Mussolini becomes Prime Minister | The 20th century | World history | Khan Academy

Summary

The script narrates Benito Mussolini's swift and surprising rise to power in Italy during the early 1920s. Initially ousted from the Italian Socialist Party for his pro-war stance, Mussolini formed the Fasci di Combattimento, a group with strong anti-socialist and nationalist ideologies. As Italy faced economic and political turmoil post-World War I, the Fascist Party, led by Mussolini's charismatic oratory, gained momentum and support. The 'March on Rome' in 1922, a demonstration of force by 200,000 Fascists, led to Mussolini's appointment as Prime Minister and the granting of dictatorial powers, marking the beginning of his authoritarian rule.

Takeaways

• 📈 Benito Mussolini's rise to power in the early 1920s in Italy was rapid and surprising from a historical perspective.
• ⚙️ As late as 1915, Mussolini was ousted from the Italian Socialist Party due to his stance on Italy entering World War I.
• 🇮🇹 Mussolini advocated for Italy's entry into the war to build its empire, contrary to the Socialist Party's neutral stance.
• 👥 Mussolini formed the Fasci d'azione rivoluzionaria, a nationalist group supporting Italy's involvement in the war.
• 🔄 After World War I, in 1919, Mussolini reorganized and led a new group called the Fasci di Combattimento.
• ✊ The Fasci di Combattimento was a small group of about 200 people united by anti-socialist and nationalist ideologies.
• 🔴 The rise of communism in Russia and the fear of its spread influenced the strong anti-socialist sentiment in Italy.
• 👕 Mussolini's paramilitary groups, the Black Shirts, used violence and intimidation against socialists and left-leaning individuals.
• 📊 By 1921, the Fasci di Combattimento had evolved into the National Fascist Party, gaining significant influence.
• 🏛️ In October 1922, Mussolini led a march on Rome with 200,000 fascists, resulting in his appointment as Prime Minister.
• 👑 Mussolini's charisma and the support from the Black Shirts helped him gain dictatorial powers for one year in 1922.

Q & A

What was Benito Mussolini's stance on Italy's involvement in World War I when he was part of the Italian Socialist Party?

Mussolini was in favor of Italy entering World War I, believing it was Italy's chance for glory and to build its empire, which was contrary to the official stance of the Italian Socialist Party at the time.

Why was Mussolini ousted from the Italian Socialist Party in 1915?

Mussolini was ousted due to his disagreement with the party's stance on World War I. While the party believed Italy should stay neutral, Mussolini advocated for Italy's participation in the war.

What was the name of the group Mussolini started after being ousted from the Italian Socialist Party?

After being ousted, Mussolini started a group called the Fasci d'azione rivoluzionaria, often referred to as the Milan fascio, which was a nationalist and pro-war group.

What was the significance of the term 'fasci' in Mussolini's early political activities?

The term 'fasci' had been used for a league of revolutionaries or people looking to take action on something. Mussolini used this term to name his early nationalist groups, reflecting his inclination towards strong, action-oriented movements.

What was the Fasci di Combattimento, and how did it differ from the Fasci d'azione rivoluzionaria?

The Fasci di Combattimento was a group Mussolini led after World War I, which was a collection of a few hundred people with a strongly anti-socialist and nationalist ideology. Unlike the Fasci d'azione rivoluzionaria, it was not a formal party but a paramilitary group that aimed to intimidate socialists and leftists.

Why did the Fasci di Combattimento, also known as the Black Shirts, wear black shirts?

The Black Shirts wore black shirts as a symbol of their anti-socialist and anti-left-leaning government ideology. They were paramilitary groups that aimed to intimidate socialists and those on the left.

How did Mussolini's charisma and oratory skills contribute to the growth of the Fasci di Combattimento?

Mussolini was an inspiring orator with a larger-than-life personality. His speeches appealed to people's emotions and portrayed him as a strong leader, which attracted followers and contributed to the growth of the Fasci di Combattimento.

What was the name of the party that Mussolini and the Fasci di Combattimento transformed into by 1921?

By 1921, the Fasci di Combattimento had transformed into the National Fascist Party, known in Italian as the Partito Nazionale Fascista, with Mussolini as its leading figure.

What event in 1922 demonstrated the growing influence and power of the Fascist Party?

The March on Rome in 1922, where an estimated 200,000 fascists participated, demonstrated the growing influence and power of the Fascist Party, ultimately leading to Mussolini's appointment as Prime Minister.

Why did the Italian government and King agree to give Mussolini dictatorial powers after his appointment as Prime Minister?

The Italian government and King agreed to give Mussolini dictatorial powers due to the widespread desire for a strong leader who could bring order and pride to the country, as well as the intimidation factor of the Black Shirts, Mussolini's paramilitary supporters.

What was the role of the Black Shirts in Mussolini's rapid rise to power?

The Black Shirts played a significant role in Mussolini's rise to power by acting as a paramilitary force that intimidated opponents and demonstrated the effectiveness of Mussolini's use of force and intimidation to achieve political goals.

Outlines

00:00

📈 Mussolini's Early Political Career

This paragraph outlines Benito Mussolini's early political journey, emphasizing his expulsion from the Italian Socialist Party in 1915 due to his pro-war stance. It introduces his formation of the Fasci d'azione rivoluzionaria, highlighting his early nationalistic tendencies and the term 'fasci' used for his revolutionary groups. The narrative follows Mussolini's transition from socialism to strong nationalism and his creation of the Milan fascio advocating Italy's participation in World War I.

05:01

⚔️ Formation of Fasci di Combattimento

This paragraph describes Mussolini's post-war efforts in 1919 to form the Fasci di Combattimento, a group with about 200 members unified by anti-socialist and nationalist ideologies. It explains the rise of these Black Shirts, a paramilitary group intent on intimidating socialists, and how Mussolini's charisma and strong leadership began to attract followers. The narrative captures the increasing influence of these groups and Mussolini's effective use of violence and intimidation to achieve political goals.

🎯 Establishment of the National Fascist Party

This section details the evolution of Mussolini's movement into the National Fascist Party by 1921. Despite remaining a relatively small party, the fascists were gaining momentum and mainstream recognition. It discusses the dissatisfaction with Italy's left-leaning government and the growing appeal of Mussolini's strong leadership among the middle class and elite. The paragraph highlights the tactical use of violence by the fascists to break strikes and the subsequent rise in their support.

🚶‍♂️ March on Rome and Mussolini's Rise to Power

This final paragraph narrates the events leading to Mussolini's appointment as Prime Minister in October 1922. It describes the march on Rome by 200,000 fascists, which pressured the King to appoint Mussolini as Prime Minister. The text emphasizes Mussolini's swift ascent to power, the granting of dictatorial powers for one year, and the mixed reasons behind the legislature and King's support—ranging from a desire for strong leadership to intimidation by the Black Shirts.

Keywords

💡Mussolini

Mussolini refers to Benito Mussolini, the Italian political leader who founded Italian Fascism and led the National Fascist Party. He is the central figure in the video's narrative, as his rise to power in the early 1920s is the main theme. The script discusses his early life, his expulsion from the Italian Socialist Party, and his eventual appointment as Prime Minister after the March on Rome.

💡Fascism

Fascism is a form of far-right, authoritarian ultranationalism characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition, and strong regimentation of society and of the economy. In the video, it is the ideology that Mussolini and his followers embraced, leading to the formation of the Fasci di Combattimento and later the National Fascist Party.

💡World War I

World War I, also known as the Great War, was a global war that lasted from 1914 to 1918. In the script, it is mentioned as the backdrop against which Mussolini's political career began to take shape, with his support for Italy's entry into the war as a means to achieve national glory and empire-building.

💡Italian Socialist Party

The Italian Socialist Party was a political party that Mussolini was once a part of before his expulsion due to his nationalist stance on World War I. The video script describes the party's official stance against Italy's involvement in the war and Mussolini's dissent, which led to his departure and the beginning of his fascist movement.

💡Fasci di Combattimento

Fasci di Combattimento, which translates to 'League of Combatants,' was the initial group formed by Mussolini after his expulsion from the Italian Socialist Party. The script explains that this group was not a formal party but a collection of individuals unified by anti-socialist and nationalist ideologies, which later evolved into the National Fascist Party.

💡Anti-socialist

Anti-socialist refers to opposition to socialism and socialist policies. In the context of the video, it describes the ideology of Mussolini's Fasci di Combattimento, which was strongly against the Italian Socialist Party and the perceived spread of socialism and communism in Europe, particularly after the Russian Revolution.

💡Black Shirts

The Black Shirts were a paramilitary group associated with the Fasci di Combattimento and later the National Fascist Party. They wore black shirts as a symbol of their anti-socialist and nationalist stance. The script describes how they were involved in intimidating socialists and left-leaning individuals, playing a significant role in Mussolini's rise to power.

💡March on Rome

The March on Rome refers to the 1922 demonstration organized by the Fasci di Combattimento, which led to Mussolini's appointment as Prime Minister. The video script highlights this event as a pivotal moment when a large number of fascists marched on Rome to demand a stronger government, ultimately leading to Mussolini's rise to power.

💡Dictatorial powers

Dictatorial powers denote the absolute authority granted to a leader, allowing them to govern without legal or constitutional restraints. In the script, it is mentioned that after Mussolini became Prime Minister, the Italian legislature granted him dictatorial powers for one year, marking a significant shift in his control over the government.

💡National Fascist Party

The National Fascist Party, or Partito Nazionale Fascista in Italian, was the political party that Mussolini led after the Fasci di Combattimento evolved into a more formal organization. The video script discusses its transformation from a small group of anti-socialist nationalists into a mainstream political party that eventually took control of the Italian government.

Highlights

Benito Mussolini's rapid and surprising rise to power in Italy during the early 1920s.

Mussolini's expulsion from the Italian Socialist Party in 1915 due to his support for Italy's entry into World War I.

Formation of the Fasci d'azione rivoluzionaria, Mussolini's nationalist group advocating for war participation.

Mussolini's strong nationalist tendencies and his tendency to form pro-nationalist organizations.

The Fasci di Combattimento, a group with an anti-socialist ideology, formed by Mussolini post-World War I.

The historical context of fear of communism spreading from the Russian Empire influencing Mussolini's anti-socialist stance.

The emergence of the Black Shirts, a paramilitary group opposing socialism and the left-leaning government.

Mussolini's charisma and inspiring oratory skills that appealed to the emotions of the Italian people.

The transformation of the Fasci di Combattimento into the National Fascist Party in 1921.

Mussolini's election to the Chamber of Deputies alongside other fascists, indicating the party's growing influence.

The continued use of force and intimidation by the fascists to gain mainstream acceptance.

The dissatisfaction with the left-leaning government and the perception of its inability to manage the economy and maintain order.

The growth of fascist followers and the formation of more fasci, demonstrating the increasing support for Mussolini.

The March on Rome in 1922, a significant event where 200,000 fascists marched, leading to Mussolini's appointment as Prime Minister.

Mussolini's ascension to the position of Prime Minister and the granting of dictatorial powers for one year by the legislator.

The complex reasons behind the legislator's decision to grant Mussolini absolute control, including public desire for a strong leader and intimidation by the Black Shirts.

Transcripts

Narrator: Benito Musssolini's rise to power

in the early 1920s in Italy is a fairly rapid,

and from historical perspective, fairly surprising one.

To give some context, as late as 1915,

(writing) 1915, he had recently been ousted

from the Italian Socialist Party based on his decent

over whether Italy should enter the war.

The official stance of the party is that

World War I is an imperialist war,

that Italy had no business entering it,

that Italy should stay neutral,

but you had more nationalist elements in the party

and Mussolini was one of them.

He says, no this is Italy's chance for glory,

this is Italy's chance to build its empire.

So, in 1915 he's ousted from the Socialist Party

and he decides to start his own group

called the Fasci d'azione rivoluzionaria

and I talk about that in the video on fascism,

but it was often referred to as the Milan fascio

(writing) the Milan fascio

which was a group that was strongly nationalist

that was pro entering the war.

Italy does eventually enter the war,

not necessarily because of these guys,

this was still a fairly insignificant organization.

The reason why I'm mentioning it is it shows

Mussolini even before the war was showing these

very strong nationalistic tendencies

and this tendency to start organizations

that were pro-nationalist and he tended to call

them fasci.

He get's this notion of fasci ...

The term had been used well before Mussolini

for a kind of league of revolutionaries,

league of people who are looking to

take action on something.

Then he enters into the war as a soldier

and then exiting the war in 1919,

he decides to reorganize or to start leading

a group again.

This time he calls it the Fasci di Combattimento.

(writing) Fasci di Combattimento, battimento

which could literally be translated as

the league of combatants.

This isn't even a formal party at this point of time,

it's really a collection of a couple of hundred people.

The estimates I've seen is about 200 individuals

who group together.

What unifies them is a strongly anti-socialist ideology.

There's an irony here because Mussolini

was in the socialist party before the war,

but is a strongly anti-socialist ideology

and a strongly nationalist ideology.

To understand where this strong anti-socialist

or anti-Bolshevik ideology came from you have to

understand the context of Italy and Europe

of that time.

You have to remember that the Russian Empire

fell during World War I, it was now run by

the communists.

You have a fear that that is going to spread

throughout Europe.

You have the leading party in Italy at the time

is the Italian Socialist Party,

you have a left-leaning government.

There is a desire to react against that seeming spread

of socialism or of communism.

These guys don't view it as hey let's meet together

and talk about and maybe try to run for elections.

They want to actively coerce people.

They want to actively intimidate people

and these groups that would rise out of this,

that would be strongly anti-socialist

and the anti left-leaning government

they would wear these black shirts

and they were often called The Black Shirts.

Which I wont write in black because then you

wouldn't see it, so I'll write in this blue color.

(writing) These Black Shirts.

These were very loosely organized bands,

they were often called fasci,

it would often be young men who would gather

together in towns throughout Italy

and say we believe in this anti-socialist ideology,

we want to take up arms and intimidate socialist,

intimidate people on the left.

So, you have these Black Shirts,

this paramilitary group starting to arise.

In 1919, I want to emphasize, very small,

very, very small, very, very insignificant,

but their influence grows.

You have more and more of these fasci forming

throughout Europe.

Not through Europe, throughout Italy.

This is very appealing to, especially young boys

in Italy.

Mussolini, himself, is a very inspiring orator.

He's kind of this larger than life personality.

Sometimes what he says didn't necessarily make

complete logical sense, but it really appealed

to people's emotions, that he was a strong leader,

that someone that they would actually want to follow.

In two short years you forward to 1921,

(writing) 1921.

This Fasci di Combattimento had now morphed

into a real national party, it's now ...

and they renamed themselves the nationalist

or the National Fascist Party.

(writing) Fascist Party.

Obviously it wasn't called that in Italian.

In Italian it was the Partito Nazionale Fascista

and Mussolini is the leading figure here.

He gets elected to the Chamber of Deputes.

(writing) Chamber of Deputes

along with several other fascists,

but they're still a fairly small party.

Although they've already now they're gaining steam,

they're becoming mainstream, but even though

they're becoming more mainstream they still haven't

given up their use of force and their use

of intimidation.

Then we forward to 1922 and all of this is happening

quite rapidly, but by 1922 Italy is not in

a good situation.

People aren't happy with the left-leaning government,

they feel that it's weak, that it's not able

to turn the economy around, that it's not able

to bring order, that the extreme left is having

too much power, that they're too many strikes,

that the country isn't being run properly;

the middle class and the elite aren't happy with this.

So, the fascists are getting more and more

and more followers.

One, kind of you could say civilian followers,

but they're also getting more and more fasci

that are forming.

They're showing that their use of violence

actually can sometimes get goals that the weaker

government couldn't get, they were able to break

strikes in 1922 with the perception that

that was helping to bring order.

So, by October of 1922,

(writing) by October of 1922,

you have Mussolini at this head,

he has this conference of 40,000 fascists

and they essentially come to the idea that they

need to march on Rome, to bring order to Italy,

that they should demand, they should demand

a stronger government.

(writing) So, in October you have a march on Rome

and I've seen several accounts of the size

of this march on Rome, but the numbers

that I've seen is on the order of 200,000.

(writing) 200,000 fascists march on Rome.

This essentially causes the current government

to be ... the Prime Minister to be ousted

and the King appoints Mussolini as Prime Minister.

(writing)So, Mussolini, Mussolini is now

the Prime Minister.

So this is a super rapid ascend,

really based on peoples' unhappiness with the

left-leaning government, peoples' desire

for a strong leader, Mussolini's kind of

charisma.

Every picture you see of him he has these

really stern looks, he has this impression of a really

strong figure.

Not only did he become Prime Minister,

but he's able to get dictatorial powers.

The legislator actually gives him dictatorial powers

for a year.

(writing) Dictata-, dictatorial powers

for one year, so you can't, at this point

call him the dictator.

We'll see that that's going to come in a few years,

but he's granted, essentially, absolute control.

He can pass laws at will and it's an interesting

question of history of why at this point

the legislator was willing to give him dictatorial

powers and why the King was fine with this

fairly strong character being Prime Minister

with dictatorial powers.

My understanding is, and I'm curious to see

what you guys say in the message boards,

is that it really was around ...

people were desire ... on one level there was a desire

especially amongst the middle class

and the elite, of having this strong leader,

of maybe someone who could bring order

and pride to the country.

Then on top of that he was backed up by these,

he was backed up by the Black Shirts,

this paramilitary group that was dispersed

throughout Italy that could intimidate his opponents.

You could imagine some legislators were actually

keen to support a strong leader after many years

of weak leadership, but on top of that

they probably felt intimidated into giving

Mussolini these absolute powers.