1. MUSSOLINI AND FASCIST ITALY 3rd Year Junior cert history

2. Early career Socialist teacher. Wounded in WW1. Founded Fascio di Combattimento (blackshirts) Fasces symbol.

3. Why Fascism became popular. Weak governments. 1 million dead. Disappointed with Paris Peace deal. Inflation and Unemployment. Fear of Communism Blackshirt violence. March on Rome. Victor Emmanuel III hands Mussolini power

4. Becoming a Dictator 1923 biggest party gets 2/3 of seats Opposition walked when Matteotti was murdered Rule by decree OVRA secret police Il Duce. Cult of the Personality Brainwashing, Balila. Propaganda

5. Successes at home Autostada and railways Latern Treaty Draining of Pontine Marshes Employment increased. ‘Battle for Grain’ ‘Battle for Births’

6. Foreign Policy Aims: to recreate the Roman Empire and to make the Med an Italian lake. Took Libya, Abyssinia and Somalia. Friendship developed with Hitler = 1936 Rome-Berlin Axis (allowed anchluss if Italy kept South Tyrol) 1939 Pact of Steel (full military alliance) Italy did not join WW2 (army not ready) until Germany seemed to be winning in 1940. Hitler had to send Rommel to help Italy in North Africa.

7. The End Allies invaded Mussolini arrested on king’s orders. Nazis released him. Puppet government set up. Partisans killed him