Mussolini

Biography Born 1883 WWI A socialist, (like his father) then a fascist Named after Benito Juarez, Mexican revolutionary Arrested in 1903 in Basel for vagrancy

Fascisti Fascists: anarchists, communists, unionists, republicans, Catholics, anti-clerics.... Methods: destroy printing presses of rivals; beat up opponents symbol

Key ideas Aggressive nationalism Belief in action over thought Restore the glories of Rome End the chaos in Italian society

Italy after WWI Economy Living conditions

Rise to Power Elections 1921 Result: 35/535 seats  failure!

March on Rome 1922 Troops Blackshirts King afraid of Civil war King hands over power to Mussolini Il Duce is born! Rule by Decree for one year Does this follow “recipe for revolution”?

Acerbo Law Assured a 2/3 majority for the party with the most votes.

Leadership qualities Dynamic public speaker Great showman Used parades and ritual to captivate his audiences Roman greeting

Totalitarianism What is totalitarianism? Social engineering  “The Engineer of Human Souls”

Features of Totalitarianism Secret Police = OVRA 1927 Restrictions of freedom of speech and the press Banned trade unions Murdered internal challengers No voting, no consultation Imperialism

Lateran Accords 1929 Pact with the Catholic Church Church to control education Catholicism official state religion Pope gets to rule Vatican Why did the Church sign it? Why did Mussolini sign it?

Quotables “Mussolini is always right” “Law and order” “Better to be a Lion for a day than a sheep for 100 years” “To govern Italy you need only policemen and bands in the streets” “The Pope? He is one of my helpers. He looks after the dead. I look after the living.” “The bullets pass, Mussolini remains.” (after attempted assassination)

Key terms to know – Italy in Interwar Years Italia Irredenta The Blackshirts Mare Nostrum March on Rome Il Duce The Acerbo Law “Useless or harmful liberties” The Lateran Accords The Corporate State

gov/rr/print/swa nn/herblock/obj ect.html