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Top 10 Facts About Mussolini

Benito Mussolini was Italy’s prime minister from 1922 to 1943, he was also a famous journalist and politician. He was a totalitarian and didn’t believe that citizens should have the freedom to choose but instead should have been controlled by a single political group which is why he founded the political group Fasci Italiani di Combattimento which was a full-on fascist group.

Before being overthrown by the Italian government and killed by Italian rebels he had done a lot for the country and contributed a lot to the political atmosphere at the time, some saw him as a hero while others would agree that he was a brute. 

1. He was a difficult child

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It may not be surprising that Benito was in fact a difficult child who was born in 1883 in Verano di Costa, though we don’t know much more about his childhood, we know that he had a hardworking father who was a socialist and a blacksmith. Mussolini’s nature was challenging for his parents as he was known to be arrogant and violent, as a way of dealing with his disciplinary issues his parents sent him to a harsh Catholic boarding school.

Not even the Catholic school could help Benito, in fact, it was evident that he was going to change when he used a penknife to stab his fellow classmate. Stabbing for him was a way of expressing anger and by the age of 20, he had also stabbed his girlfriend, clear indications that he wasn’t exactly the most charming guy. 

2. Mussolini was deeply moved by Victor Hugo’s book

But apart from stabbing and being violent, he also liked reading. Les Misérables by Victor Hugo, a classic, had a massive effect on Mussolini. It’s unclear how he came into contact with the book. According to some historians, Mussolini’s father used to read it aloud to the family at home, but other stories claim that Mussolini heard it read aloud in public by people of his hometown at winter gatherings.

3. He wrote a novel that made fun of the Catholic Church’s

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We’re not sure what the Catholic Church did to Mussolini but what we do know is that he had a complex relationship with the church even though he was brought up in a Catholic family. Politically, Mussolini knew that the church would question his authority and saw it as a threat.

When he didn’t like something it was in his nature to show it and in a very obvious manner, which is why he wrote The Cardinal’s Mistress a historical fiction set in 17th-century Italy, 1909, a book that was considered blasphemous but was so popular that it was translated into 10 other languages, the book was published as an anti-religious newspaper serial. Mussolini described his own book as “a novel for seamstresses and scandal”. The book was a clear message that showed his disinterest in the Catholic Church. 

4. He created the “fascist manifesto”

Mussolini was very clear with his goals as he created the Fascist Revolutionary Party in 1915, it was clear that he slowly wanted to abolish and remove any authority that would oppose him. In 1919, he created the “Fascist Manifesto” and called for abolishing of the senate which featured the aristocrats. He knew that in order to climb up to power he had to get rid of the wealthy and powerful people and he did this by imposing hefty taxes on the rich.

Mussolini, however, changed the name of the party to the National Fascist Party in 1921 and restructured it, placing a greater focus this time on celebrating (and even glorifying) Italian national identity.

5. Mussolini borrowed a lot from the Roman Empire

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6. Mussolini was famous for terrorizing northern Italy

Despite the fact that Mussolini and his allies claimed that fascism valued traditionalism and national unity, their actions were more similar to gangsters. They terrorised northern Italy by breaking into newspaper offices and social clubs and attacking Communists. Mussolini oversaw the murder of about 2000 political enemies in Italy in less than two years.

7. Mussolini leaned on his popularity to establish a dictatorship in 1925

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Mussolini’s mob managed to get through and the king did not resist. As a matter of fact, the king persuaded Mussolini to work with the parliament and he worked to ensure that he legitimized the march by assigning Mussolini to the office of the prime minister which we all know did not in Italy’s favour. Mussolini took advantage of his growing popularity and worked to impose a dictatorship in 1925. 

 8. In July 1938, the government began passing anti-Jewish laws

In comparison the Hitler, Mussolini was not overly anti-Jewish. Italian Jews were accepted as citizens and were even allowed to be a part of the Fascist Party up until 1938. For some time, the Fascist government had no intentions of taking political, economic or moral actions against the Jews which is why it was surprising when Mussolini’s government suddenly started passing anti-Jewish laws. 

Anti-Jewish measures started to be implemented by the government in July 1938. Some months later, Mussolini said that “foreign Jews” would be deported and that anybody who had become naturalised after January 1919 would forfeit their citizenship. Historians disagree on the extent to which Mussolini himself held anti-Semitic views, hence it is unclear what exactly caused the transition. He probably believed that the removal of Jews would be a simple way to win over his Nazi allies.

9. Adolf Hitler looked up to Mussolini

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It’s fair to say that Hitler and Mussolini were very similar in their way of leading. They believed in dictatorship and used fear as a way of keeping people down. It is not surprising that Hitler literally cried when he first met Mussolini. Hitler praised Mussolini’s political skills and his ability to inspire people by using nationalism. 

Hitler attempted and failed in 1923 to reenact Mussolini’s takeover of German power; as a result of the failed “Beer Hall Putsch,” Hitler spent some time in prison. Hitler embraced many of his Italian counterpart’s dictatorial traits after gaining power, including the iconic salute.

10. Mussolini had his son-in-law killed

Mussolini seized control once more in northern Italy at Hitler’s direction and with assistance from German forces. As soon as he got control, he exacted revenge on people who in his opinion, had betrayed him. His son-in-law Galaezzo Cano who was in the Fascist government as the foreign minister was ordered by Mussolini’s command. Later, Mussolini’s grandson wrote a sad memoir called “Grandfather Had Daddy Shot”.

We will always remember Mussolini as a controversial figure known for his fascist control and his totalitarian style of leadership. Though he got the power he wanted it was always marked by violence and the crushing of his enemies, this gave him rule over Italian citizens but his style of leadership eventually led to disaster.