The Rise and Fall of Benito Mussolini | Italy's Greatest Evil

Summary

The script explores Benito Mussolini's rise and fall as Italy's dictator, from his charismatic leadership and unifying nationalism to the adoption of fascist policies and aggressive expansionism. It details his initial popularity, the introduction of racial laws influenced by Hitler, Italy's disastrous military campaigns, and Mussolini's eventual overthrow and brutal execution by partisans, reflecting the dramatic downfall of a once-powerful leader.

Takeaways

• 🇮🇹 Mussolini was a charismatic leader who unified the Italian people through his powerful speeches and nationalist ideology.
• 📰 Mussolini's background as a writer and editor helped him harness the power of the written word and expression to influence public opinion.
• 🏠 His family life, with a Catholic mother and a blacksmith father, influenced Mussolini's early beliefs and his relationship with his father shaped his revolutionary ideals.
• 👶 Mussolini showed signs of violence from a young age, which foreshadowed his later aggressive and authoritarian rule.
• 📰 As editor of the Italian Socialist Party's newspaper, Mussolini developed his journalism skills and his intransigent nature became evident.
• 🕊️ Despite his early socialist leanings, Mussolini's views evolved, and he eventually founded the Italian Fascist Party, capitalizing on post-war unrest and dissatisfaction.
• 👮 The Fascist regime used violence and intimidation from the start, establishing a secret police and enacting laws to suppress opposition.
• 🎤 Mussolini's public persona and propaganda skills created a cult of leadership, making him a popular figure among the Italian populace.
• 🏛️ His policies, such as the Lateran Treaty with the Pope and public works projects, gained popularity and were seen as successful in improving infrastructure and reducing unemployment.
• 🌍 Mussolini's territorial ambitions led to the invasion of Ethiopia, which was condemned by the League of Nations but increased his domestic popularity.
• ⚔️ Mussolini's alliance with Hitler and the Axis powers showed a shift in his policies, becoming more influenced by Nazi Germany's racial and expansionist ideologies.

Q & A

What was Mussolini's role in Italy before he became the dictator?

Before becoming the dictator of Italy, Mussolini was a writer, an editor, and a journalist. He was also involved in politics, having been part of the Italian Socialist Party and later founding the National Fascist Party.

How did Mussolini's early life and family background influence his political beliefs?

Mussolini's father, Alessandro, was a blacksmith and a socialist who admired revolutionary leaders, an influence that Mussolini carried into his political career. His mother, Rosa, was a devout Catholic and a school teacher, ensuring that Mussolini and his siblings were baptized and attended church regularly, which could have influenced his later policies regarding the Church.

What was the significance of the 'March on Rome' in Mussolini's rise to power?

The 'March on Rome' was a key event in Mussolini's rise to power. Although it was mythologized as a massive and unstoppable force, in reality, it was a smaller event that used the threat of force to pressure the Italian government. It led to King Victor Emmanuel III inviting Mussolini to form a government, effectively transferring political power to the Fascists without armed conflict.

How did Mussolini use propaganda and public appearances to solidify his power?

Mussolini was a gifted propagandist who understood the power of ideas and the written word. He captivated audiences with his body language, facial expressions, and speeches, creating a cult of leadership around him. He also used his public appearances to demonstrate his vigor and prowess, further enhancing his image as a strong leader.

What were some of the policies introduced by Mussolini's regime that gained popularity among the Italian people?

Mussolini's regime introduced policies such as youth and women's groups, the afterwork organization (ONM) that sponsored holidays and cultural events, and public works schemes that reduced unemployment and improved infrastructure. The Lateran Treaty with the Pope, which recognized the Vatican as a sovereign state and made Catholicism Italy's official religion, was also popular.

How did Mussolini's foreign policy, particularly the invasion of Ethiopia, impact his popularity and Italy's international reputation?

The invasion of Ethiopia was initially popular in Italy, with millions celebrating the victory in the streets. It was seen as a foreign policy success that increased Mussolini's power and popularity. However, it damaged Italy's international reputation, as the League of Nations condemned the invasion and imposed ineffective sanctions.

What were the key differences between Mussolini and Hitler in terms of their ideologies and policies?

While both were fascist dictators, Mussolini did not share Hitler's extreme anti-Semitism and racial purity ideologies. Mussolini's focus was more on Italian nationalism and the revival of the Roman Empire, whereas Hitler emphasized Aryan supremacy. Mussolini also started with socialist and syndicalist influences before moving towards fascism.

How did Mussolini's relationship with Hitler evolve over time?

Initially, Mussolini viewed Hitler's rise with scorn, considering his ideas coarse and simplistic. However, as the 1930s progressed, Mussolini became more influenced by Hitler, adopting policies such as racial laws and military behaviors like the goose step. Their relationship culminated in the Pact of Steel, a formal alliance in 1939.

What factors contributed to Mussolini's downfall in 1943?

Mussolini's downfall was due to a combination of military setbacks, including the defeat in North Africa and the Allied invasion of Sicily, as well as widespread discontent on the Italian home front due to food shortages, high prices, and strikes. His overreliance on Nazi Germany and the German military presence in Italy also turned public opinion against him.

What was the significance of the 'Aventine Secession' and how did it relate to Mussolini's regime?

The 'Aventine Secession' was a protest by anti-fascist parties and socialist deputies who seceded from the Italian parliament in response to the murder of Giacomo Matteotti, who had denounced the violence and fraud in the elections. This event highlighted the growing opposition to Mussolini's regime and the beginning of a more open resistance.

How did Mussolini's regime use violence and intimidation to maintain power?

Mussolini's regime used violence from the start to prevent opposition. They established a secret police, the OVRA, and made suspicion of being anti-fascist a punishable crime. They also used paramilitary squads to attack socialist and communist headquarters and organizations, effectively suppressing opposition and dissent.

Outlines

00:00

🇮🇹 Mussolini's Early Life and Nationalist Ascent

The script discusses Benito Mussolini's background as a writer and editor, highlighting his understanding of the power of ideas and expression. It details his rise to power through a nationalist ideology that resonated with the Italian people, especially those affected by World War I and the Treaty of Versailles. Mussolini's charismatic speeches and use of body language captivated audiences, while his aggressive nature and early signs of violence in his youth are noted. His family life, particularly the influence of his father Alessandro and mother Rosa, is also explored, showing the roots of Mussolini's beliefs and his difficult childhood.

05:02

📰 Mussolini's Journalism and Political Maneuvering

This paragraph delves into Mussolini's time as a journalist and editor of the Italian Socialist Party's newspaper, 'Avanti', and his eventual expulsion from the Socialist Party due to his support for Italy's involvement in World War I. It outlines his creation of the newspaper 'Il Popolo d'Italia', funded by Italian industrialists and foreign governments interested in Italy's war participation. Mussolini's wartime service, injury, and subsequent use of his experiences to foster a nationalist ideology are also covered, illustrating his political rise and the unrest in post-war Italy that he exploited.

10:04

🎖️ The Fascist Party and the March on Rome

The script describes the formation of Mussolini's Fascist Party and its ideology centered around a strong, totalitarian state. It discusses the paramilitary 'Black Shirts' and their role in defending industrialists and landowners against communism. The 'March on Rome' is highlighted as a pivotal moment, mythologized in Fascist history, though the reality was less dramatic. The actual seizure of power was more political, with King Victor Emmanuel III inviting Mussolini to form a government, marking the transition to Fascist rule without armed conflict.

15:05

🛡️ Mussolini's Consolidation of Power and Totalitarian Control

This section details Mussolini's efforts to solidify his power, including the use of violence, the establishment of a secret police (OVRA), and laws to suppress opposition. The Acerbo Law, which rigged elections in favor of the Fascist Party, and the Lateran Treaty with the Pope, making Catholicism the state religion, are noted as strategies to gain popular support. Mussolini's propaganda skills and the introduction of youth and women's groups, as well as leisure organizations, are discussed as means to further entrench the Fascist regime in Italian society.

20:06

🏰 Mussolini's Domestic Policies and International Ambitions

The script outlines Mussolini's domestic policies, such as public works schemes that reduced unemployment and improved infrastructure, and the introduction of mass tourism and leisure activities. It also touches on his foreign policy, particularly the invasion of Ethiopia in 1935, justified by the need for 'living space'. The use of chemical weapons in Ethiopia and the international condemnation that followed, including the ineffective sanctions by the League of Nations, are highlighted, showing the beginning of Mussolini's decline in international reputation.

25:07

🤝 Mussolini and Hitler: The Axis Alliance

This paragraph explores the relationship between Mussolini and Hitler, starting with Mussolini's initial support for the Nazi Party and the influence of Fascist Italy on Nazi Germany. It describes their first meeting in Venice and the subsequent state visit of Mussolini to Germany, where he was impressed by military displays. The formation of the Rome-Berlin Axis and the Pact of Steel is detailed, illustrating the growing alliance between the two dictators. However, differences in their racial views and Mussolini's scorn for Hitler's ideas are also noted.

30:15

📉 Mussolini's Later Years and the Downfall of Fascism

The script discusses the later years of Mussolini's rule, marked by a shift towards more Hitler-like policies, including the adoption of racial laws in Italy. It describes Mussolini's jealousy of Hitler's military successes and his late entry into World War II, hoping for a German defeat. The decline in Mussolini's popularity due to Italy's military setbacks, economic hardships, and dependence on Nazi Germany are outlined. His removal from power in 1943 and the public's reaction to it, as well as his eventual capture and execution by Italian partisans in 1945, are detailed, showing the end of Mussolini's reign and the Fascist regime.

Keywords

💡Fascism

Fascism is a far-right political ideology characterized by dictatorial power, strong nationalism, and a focus on ethnic or racial purity. In the video, it is the central theme with Benito Mussolini as the embodiment of fascist leadership, leading the National Fascist Party and instituting a totalitarian state in Italy.

💡Mussolini

Benito Mussolini was an Italian politician and journalist who led the National Fascist Party and ruled Italy as a dictator from 1922. The script describes his rise to power, his influence on Italian society, and his eventual downfall, making him a central figure in the narrative.

💡Totalitarian State

A totalitarian state is a political system where the government holds total authority over the society and seeks to control all aspects of public and private life. The script mentions Mussolini's creation of such a state in Italy, emphasizing complete submission to the state as a key aspect of Italian Fascism.

💡March on Rome

The March on Rome refers to the 1922 event when Mussolini and the Fascist Party marched on the Italian capital, leading to his appointment as Prime Minister. The script describes it as a mythologized event in Fascist mythology, which was crucial in Mussolini's rise to power.

💡Blackshirts

The Blackshirts, or Squadristi, were the paramilitary wing of the Fascist Party in Italy, known for their violent tactics against political opponents. The script discusses their role in Mussolini's consolidation of power and their attacks on socialist and communist headquarters.

💡Aventine Secession

The Aventine Secession was a political protest in 1924 where anti-fascist parties seceded from the Italian parliament in response to the murder of the socialist politician Giacomo Matteotti by Fascists. The script uses this event to illustrate the growing opposition to Mussolini's regime.

💡Racial Laws

The Racial Laws in Italy, introduced by Mussolini in 1938, were anti-Semitic policies that restricted the rights of Italian Jews, similar to the Nuremberg Laws in Nazi Germany. The script notes this shift in Mussolini's policies, indicating increased influence from Hitler and the Nazi regime.

💡Accord with the Pope

The Lateran Treaty, or Accord with the Pope, was a 1929 agreement between Mussolini's government and the Vatican that recognized the Vatican as a sovereign state and made Catholicism the state religion of Italy. The script describes this as a popular policy that increased Mussolini's support among the predominantly Catholic population.

💡Expansionism

Expansionism is a policy of extending a country's power or territory through military conquest or colonization. The script discusses Mussolini's expansionist ambitions, particularly his invasion of Ethiopia, which was part of his vision to create a new Roman Empire.

💡League of Nations

The League of Nations was an international organization established after World War I to maintain peace. The script mentions its ineffectiveness in imposing sanctions against Italy's invasion of Ethiopia, illustrating the organization's inability to enforce collective security.

💡Pact of Steel

The Pact of Steel was a 1939 military alliance between Italy and Nazi Germany, formalizing their cooperation and mutual support in the lead-up to World War II. The script describes this as a significant step in Mussolini's alignment with Hitler and the Axis powers.

Highlights

Benito Mussolini was a unifying force for the Italian people, leveraging his background as a writer and editor to harness the power of ideas and expression.

Mussolini capitalized on the widespread unrest and dissatisfaction following the Treaty of Saint-Germain in 1919 to appeal to the disaffected population.

His charismatic speeches and body language captivated audiences, contributing to his rise in popularity.

Mussolini's upbringing, including his father's influence and his own rebellious nature, shaped his future personality and political ideology.

As editor of the Italian Socialist Party's newspaper 'Avanti', Mussolini honed his journalistic skills and revealed his intransigent nature.

Mussolini's support for Italian intervention in World War I led to his expulsion from the Socialist Party and the start of his own newspaper, 'Il Popolo d'Italia'.

The fascist regime used violence from the start, with Mussolini determined to suppress any opposition.

Mussolini's political rise was facilitated by support from Italian industrialists and foreign governments who sought Italian involvement in the war.

The Fascist Party's ideology included creating a new 'fascist man' and a strong, totalitarian state with complete submission to the state.

The paramilitary 'Blackshirts' played a significant role in the Fascist Party's rise to power, attacking socialist and communist organizations.

Mussolini's March on Rome in 1922 was mythologized as a great unstoppable force, though the reality was less dramatic.

Political power was transferred to the Fascists without armed conflict, marking the beginning of Mussolini's dictatorship.

Mussolini's propaganda skills and control over the press were crucial in maintaining his power.

The Lateran Treaty of 1929, which recognized the Vatican as a sovereign state and made Catholicism Italy's official religion, increased Mussolini's popularity.

Mussolini's public works schemes and efforts to improve infrastructure, such as making trains run on time, were initially popular.

The invasion of Ethiopia in 1935 demonstrated Mussolini's expansionist policies and disregard for international law.

The League of Nations' ineffective response to the invasion of Ethiopia exposed its inability to enforce collective security.

Mussolini's alliance with Hitler and the Axis powers, including the Pact of Steel in 1939, showed the growing influence of Nazi Germany on Italian policies.

Mussolini's racial laws, introduced in 1938, restricted the rights of Italian Jews and were influenced by Nazi Germany's Nuremberg Laws.

Mussolini's declaration of war on France in 1940 was driven by a mix of jealousy towards German successes and a fear of being left behind in the conflict.

The decline in Mussolini's popularity was linked to Italy's military setbacks and increasing dependence on Nazi Germany.

Mussolini was removed from power in 1943 following a vote of no confidence, marking the end of his rule.

Mussolini's death in 1945 and the public abuse of his corpse served as a warning to other fascists and an act of revenge by the Italian partisans.

Transcripts

musolini was a unifying force for the

Italian people and they had faith in him

and they had a belief in

him he's been a writer he's been an

editor so he he knows the power of ideas

he knows the power of the written word

he knows the power of expression and he

knows how to harness

it he talked about the solidarity of the

trenches and of course he developed a

very nationalist ideology and that

appealed to many who had been

dispossessed or socially dislocated by

the

war Italy had in factly pretty angry

population uh there was a lot of

dissatisfaction with the Treaty of AI in

1919 and there was a lot of widespread

unrest so musolini made his primary

appeal to those members of the

population who were most socially

uprooted or dislocated by the

war absolutely captivates his audience I

mean he brilliantly has used the body

language and facial expressions you know

he his speeches are really something to

watch the fascist regime used violence

from the start and musolini was

determined to prevent any opposition but

he was also quite aggressive and he

often clashed with teachers and his

fellow pupils cuz he had this very sort

of proud nature he was quite grumpy and

he was always pretty

vient Bonito musolini was an Italian

politician and a journalist but he was a

bit more than that he was actually the

dictator of Italy and he led the

national fascist party from 1922 in

terms of melini's family life his mother

Rosa was an Ardent Catholic and she made

sure that her children were baptized and

went to church every Sunday she was the

local school teacher so she brought in

the regular income to the family

melini's father alesandro he worked as a

blacksmith and uh the young Bonito

actually helped him at the forge uh and

you know as a result the two men became

you know really quite close and what

alesandro taught young Bonito was all

about the revolutionary leaders that he

so admired and one of them was K marks

so in terms of the influence of his

father on his life um Bonito certainly

feared his father because he hit him to

discipline

him at the same time musolini looked up

to his father for his ideal and for his

[Music]

beliefs musolini as a child was quite

willful bullying showed signs of

violence from quite a young age he

actually had some difficulties learning

to speak so there was some concern about

that although he did um get over that

and develop to become quite a bright

child but also quite difficult and quite

badly behaved

the young musolini showed signs of

violence from a very young age when he

was just 10 he was actually expelled

from school not for some you know

student prank but for actually stabbing

another

student Bonito was sent away to boarding

school at fenza that was run by celian

monks and he regarded that being sent

away as a punish M and kind of made him

feel rejected so he did recall a lack of

warmth um and affection at home um and

perhaps this had some bearing on his

future personality as it

developed uh know he was quite a shy boy

but he was also quite aggressive and he

often clashed with teachers and his

fellow pupils because he had this very

sort of proud nature he was quite grumpy

and he was always pretty violent

[Music]

between 1912 and 1914 musolini worked as

editor of the newspaper of the Italian

Socialist Party Avanti here he developed

and honed his skills in journalism at

the same time his intransigence and his

difficult nature also became clear he

was determined to use his time there to

prepare the way for revolution um as

part of the Socialist

[Music]

Party when the Great War breaks out what

we today call World War I musolini sees

this as a potential start to Revolution

and what he begins to do is support

Italian intervention whil the Socialist

Party is actually opposing Italy's

involvement in the war and because of

this in 1914 musolini is actually

expelled from the Socialist Party and

also an organization called Avanti and

what he does is to start his own

newspaper publication and that is called

ILO Italia the people of Italy

[Music]

so once he established his own newspaper

he as a as an experienced journalist had

a very good sense for gauging public

opinion and understanding what the

people were thinking and this helped to

launch him in his political

career he actually got support for his

new newspaper um from Italian

industrialists who would have something

to benefit

um from Italy going to war and he also

got support from the British and French

governments because they wanted Italy to

join on their side which Italy did in

[Music]

1915 musolini was conscripted in

September 1915 he remained a soldier

until June 197 when he was discharged

from the Army due to injury

[Music]

he later used his

wartime experience to his benefit

talking of his time in the trenches and

very much being at one with the other

[Music]

soldiers he talked about the solidarity

of the trenches and of course he

developed a very nationalist ideology

and that appealed to many who had been

dispossessed or socially dislocated by

the war Italy had frankly pretty angry

population uh there was a lot of

dissatisfaction with the Treaty of AI in

1919 and there was a lot of widespread

unrest

[Music]

[Music]

as Italy had not been given all the

territories that had been promised to

her um she felt a wound to her national

pride and musolini was able to

capitalize on that

[Music]

[Music]

[Applause]

[Music]

so musolini made his primary appeal to

those members of the population who were

most socially uprooted or dislocated by

the war there were some 2 and a half

million ex-servicemen to be reintegrated

into the peacetime economy and of course

the economy was suffering too

[Music]

Italy was quite unstable politically in

this period with five different

governments between 1919 and 1922 so

what musolini was saying was that he his

new party the fascist party would sort

of sweep clean all the decadence and the

corruption associated with the existing

governments and that he would really

bring something new to the nation

and in 1921 the Italian king Victor

Emanuel III he actually dissolves the

parliament because there's all this kind

of violence and Chaos

[Music]

raging melini's new party was designed

to offer a third way between liberalism

and bolshevism so it was something

completely new and there were certain

key aspects of ideology um associated

with the Italian fascist party first of

all musolini was determined to create a

new fascist man who would lead this new

nation and absolutely Central to fascist

ideology was the state so it was to be a

very strong State and one which really

was a totalitarian state State a

totalitarian state with complete

submission to the state so the state

would control everything not just

politics and the economy but cultural

life social life and even intervening

into everyday life and private life of

the population

[Applause]

the black shirts were the paramilitary

wing of the fascist Party by the end of

1920 there were these fascist black

shirt squads the fasid de

comento and after 1923 you have this all

volunteer militia of the Kingdom of

Italy under fascist Rule and that's

quite similar to the sa the Nazi

BR they went around in groups of between

200 and 250 the fascist squads were

attacking and burning down socialist and

communist

headquarters um also left-wing printing

presses and

Agricultural cooperatives and those

kinds of organizations so what the

fascists were doing therefore was

standing up for the industrialists and

for the

landowners um against bolshevism or

communism so there was a big fear of

communist or Red Revolution in Italy

during this time

and the fascists really seem to be the

Defenders against that so the fascist

party then got a lot of support from

industrialists and from land owners

because they were the ones who were

seeming to defend Italy against this

communist threat or this perceived

communist

threat musolini was a unifying force for

the Italian people and they had faith in

him and they had a belief in him so

through his sense of vision he sort of

transmitted that to the nation there

came to be this kind of symbiotic

relationship between the leader and the

[Music]

lead absolutely captivates his audience

I mean he's brilliant with his use of

body language and facial expressions you

know he his speeches are really

something to

watch through his public appearance

and through his speeches musolini soon

became very popular using his body

language as well as his words he created

a cult of a leadership around him where

the people very much saw him as this

Visionary man and he unified the Italian

people in a way that they hadn't been in

the recent history before

[Applause]

[Music]

[Applause]

he was a unifying figure for the nation

and he was very keen to show his prowess

and his Vigor he was shown Open Water

swimming or engaged in some of the

public works so this was all designed to

create an aura around him of this great

[Music]

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description by October

1922 um the fascists were becoming

increasingly strong and they believed

that the time was right to Stage their

coup or their seizure of power what

happens in late October 1922 is that you

have the fascist Party leaders planning

an Insurrection you know they want a

Revolution Let's make no bones about

that and they want that to take place on

the 28th of October this becomes known

as the march on

Rome this march on Rome was mythologized

by the fascist as a great

Unstoppable Force um but in fact the

reality was somewhat

[Music]

different they talked about 100,000

fascists marching on Rome but the truth

was there were only 20,000 and actually

they waited outside Rome for orders that

never came the fascists were able to

come to power not as a result of

actually using Force at that moment but

through the threat of using Force you've

got the Prime Minister a man called

Luigi facta he's wishing to declare a

state of Siege quite understandably but

this is actually overruled by the king

Victor Emmanuel

[Music]

the king Victor Emanuel III invited

musolini to form a government and

accepted his demands so this a very

celebrated march on Rome in fascist

mythology wasn't quite what it was made

out to be and of course what this means

that political power has now been

transferred to the fashist without any

armed conflict

[Applause]

[Music]

the fascist regime used violence from

the start and musolini was determined to

prevent any opposition

[Music]

even quite soon after gaining power in

1925 what the fascist government does is

to even make suspicion of being

anti-fascist you know a punishable crime

and you can be imprisoned for that

suspicion alone without any trial at all

and then in 1927 musini forms What's

called the organization for vigilance

and repression of anti-fascism

actually that's a secret police so he

established the OV ra which was the

secret police and that was used to track

down and deal with any political

[Music]

opposition musolini survives three

assassination attempts uh in 1926 uh

Violet Gibson tries to kill him on April

the 7th uh on October the 31st you have

a man called anteo Zamboni trying to

kill him and then on September the 11th

in 192 six you have a man called Gina

Leti having a

[Music]

go now all these attempts on his life

what they do is they lead to an

introduction of a new law called the leg

defa de the the law for the defense of

the state now that is enacted on the

25th of November 1926 and this is a

crucial part of musolini taking control

because what that La does is to dissolve

all political parties organizations

associations you name it anything

opposed to Fascism it goes okay so the

new law allows those being accused of

being enemies of the state to be

sentenced to prison or Worse still to

death

[Music]

the a cherbo law was a key moment in

melini's consolidation of power now the

Aero law stated that the party gaining

the largest share of the votes provided

they got at least 25% of them would

actually gain 2third of the seats in

Parliament I mean it's insane

[Applause]

the purpose of it is to give melinis

fascists a majority of deputies it's

quite obvious and that law was only used

in the 1924 general election because of

course that was the last proper full

competitive election if you like held in

Italy until 1946

new elections were held in April 1924

after this law had come in at the end of

the previous year and using both this

law as well as violence and

intimidation U musini very much cemented

his power

[Music]

jaimo matiti was an Italian socialist

politician and on the 30th of May 1924

he openly speaks in the Italian

parliament and he's saying that the

fascists have committed fraud in the

recently held elections and he's

denouncing the violence they've used to

gain votes he called the results into

question because of the violence and the

intimidation and really held that the

that the election results shouldn't be

valid guess what happens 11 days later

he's kidnapped and he's killed by the

fascists the murder of jacuma matoti you

know it does cause a real stick and you

got newspapers launching really Fierce

attacks on musolini and the entire

fascist movement

and you've got all the anti-fascist

parties they're going hang on a minute

we're just going to abandon the Chamber

of deputies you know what we want to do

is we want to force the crown you know

King Victor Emanuel III to act against

[Music]

musolini socialist deputies and others

seceded from the Italian parliament in

what was known as the Aventine secession

um as a protest um to what had happened

musolini is nothing if not cunning and

what he does is to devise his counter

maneuver and on the third of January

1925 he gives you know what is now a

really famous kind of notorious speech

both attacking the anti-fascists and

confirming that he and only he musolini

was the leader of fascism and what he

does is he he challenges the

anti-fascists to prosecute him he says

go have it go um and and he admits that

the murderers were fascists of a very

high station as he calls them you he's

proud of these guys I mean this is what

Hitler did you know after the night of

the Long Knives on the 3D of January

1925 musolini made quite a famous speech

and one which was really meant to cement

his position as leader so it was both

attacking anti-fascists but also saying

that as far as fascism was concerned he

was the only and the indisputable leader

melini basically sort of kind of

rhetorically claims fault uh and what he

States is this he says I assume that I

alone was the political moral and

historical responsibility for everything

that has happened uh a and if these

sentences more or less maimed are enough

to hang a man well then frankly out with

the Noose so you know what musolini is

concluding here is with a warning what

Italy needs is stability and fascism is

going to ensure that stability uh and

it's going to do so in any manner

necessary and this speech is considered

the very beginning of the dictatorship

in

Italy so this made his position very

plain and his days of sort of dealing

with what was left over of the liberal

State came to an end and now he was very

much determined to have his onep party

State and his totalitarian state

[Music]

melini was a really gifted propagandist

okay he was a journalist at heart and he

he was really aware of the relationship

between power and Optics the way that

power is viewed you know he understands

completely the necessity of having the

Press you know on side in his efforts to

maintain power um you know he's been a

writer he's been an editor so he he

knows the power of ideas he knows the

power of the written word he knows the

power of expression and he knows how to

harness

it the fascist government introduced a

number of different policies and

measures some of which gained quite a

lot of popularity with the Italian

people so the party introduced youth

groups also women's groups and also an

organization called the OM which was the

afterwork organization so this had um

clubs where there were billiards tables

and bars and sort of social activities

it also sponsored holidays trips to the

seaside subsidized cultural events and

so on and this was one of the most

popular aspects of fascist Italy because

it introduced Mass tourism and mass

leisure in a way that hadn't been there

before

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the other policy that created quite a

lot of popularity for melini's regime

was his leran treaty his Accord with the

Pope um in 1929 and what that does is

officially recognizes the Vatican as a

sovereign state and it also makes

Catholicism Italy's official religion

now that's a really popular decision

it's a really smart move because of

course Italy has a predominantly

Catholic population so this brought

about a Reconciliation between the pope

and the Italian State um for the first

time since the state had um come into

being in

1870 so this policy with the church in

obviously a very predominantly Catholic

country made this regime quite popular

the regime's Public Works schemes and

efforts to reclaim Land from the sea and

to put into place irrigation policies

and such like also was making sure that

people were at work and that also

increased the popularity of the fascist

regime actually starts a large number of

Public Works which actually dramatically

reduce unemployment and what they're

also designed to do is to improve

infrastructure and of course famously to

make the trains run on

time what's commonly observed is that

the Great Depression takes place and

that leads to a rise in fascism um but

you know you got to remember that

fascism was was was made Popular by

musolini in Italy from

1922 um and that really gain more

raction after

1929 um because people looked at and

went hang on a minute this is one of the

only forms of government that is

surviving this economic collapse people

looking at fascism thinking maybe that's

the way forward not

democracy in the early years in terms of

the international reputation of the

regime um musolini was hailed as quite

successful for these um Public Works

schemes and other policies that were

sort of keeping the economy going and

also the population uh reasonably happy

um of course that was to change later

but at this point I think people were

saying that whatever else you could say

about musolini he made the trains run on

time

there were many public figures all over

the world saying that musolini was this

kind of Genius he was a kind of Superman

if you like uh and his achievements some

S as being nothing less than miraculous

you know what he had appeared to have

done was to take in this demoralized

country and to kind of transform it and

kind of reinvigorate it um and he'

carried out all these social reforms and

these Public Works and and the land

owners and the industrialists they were

still ons side and and he had even made

a deal with the Pope okay so on the

surface everything looked kind of peachy

looked all right but if you scratched

but know it nothing was quite as rosy as

it

seemed you know way back in 1911 when he

was a young socialist what musini did

was to take part in his really violent

protest against Italy's invasion of

Libya but then spooled forward to 1925

musolini is now advocating his spatii

Vitali you know he is now a

fully-fledged

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expansionist spio of Itali was the

territ torial expansionist concept of

Italian fascism you know what musini

dreams of more than anything else is to

build a new Roman

Empire spatio vital was a fascist

concept melini's concept um for living

space so this was very similar to

Hitler's concept of laban's real living

space and musolini wanted to create a

new Roman Empire and to expand Italian

power so this was always about

expansion rather than being confined or

hemmed in by the Mediterranean musolini

talked about making the

Mediterranean our sea the Italian sea um

so a space from which the Italians could

expand and gain

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Empire at the end of the 19th century

Italy had made some territorial

Acquisitions so particularly in Somali

land and in Eritrea the Italians had

failed to take Ethiopia in

1896 and so this remained a bit of a

thorn in the side of Italy the fact that

they didn't succeed in taking that land

at that time so musolini could use that

to project again this concept of living

space and this idea of territorial

expansion by the Italians and so to try

and to try again to take Ethiopia and

that's what he did so he invaded

Ethiopia in

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1935 for

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fore

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in October 1935 Italian troops invade

Ethiopia and this is seen as an example

of this expansionist policy uh that is

kind of characterized what the Axis

powers are going to do Italy invaded

Ethiopia in October

1935 and melini's justification for this

was the need for Italy to have living

space

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the Italian military forces actually

went against international law um as

outlined in the Geneva protocol of

1925 Italian military forces use

something like 300 to 500 tons of

mustard gas to attack both kind of

military targets and even more

horrifically civilian targets Italy was

a signatory to the 1925 Geneva protocol

that banned gas but you know musini just

didn't care um and you know there are

some estimates that say around onethird

of Ethiopian casualties of muselin

invasion were caused by gas chemical

weapons

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ladies and gentlemen the second speaker

on the lead

his majesty the

ne I call upon the first delegate of

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ethopia

[Applause]

for in response to all the appeals from

the Ethiopians the League of Nations

actually condemns the Italian invasion

in

1935 and it votes to impose economic

sanctions on on Italy

uh but these sanctions are really really

really ineffective because there's just

a general lack of

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support Italy's invasion of Ethiopia was

a blow to the principle of collective

security represented by the League of

Nations and to International

stability and what it also exposes is

this Dreadful ineffectiveness of the

League of Nations

before the outbreak of the second world

war you know that organization simply

cannot stand up to the

dictators melini just looked at the

League of Nations and kind of laughed

them off I mean just dismissed them uh

you know there were no repercussions um

and what this also does crucially it

shows melini's fellow dictator Adolf

Hitler that the League of Nations has

got basically no

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power in fact what happens is all these

tariffs all these sanctions that are

imposed on Italy by other nations

because of the invasion actually it

increases melini's popularity uh you

know in May 1936 you got more than 30

million people celebrating the victory

on the streets of Italy

uh you know this is you know a huge sign

of melini's increased power increased

popularity uh and and you know the war

also saw the creation of a new military

rank and that was called Field Marshal

of the Italian Empire uh and of course

you know he awarded that to himself and

also to the king uh and so therefore

he's sort of kind of making himself as

prime minister the same rank

theoretically as the king himself

at home the invasion of Ethiopia and the

successful War there uh made melini's

regime even more popular and made

musolini himself even more popular so in

1936 millions of Italians took to the

streets to celebrate this Victory this

was a foreign policy success that just

contributed to the whole aura that

surrounded Uche the leader

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it's fair to say that Muslim Invasion

doesn't really gain him a lot of

popularity amongst other nations and in

fact you know it comes as no surprise to

learn that the only nation that doesn't

oppose Italy's invasion is Nazi Germany

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musolini could be conceived as something

of a political chameleon because he

changed quite a lot over time so he

started out his political Life as a

socialist but he was also influenced by

syndicalism and by anarchism and then he

founded his Italian fascist party and

then later on even within that his

policies changed as the Italian fascist

state became closer to Hitler's Nazis

regime and then we can see that his

policies became much more influenced by

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Hitler now in the late 1920s musolini is

providing some financial support to the

Nazi party as as it you know continues

its rise and what he had also done is to

allow Brown Shirts uh the sa and even SS

men to train with his own paramilitary

Brigade those are the black shirts of

course you know musini views the rise of

the Nazi party as something that's

affirming his own ideology this is

saying yeah fascism is on the March it's

not just Italy it's Germany next and who

knows where

else in private however you know melini

is really quite scornful of Hitler and

his Nazis you know the Italian leader

describes mine Camp as boring uh

actually he was right and he thought

that Hitler's ideas and theories were

kind of coarse and simplistic and indeed

must is dead right

here in his early years when he was

leading the Nazi party you know Hitler

was was a big admirer of mus uh you know

the Nazi leader was was particularly

fascinated by melini's March on Rome and

this is a very kind of influential

moment for him he looked upon the march

on Rome as something to be admired and

in fact staged his own coup or tried to

in November 1923 following the example

of musolini but let's not forget you

know melini is prone to his own personal

kind of egomania you know and he's got a

low opinion of Hitler's kind of rise to

power uh which he thinks is far less

glorious than his own

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even though they're both fascist

dictators the first meeting that takes

place between musini and Hitler which is

in Venice in in June 34 was frankly a

bit of a disaster so musolini turned up

with his knowledge of German without

therefore bringing a translator and

assuming he'd be fine yeah mus he speaks

a little bit of German and he was too

arrogant to use a translation

and and he had a lot of difficulty in

understanding Hitler's kind of somewhat

rough and coarse Austrian

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accent uh and then what you know muselin

is subjected to are these huge notorious

Hitler long boring monologues uh and

musolini was so bored he was also

listening to all

these ideologies that Hitler was a are

not particularly

impressed there's a big difference

between musini and Hitler and that lies

in their racial views you musini you

know let's face it like Hitler did think

that white Europeans were the kind of

Architects of of culture and

civilization uh but you know what mus

doesn't share with Hitler is this kind

of hateful and eliminationist

anti-Semitism what mus he was was an

Italian nationalist first and foremost

and what he's doing is is is harking

back to the glories and triumphs of

ancient Rome uh you know so he's really

pretty scornful of Hitler's rants about

Aryan Supremacy it's not really melini's

bag if you like and in one speech the

Italian leader is actually expressing

kind of pity for the racial views being

kind of expressed by the Nazis he's

looking at them and going these people

are you know in his words the

descendants of those who are illiterate

R Rome at Caesar and Virgil and Augustus

yeah he kind of thinks the Germans are

inferior in some way

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[Music]

[Applause]

uh you know and so both men kind of walk

out of Venice this Summit you know

thinking yeah I don't think much of that

guy

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musolini then pays a state visit to

Germany in September

1937 and where he's met with a really

long vast parade of

troops and there's military equipment

paraded artillery you name it and these

shows of strength were were really

obvious you know they they they were

there to kind of impress melini and you

know what it worked they came to see the

com alties of their ideologies and

indeed of their policies and what could

be gained by becoming closer together

and in 1936 they formed the Rome Berlin

axis so coming closer together and that

was cemented into the pack of Steel

which was a formal alliance in 1939

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by the late 1930s we can see something

of a shift in the relationship between

musolini and Hitler and we see musolini

being much more heavily influenced by

Hitler in a number of ways so this could

be seen by the introdu

of a series of reforms to the way

Behavior took place so for example that

the Italian forces were obliged suddenly

to Goose step that civil servants were

obliged to wear military uniform for the

first time so those kinds of things

showing the closeness of the Italian

regime to Hitler's and just a kind of

change in manners a change in the way of

behavior in the Italian State heavily

influenced by Hitler and this came to

the four in 1938 with the racial laws

adopted by musolin

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Italy they restrict the civil rights of

Italian Jews they ban books written by

Jews uh and they exclude Jews from

public offices and even higher education

you know State this is

anti-Semitism and there are more and

more laws stripping Jews their assets

restricting their travel and and finally

uh it even puts them into internal Exile

it kind of treats them as political

prisoners but what molini is not doing

is systematically murdering Italy's Jews

in the way that Hitler does with his

Jews if you will so in in 16 years

before a fascist power there had not

been any racial laws and suddenly at

this point because he was showing his

closeness and proximity to Hitler and

because he was heavily influenced by

Hitler musolini introduced a series of

racial laws that were not too dissimilar

to the nurburg laws in Nazi

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Germany for

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[Applause]

[Music]

good evening everybody tonight it seems

clearly apparent that the first great

phase of the war in the west has been

won by Germany the army of French and

British has made a valiant battle in its

effort to retreat to gunker where there

is some slight chance that some part of

it can be evacuated Adolf Hitler's

mechanized forces are racing toward

Paris as French Resistance collapses

this was a war that Hitler wanted he was

an out and out aggressor and of course

the first months of the war were very

successful for Germany with the blitz

cre lightning strike on Poland um and

then very quick successes in the West

melini is watching the progress of

Hitler with actually quite a lot of

jealousy he's a bit bitter to be honest

you know and as he sees each fresh

German Victory he gets more and more

livid uh and he's starting to express

the hope that maybe the Germans will be

slowed down or they'll have a defeat or

some form of

reverse and that will make him feel a

little bit better you know we don't like

it when our friends are too successful

and this is what's going on here but

Germany of course just advances Westwood

you know not only takes all the low

countries but even you know takes France

and when France is on the verge of

collapse uh you know musolini felt he

can't delay any longer so then on June

the 10th 1940 there's this fateful

declaration of war

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I Grand BR

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frany he

fore foree

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[Applause]

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it's apparent by 1943 that that Italy's

military position is simply untenable uh

you know you've got the axis forces in

North Africa being finally defeated in

the Tunisian campaign and that's in

early

43 and then you've also got Italian

involvement on the Eastern Front against

the Soviet Union setbacks are happening

there as well and then to make now is

worse of madini the Allies that invade

Sicily so you know you you've got the

invasion of you know Italy on its own

doorstep if you like um you know the

Italian home front is it's in a bad way

because you got the Allies bombing uh

and of course you know bombing campaigns

take their toll you know factories are

being brought to standstill uh you've

got raw materials a strangle hold on

them col and oil you know those are all

starting to run very short and and on

top of that you've also got a shortage

of food and the food that is available

is is being is grossly overpriced and

and you've got this kind of Black Market

of incredibly expensive food and of

course the result of this is going to be

huge discontent so by March 1943 you've

got strikes taking place in the north

which is the Italian industrial

Heartland melini is in trouble make no

doubt about

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after the Italian surrender in North

Africa in 43 the Germans begin to take

precautions they they they look Italy

and think it's going to collapse you

know what muselin has done is grossly

exaggerated the extent of his public

support you know for his regime and

indeed for the war itself

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as the War years progressed melini's

popularity with the Italian people

declined and the reason for this was

that Italy was more and more and more

dependent on Nazi Germany you've got

this German presence in Italy and that

starts to turn public opinion against

musini even more uh and you know when

the Allies invade Sicily you know the

Sicilians you look at the allies and go

these people are liberators they're not

Invaders

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between the 24th and 25th of July

1943 musolini was removed from

government through a vote of no

confidence this is the downfall of

Uche and by this time you know

discontent with him is is absolutely

widespread and intense um and when the

news of his downfall is announced on the

radio

there's no resistance to it you know

people Rejoice CU they think that

actually what the end of musolini also

means is the end

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of by the last days of 1945 musolini

could see that the end was near on the

28th of April

1945 musolini is shot dead by partisans

in the north of Italy it's a really

ignominious

end it must he was in no doubt that the

end was coming I mean he was trying to

flee uh before the 28th of April 45 uh

you know he was on the Run he was

desperate he was running for his life

the day after musini is killed on the

29th of April 1945 his corpse and that

of his mistress claraa Pachi uh that

they're dragged along and they're dumped

uh on the ground in front of the old

Pali Loretto and there was some

important symbolism to the location

because this was where a few months

earlier the Nazis had carried out some

bloody reprisals on Italian

Artisans and they're kicked and they're

spat upon and then the bodies are then

hung upside down from the roof of ano

petrol station um and then the bodies

are then stoned I mean it's kind of

endless abuse of these corpses uh by

civilians

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the reason for this is simple I mean

it's kind of done as a very public

display of discouragement it's saying to

other fascists black church you know you

got to end the fight otherwise this is

what's going to happen to you and of

course it's also an act of Revenge

because so many partisans were hanged in

that same place by the axis authorities

one man who who sees what happens to

melini's corpse and learns from it is of

course Adolf Hitler and it's the abuse

of melini's corpse that that leads

Hitler to make a decision to actually

kill himself uh you know a few days

later

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