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Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician, journalist, and dictator who led the Kingdom of Italy as a fascist dictatorship from 1922 until his overthrow in 1943. Known under his rule as Il Duce, he founded fascism in 1919 with the creation of the Fasci Italiani di Combattimento, which became the National Fascist Party (PNF) in 1921. Mussolini was appointed Prime Minister of Italy after the March on Rome in 1922, establishing a totalitarian dictatorship. He oversaw Italy's participation in World War II as a prominent member of the Axis Powers, and was executed by the Italian resistance near the end of the war in 1945.
culture · Dictator of Italy from 1922 to 1943 · journalist · teacher · politician · also Benito Mussolini, Benito Amilcare Mussolini, Benito Andrea Mussolini, Il Duce, Duce, Mussolini
Born 29 July 1883 · Died 28 April 1945 · Q23559
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Execution of Mussolini (1945)
Execution of Mussolini (1945)
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20265 items
Mshale: From Mussolini To Mass Incarceration: Why Gramsci Matters Today German Vargas Lleras (n8ZWswEEEB)
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La FM: ¿Quién es Romano Mussolini? El bisnieto de Benito Mussolini que tendrá su oportunidad en la Lazio
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24horas: ¿Quién es Romano Floriani Mussolini? La historia del bisnieto de Benito Mussolini que juega en la Serie A
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The New York Times: Benito Mussolini
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20243 items
Snopes rated the claim “An authentic photograph shows Italian dictator Benito Mussolini participating in a wheat harvest.” True.
Shown as reported and rated by a fact checker, not as an established fact.
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Foreign Affairs: Benito Mussolini: Memoirs 1942-1943
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Snopes rated the claim “A photo shared online in late August 2024 showed fascist dictator and former Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini after his attempted assassination in 1926.” True.
Shown as reported and rated by a fact checker, not as an established fact.
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20221 item
Snopes.com rated the claim “Italian dictator Benito Mussolini once said, "When I said I supported equal voting rights, I meant men shouldn't vote either."” Originated as Satire.
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20201 item
fact checker rated the claim “National Public Radio which is publicly funded compared U.S. President Donald Trump to fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.” fake.
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20183 items
Snopes rated the claim “Melania Trump made a sly reference to the Mussolini-era slogan "me ne frego" with her "I DON'T REALLY CARE DO U?" jacket.” Unproven.
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PolitiFact rated the claim “Says Benito Mussolini "initiated a campaign to 'drenare la palude' ('drain the swamp') by firing more than 35,000 civil servants."” Half True.
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In February 2018, a poll conducted by the Demos & Pi research institute found that out of the total 1,014 people interviewed, 19% of voters across the Italian political spectrum had a "positive or very positive" opinion of Mussolini, 60% saw him negatively and 21% did not have an opinion.
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20121 item
Many former members of National Alliance joined Brothers of Italy, led by current Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni
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20101 item
Jurist: Benito Mussolini becomes Prime Minister of Italy
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20091 item
To create the short-lived People of Freedom party led by then Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, which eventually disbanded after the defeat in the 2013 general election
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19991 item
Snopes.com rated the claim “Italian dictator Benito Mussolini made the trains run on time.” False.
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19951 item
And was replaced by National Alliance, a conservative party that distanced itself from Fascism (its founder, former foreign minister Gianfranco Fini, declared during an official visit to Israel that Fascism was "an absol
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19571 item
When his remains were placed in the family crypt
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19451 item
Died 1945-04-28.
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19434 items
Career landmark: minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Italy (1943–1943).
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Career landmark: foreign minister (1943–1945).
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Mussolini began speaking "more about God and the obligations of conscience", although "he still had little use for the priests and sacraments of the Church"
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Career landmark: prime minister (1943–1945).
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19402 items
“s non-belligerence. However, in June 1940, believing that German victory was imminent, he joined the war on Germany”
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Called him "one of the best journalists alive"; Mussolini was a working reporter while preparing for the March on Rome, and wrote for the Hearst News Service until 1935
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19383 items
His ambitions for territorial expansion and growing distrust of the Western powers led him to strengthen ties with Germany, resulting in the creation of the Pact of Steel in 1939
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Mussolini began reasserting his anti-clericalism
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Career landmark: First marshal of the empire (1938–1943).
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19374 items
Awarded Collar of the Imperial Order of the Red Arrows (1937).
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Awarded Honorary doctor of the University of Lausanne (1937).
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When he was prime minister of Italy, the University of Lausanne awarded Mussolini an honorary doctorate
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The Muslims of Libya presented Mussolini with the "Sword of Islam" while Fascist propaganda pronounced him as the "Protector of Islam"
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19362 items
Awarded Knight Grand Cross of the Military Order of Savoy (1936).
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Told the German Ambassador that Italy had no objections to Austria becoming a German satellite, removing a key obstacle to Italo-German relations
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19353 items
Career landmark: minister of Public Works of the Kingdom of Italy (1935–1935).
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Founded the Jewish Fascist paper La Nostra Bandiera ("Our Flag")
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“s familiarity with Marxist literature reflected itself in his quoting even from obscure works. During this period Mussolini considered himself an”
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19344 items
Mussolini supported the establishment of the Betar Naval Academy in Civitavecchia to train Zionist cadets, arguing that a Jewish state would be in Italy's interest
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Reiterated his attitude towards the German concept of a master race:
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Mussolini wondered how they would designate membership in the "Germanic race":
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The IRI assumed control of Italy's three major banks; Credito Italiano, Banco di Roma, and Banca Commerciale Italiana
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19333 items
Career landmark: minister of the Navy of the Kingdom of Italy (1933–1943).
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Career landmark: minister of War of the Kingdom of Italy (1933–1943).
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Career landmark: minister of Air Force of the Kingdom of Italy (1933–1943).
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19324 items
Won Goethe Medal for Art and Science (1932).
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But "took care to exclude from the newspapers any photography of himself kneeling or showing deference to the Pope"
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Mussolini during a conversation with Emil Ludwig described antisemitism as a "German vice" and stated that "There was 'no Jewish Question' in Italy and could not be one in a country with a healthy system of government
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Career landmark: minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Italy (1932–1936).
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19311 item
The Ente Opere Assistenziali (EOA) was established, tasked with distributing food and basic necessities to families most affected by the economic crisis
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19302 items
Awarded Royal Order of the Seraphim (1930).
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Career landmark: minister of Public Works of the Kingdom of Italy (1930–1930).
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19294 items
To 1,070,000 in 1930, reaching 1,200,000 in 1933
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Career landmark: minister of Public Works of the Kingdom of Italy (1929–1929).
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Signed the Lateran Treaty to establish the Vatican City
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A concordat with the Vatican was signed, ending decades of struggle between the Italian state and the papacy that dated back to the 1870 takeover of the Papal States by the House of Savoy during the unification of Italy
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19282 items
Awarded Order of the Liberator (1928).
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An electoral law abolished parliamentary elections
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19271 item
All other youth organizations were dissolved by law, with the exception of the Gioventù Italiana Cattolica (Catholic Italian Youth)
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19269 items
Awarded Grand Cross of Naval Merit with white badge (1926).
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Awarded National Order of Merit Carlos Manuel de Céspedes (1926).
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Awarded Grand cross of the Order of the White Lion (1926).
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Career landmark: minister of War of the Kingdom of Italy (1926–1929).
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Career landmark: minister of Air Force of the Kingdom of Italy (1926–1929).
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(the removal of Roberto Farinacci on 30 March 1926) and was only able to maintain a few journalistic positions
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Career landmark: minister of the Navy of the Kingdom of Italy (1926–1929).
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Though in practice Italy had been a one-party state since 1925
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Career landmark: minister of Interior of the Kingdom of Italy (1926–1943).
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19255 items
Career landmark: minister of War of the Kingdom of Italy (1925–1926).
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Career landmark: minister of the Navy of the Kingdom of Italy (1925–1926).
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Had a priest perform a Catholic marriage for himself and his wife Rachele, whom he had married in a civil ceremony 10 years earlier
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Mussolini began to accept the term "totalitarian", first used by anti-fascist intellectuals in 1923, as an attribute of the regime
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Career landmark: minister of Air Force of the Kingdom of Italy (1925–1926).
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19242 items
Career landmark: minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Italy (1924–1929).
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Mussolini saw to it that three of his children were given Communion
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19233 items
Awarded Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (1923).
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And himself re-baptised by a Catholic priest in 1927
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Career landmark: minister of Air Force of the Kingdom of Italy (1923–1925).
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19223 items
Following the March on Rome, he was appointed prime minister by King Victor Emmanuel III
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Establishing a totalitarian dictatorship
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“Our program is simple: we want to rule Italy”
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19212 items
Mussolini won election to the Chamber of Deputies for the first time
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“Opis: wypowiedziane pod koniec 1921.”
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19192 items
When the entire Mediterranean, especially the so-called Julian March, was redefined to make it appear a unified region that had belonged to Italy from the times of the ancient Roman province of Italia, and was claimed as
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With the creation of the Fasci Italiani di Combattimento, which became the National Fascist Party (PNF) in 1921
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19152 items
Had a son with Ida Dalser, a woman born in Sopramonte, a village near Trento
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In December 1915, Mussolini married Rachele Guidi, who had been his mistress since 1910.
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19144 items
“Down with the War. We remain neutral.”
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Who called themselves Fascisti (Fascists)
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Mussolini's first wife was Ida Dalser, whom he married in Trento in 1914.
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Mussolini founded a newspaper, Il Popolo d'Italia, and served in the Royal Italian Army until he was wounded and discharged in 1917
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19131 item
Published Giovanni Hus, il veridico (Jan Hus, true prophet), a historical and political biography about the life and mission of the Czech ecclesiastic reformer Jan Hus and his militant followers, the Hussites
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19122 items
Became a member of the National Directorate of the Italian Socialist Party (PSI), but was expelled for advocating military intervention in World War I
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Became a member of the National Directorate of the Italian Socialist Party (PSI)
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19101 item
Returned to his hometown of Forlì, where he edited the weekly Lotta di classe (The Class Struggle)
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19042 items
Studied at University of Lausanne (1904–1904).
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For "its authoritarianism and refusal to allow freedom of thought
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19031 item
Was arrested by Bernese police because of his advocacy of a violent general strike, spent two weeks in jail, and was handed over to Italian police in Chiasso
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190027 items
Awarded Knight grand cross of the order of the crown of Italy.
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Won Order of the Golden Spur.
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Awarded Order of the Elephant.
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Awarded Cross of Liberty.
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Awarded Order of the Roman Eagle.
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Awarded Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus.
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Awarded Order of Skanderbeg.
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Awarded Order of Saints Cyril and Methodius Equal-to-apostles.
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Awarded Cross of Vytis.
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Awarded Order of the Star of Nepal.
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Awarded Order of Lāčplēsis.
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Awarded Order of the White Eagle.
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Awarded Order of the Bath.
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Awarded Order of the Southern Cross.
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Awarded Order of the Chrysanthemum.
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Awarded Grand Collar of the Military Order of the Tower and Sword.
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Awarded Order of the Quetzal.
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Awarded Order of Solomon.
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Awarded Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
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Awarded Knight Grand Cross of the Colonial Order of the Star of Italy.
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Awarded Grand Cross of the Military Order of the Tower and Sword.
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Awarded Order of the German Eagle.
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Awarded Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre.
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Won Inter-Allied Victory Medals.
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Awarded Knight of the Order of the Most Holy Annunciation.
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Awarded Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum.
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Joined the Italian Socialist Party, where he became acquainted with Olindo Vernocchi
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18831 item
Born 1883-07-29.
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