Combattimento in Fascist Italy: Mussolini's Rise to Power Quiz and Flashcards

Study Notes

The Rise and Fall of Mussolini: From Socialist Target to Dictatorship

Post-WWI, Italians embraced the Socialist Party due to ineffective establishment politicians and the influence of the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917.
Mussolini formed the Fasci Italiani di Combattimento in 1919, which engaged in violence against Socialists and enemies, later formalized as the Fascist Party in 1921.
The Fascist Party emphasized national unity, using violence to suppress dissenters, particularly targeting the Socialists for not supporting Italy during WWI.
In 1922, tens of thousands of armed Fascists marched on Rome, leading to Mussolini's appointment as prime minister by King Victor Emmanuel III.
As prime minister, Mussolini controlled both the police and the Fascist squads, allowing for a mix of legal state repression and illegal squad violence against opponents.
In 1924, assassins tied to Mussolini killed socialist leader Giacomo Matteotti, prompting opposition deputies to boycott Parliament.
Mussolini took responsibility for the assassination in a speech to Parliament in 1925, marking the start of his Fascist dictatorship.
Mussolini fostered a cult of personality, ruling as a dictator, expelling opposition, arresting Communist members of Parliament, and reinstating the death penalty for political crimes.
His government enforced propaganda in movie houses, abolished local elections, and cracked down on the free press.
Mussolini allied with Hitler in WWII, ruling Italy until 1943 when he was voted out of power, arrested, and later placed atop a puppet government in German-occupied northern Italy.
As the Third Reich lost its grip on northern Italy, Mussolini attempted to flee with his mistress to Switzerland but was captured and executed at the close of WWII.
Mussolini's legacy includes his ruthless rise to power, establishment of a fascist dictatorship, and alliance with Hitler, ultimately leading to his downfall and execution.