movement. Fol lowing the March on Rome in October 1922 he became the youngest Prime Minister i n Italian history. After destroying all political opposition through his secret police and outlawing labor strikes,[2] Mussolini and his fascist followers conso lidated their power through a series of laws that transformed the nation into a one-party dictatorship. Within five years he had established dictatorial authori ty by both legal and extraordinary means, aspiring to create a totalitarian stat e. Mussolini remained in power until he was deposed by King Victor Emmanuel III in 1943. A few months later, he became the leader of the Italian Social Republic , a German client regime in northern Italy; he held this post until his death in 1945.[3] Since 1939, Mussolini had sought to delay a major war in Europe until at least 1 942. Germany invaded Poland on 1 September 1939, starting World War II. On 10 Ju ne 1940, Mussolini sided with Germany, though he was aware that Italy did not ha ve the military capacity in 1940 to carry out a long war with France and the Uni ted Kingdom.[4] Mussolini believed that after the imminent French surrender, Ita ly could gain territorial concessions from France and then he could concentrate his forces on a major offensive in Egypt, where British and Commonwealth forces were outnumbered by Italian forces.[5] However the UK refused to accept German p roposals for a peace that would involve accepting Germany's victories in Eastern and Western Europe, plans for a German invasion of the UK did not proceed, and the war continued. On 24 July 1943, soon after the start of the Allied invasion of Italy, Mussolini was defeated in the vote at the Grand Council of Fascism, and the King had him arrested the following day. On 12 September 1943, Mussolini was rescued from pri son in the Gran Sasso raid by German special forces. In late April 1945, with to tal defeat looming, Mussolini attempted to escape north,[6] only to be quickly c aptured and summarily executed near Lake Como by Italian partisans. His body was then taken to Milan where it was hung upside down at a service station for publ ic viewing and to provide confirmation of his demise.[7] Contents [hide] 1 Early life 1.1 Emigration to Switzerland and military service 1.2 Political journalist and socialist 1.3 Expulsion from the Italian Socialist Party 1.4 Beginning of Fascism and service in World War I 2 Creation of Fascism

3 March on Rome and early years in power 3.1 Acerbo Law 3.2 Squadristi violence 4 Building a dictatorship 4.1 Assassination attempts 4.2 Police state 4.3 Economic policy 4.4 Government 4.5 Role of education and youth organizations 4.6 Foreign policy 4.7 Conquest of Ethiopia 4.8 Spanish Civil War 5 Axis 5.1 Rome-Berlin relations 5.2 Munich Conference, war looming 5.3 War declared 5.4 Eastern Front 5.5 Dismissed and arrested 5.6 Italian Social Republic 6 Death 6.1 Mussolini's body 7 Personal life 7.1 Religious beliefs 7.1.1 Atheism and anti-clericalism 7.1.2 Lateran Pact 8 Legacy 9 In popular culture 10 See also 11 References 12 Bibliography 12.1 Writings of Mussolini 13 Further reading 14 External links 15 Related information Early life

Birthplace of Benito Mussolini, today used as a museum. 44.10613N 11.980451E Mussolini was born in Dovia di Predappio, a small town in the province of Forli in Emilia-Romagna on 29 July 1883. In the Fascist era, Predappio was dubbed "Duc e's town", and Forli was "Duce's city". Pilgrims went to Predappio and Forli, to see the birthplace of Mussolini. His father Alessandro Mussolini was a blacksmi th and a socialist,[8] while his mother Rosa Mussolini (ne Maltoni), a devoutly C atholic schoolteacher.[9] Owing to his father's political leanings, Mussolini wa s named Benito after Mexican reformist President Benito Jurez, while his middle n ames Andrea and Amilcare were from Italian socialists Andrea Costa and Amilcare Cipriani.[10] Benito was the eldest of his parents' three children. His siblings Arnaldo and Edvige followed.[11] As a young boy, Mussolini would spend some time helping his father in his smithy .[12] Mussolini's early political views were heavily influenced by his father, A lessandro Mussolini, a revolutionary socialist who idolized 19th century Italian nationalist figures with humanist tendencies such as Carlo Pisacane, Giuseppe M azzini, and Giuseppe Garibaldi.[13] His father's political outlook combined view s of anarchist figures like Carlo Cafiero and Mikhail Bakunin, the military auth oritarianism of Garibaldi, and the nationalism of Mazzini.[14] In 1902, at the a nniversary of Garibaldi's death, Benito Mussolini made a public speech in praise of the republican nationalist.[14] The conflict between his parents about relig ion meant that, unlike most Italians, Mussolini was not baptized at birth and wo

uld not be until much later in life. As a compromise with his mother, Mussolini was sent to a boarding school run by Salesian monks. After joining a new school, Mussolini achieved good grades, and qualified as an elementary schoolmaster in 1901.[9] Emigration to Switzerland and military service Mussolini's booking photograph following his arrest by Swiss police, 1903 In 1902, Mussolini emigrated to Switzerland, partly to avoid military service.[8 ] He worked briefly as a stonemason in Geneva, Fribourg and Bern, but was unable to find a permanent job. During this time he studied the ideas of the philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, th e sociologist Vilfredo Pareto, and the syndicalist Georges Sorel. Mussolini also later credited the Marxist Charles Pguy and the syndicalist Hubert Lagardelle as some of his influences.[15] Sorel's emphasis on the need for overthrowing decad ent liberal democracy and capitalism by the use of violence, direct action, the general strike, and the use of neo-Machiavellian appeals to emotion, impressed M ussolini deeply.[8] Mussolini became active in the Italian socialist movement in Switzerland, workin g for the paper L'Avvenire del Lavoratore, organizing meetings, giving speeches to workers and serving as secretary of the Italian workers' union in Lausanne.[1 6] In 1903, he was arrested by the Bernese police because of his advocacy of a v iolent general strike, spent two weeks in jail, was deported to Italy, set free there, and returned to Switzerland.[17] In 1904, after having been arrested agai n in Geneva and expelled for falsifying his papers, he returned to Lausanne, whe re he attended the University of Lausanne's Department of Social Science, follow ing the lessons of Vilfredo Pareto.[18] In December 1904, he returned to Italy t o take advantage of an amnesty for desertion, for which he had been convicted in absentia.[19] Since condition for being pardoned was serving in the army, on 30 December 1904, he joined the corps of the Bersaglieri in Forli.[20] After serving for two year s in the military (from January 1905 until September 1906), he returned to teach in