benito mussolini began his political life as a socialist he ended it as a fascist he was
a failure at the beginning and a grim tragedy at the end for 23 years he ruled italy and for some
of those years the world failed to note that mussolini was one of history's colossal jokes
road to power began in 1922 when his fascist black shirts marched on rome
the future dictator frightened by the boldness of his act remains safely at home
king victor emmanuel frightened by growing violence and unrest
gave italy to mussolini and his black shirts to restore order
mussolini ended strikes in all political opposition
he brought peace and order and in the process he destroyed parliamentary democracy in italy
he remade italy in his own image he became ill ducey the leader the power absolute
he asked the italian people to be like him hard-working and virile he said italians had
been made flabby by art he advocated a minimum of five children per mother he had a string of
mistresses he talked talked and talked some more in the beginning the people loved him
the crowds cheap
when hitler took power in germany he journeyed south to meet mussolini who was his model in power
mussolini however regarded hitler as an upstart and an unworthy rival in 1934
when they first met the civilized mussolini spoke of hitler as a clown and as a madman
when hitler's agents murdered chancellor dolphus of austria
mussolini was infuriated at deferrer's attempt to seize austria without his permission
mussolini ordered his troops to the brunner packs
hitler backed down mussolini was lauded as the savior of european peace
and ironically as a bulwark against hitler's nazis
filled with a sense of omnipotence after his triumph over his friend adolf hitler
hilduche decided to conquer the world in this case the world was ethiopian
emperor haile selassie resisted with the loyalty and primitive force of his people
emperor selassie appealed to the league of nations which expressed
moral outrage but did nothing ethiopia fell and with it the league of nations
three years later hitler had not only conquered austria he had conquered mussolini as well
ethiopia had proved the weakness of fascist arms mussolini praising hitler spoke for peace and
eagerly helped engineer the munich pact between italy germany france and england as much as prime
minister neville chamberlain mussolini believed the munich pact would bring peace in our time
it brought world war ii the next year
mussolini declared himself a non-belligerent but joined hitler
in 1940 when it seemed that the nazis would triumph
for mussolini defeat followed defeat the italian soldier refused to fight for him
with the american and english invasion the rule of il ducey was over hitler hadil duchy kidnapped and
flown to germany where he ironically pronounced mussolini head of a new republican party
under german guard mussolini was allowed to return to northern italy by his now open german masters
italian partisans captured and killed mussolini and his mistress claretta pitachi
as they tried to flee to switzerland
they hung their bodies at a gas station in milan
thus ended the power and the pale glory of the man who invented fascism
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