Benito Mussolini rose to power in Italy in the early 20th century by establishing fascism. He created a totalitarian fascist regime and allied with Nazi Germany. However, his support of Germany led to Italy's defeat in World War 2. Mussolini was eventually arrested and killed by Italian partisans in 1945, marking the fall of his fascist regime.

1. Benito
mussolini
The rise and fall

2. Early life
• Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was born on 29 July
1883 in Predappio in northern central Italy.
• Raised in a Catholic household. His father was an active
socialist.
• He 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.

4. What is fascism ???
1. A system of government with centralized authority under
a dictator.
2. Usually involves terror, censorship, nationalism, and
racism

5. Ideology
• Mussolini was initially a member of
Italy's socialist party. However, he was
thrown out because of his view that Italy
should join WWI.
• He created a new ideology called Fascism
out of a combination of much out of
Nationalist and Socialist views.
• Fascism is a system where one leader has
complete power over a nation, with a goal
of making it completely independent of
other nations.
• Fascism also states that the goals of the
nation being more important than
anything else, including citizens. Fascism
is thus an example of a totalitarian
ideology.

6. "All within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the
state."
- Benito Mussolini

7. From rise to power
• Mussolini set up a Fascist Party and promised to solve
Italy’s problems.
• Promised to rebuild Italy and recreate the Roman
Empire.
• Organized armed gangs called the “Blackshirts”.
• Come to power in 1992 and was appointed Prime
Minister by King Victor Emmanuel to prevent a
Communist Revolution in Italy

8. As a leader
He managed to assume almost all parts of government
offices and its power in order to regain control of the
economy, and in a short period of time, Mussolini was
successful in stabilizing the economy and taking country
out of economic turmoil. He became known as “II Duce”
meaning the leader.

9. 1992 March on rome
to establish Mussolini and the Fascist Party as the most
important party in Italy.
"Our program is simple: we want to rule Italy.”
-Benito Mussolini
Mussolini said this at a party conference: "Either the
government will be given to us or will shall seize it by
marching on Rome."

10. The quadrumvirs leading the Fascist Party, General Emilio De Bono,
Italo Balbo, Michele Bianchi and Cesare Maria de Vecchi,

11. Fascists travelling towards Rome.

12. “Fascism conceives of the State as an absolute, in comparison
with which all individuals or groups are relative, only to be
conceived in their relation to the State.”
~Benito Mussolini

13. Beginning of the alliance
Although Mussolini quenched for power, he was still enraged by
the treatment Italy received for their part in defeating Benito
Mussolini and Adolf Hitler the Germans and Austrians in World
War I. He had visions of a new Roman Empire and he could see
the day when the Mediterranean Sea became the quot;Mare
Nostrum“ meaning our sea. Mussolini soon found his country
blacklisted by the League of Nations and it forced his
relationship closer to Nazi Germany, which was also isolated for
their actions. Mussolini soon realized that the League of Nations
did not have the backbone to stop Hitler or himself in gaining
new colonies, so he pressed forward. On the April 7, 1939,
Mussolini invaded Albania and on May 22,1939, Italy and
Germany cemented their alliance with the Pact of Steel.

14. Italy during WW ii
Mussolini during WWII Mussolini intended to annex Malta, Corsica, and Tunis. He
wanted to create a “New Roman Empire.” He annexed Albania, straining the
military. His troops were unprepared for the German invasion of Poland. Italy
remained neutral.
Italy soon declared war on Britain and France but troops were unprepared. It was
defeated by Greece and lost the world’s first carrier strike. Italy was defeated on all
fronts of the Anglo-American landing.

15. Propaganda postcards of Mussolini

16. The fall of mussolini
On April 28, 1945, Mussolini was arrested and joined his
mistress, Clara Petaccagain, by Italian partisans by Lake
Como. Mussolini, realizing he was going to killed, opened
up his shirt and asked to be shot in the chest. Many
Italians complied and attempted to shoot him with an
Italian submachine gun, but it would not fire. One Italian
then pulled out a pistol and again it would not fire. In
desperation he grabbed a French weapon, a MAS 7.65,
from a fellow partisan and killed them both. Their bodies
were strung upside down the next day for all to see.