Mussolini

__**Justin Spitzer:**__

**I. Mussolini** **A.** **Early Career** 1. Became socialist 2. Became editor of socialist newspaper, "Avanti" 3. Expelled from the socialist party, decided to create his political group, the “Fascio di Combattimento” and introduced fascism **B.** **Rise to Power** 1. Mussolini took advantage of people’s fear of communism 2. Fascism swept through middle-class industrialists afraid of a communist revolution 3. Used brute force of his secret police, //squadristi// to show power 4. Fascism won 35 parliamentary seats in 1921 **C.** **Reign of Mussolini** 1. Mussolini claimed a march on Rome if he wasn’t allowed to govern 2. Victor Emmanuel made him prime minister of Italy soon after 3. Government changes made to give Mussolini more power 4. OVRA secret police established 5. By 1926, Mussolini was //Il Duce//, the leader **D.** **Mussolini’s Reforms** 1. Control of propaganda and mass media 2. “Mussolini is always right” 3. Giuseppe Bottai tried to reform educational system to form the “new Fascist man” 4. Youth groups such as the Young Fascists also hoped to create a new group of people with Fascist ideals 5. Rewards and recognition given for contributions to the Fascist state 6. Lateran Accords recognized Vatican City as independent and made Catholicism the “sole religion of the state” 7. Mussolini never accomplished a level of totalitarianism such as Hitler or Stalin