Mussolini donned a German Luftwaffe helmet and overcoat, but the disguise did little to save him when partisans stopped the convoy at the lakeside town of Dongo on April For 20 years, Mussolini had built a cult of personality with his image emblazoned on posters and newspapers.
Now, the familiarity of his distinctive shaved head and granite jaw, even in disguise, did him in. The partisans seized Mussolini and Petacci. Fearing that the Nazis would again try to liberate the dictator, the partisans hid the pair in a remote farmhouse for the night. The following day, Mussolini and Petacci were removed from the house and driven to the small village of Giulino di Mezzegra on the shores of Lake Como. No more posturing now: this was the real thing, when all that hard work and money he had lavished on the Italian military would bear fruit and show the world that he had created a new kind of Italian: a warrior as of old.
Consider this quick summary. Italy entered the conflict in June , declaring war on an already beaten France and launching an invasion of the Savoy region. The French—disintegrating all over the map—stopped the Italians cold. After advancing 50 miles, Graziani halted at Sidi Barrani in order, he said, to begin construction of a paved supply road back to Libya, something that would have taken months even under peacetime conditions.
He was still 80 miles away from the main British position at Mersa Matruh! As that adventure ground to a halt, in October , the Italian army invaded Greece from the Italian colony of Albania. Even worse, Great Britain now sent forces to Greece to oppose him. The next month, in November , the Italian fleet was caught at anchor at Taranto by British torpedo bombers.
One battleship was sunk and two more disabled, neutralizing the Italian surface navy for the rest of the war. In the early morning, an end-run round the Italian southern flank by the 4th Indian Division achieved total surprise, catching the Italians in their beds. Fairly or unfairly, the Italian military has come to be synonymous with wartime ineptitude.
Mussolini led Italy, alright: he led it straight into disaster. First it was bombing raids on Italian cities, which possessed only rudimentary antiaircraft defenses. Then came actual invasion, of Sicily in July and the Italian mainland in September.
To be sure, Italy paid a steep price for Mussolini. Whatever he might once have been, he was now a German puppet, beholden to Hitler for his very life. It was never anything more than a German satellite state, and it did German bidding, rounding up and shooting anyone associated with the thriving anti-Axis partisan movement.
The Republic was also a shrinking asset, as the grinding Allied march northwards steadily reduced its influence and the territory it controlled. Mussolini was born on July 29, , in Italy.
His father, Alessandro, was a blacksmith and an impassioned socialist who spent much of his time on politics and much of his money on his mistress. His mother, Rosa Maltoni , was a devout Catholic teacher who provided the family with some stability and income. The eldest of three children, Mussolini showed much intelligence as a youth but was boisterous and disobedient. His father instilled in him a passion for socialist politics and defiance against authority. Though he was expelled from several schools for bullying and defying school authorities, he eventually obtained a teaching certificate in and, for a brief time, worked as a schoolmaster.
In , Mussolini moved to Switzerland to promote socialism. He quickly gained a reputation for his magnetism and remarkable rhetorical talents. While engaging in political demonstrations, he caught the attention of Swiss authorities and was eventually expelled from the country.
Mussolini returned to Italy in and continued promoting a socialist agenda. He was briefly imprisoned and, upon release, became editor of the organization's newspaper, Avanti meaning "Forward" , which gave him a larger megaphone and expanded his influence. While Mussolini initially condemned Italy's entry into World War I , he soon saw the war as an opportunity for his country to become a great power. His change in attitude broke ties with fellow socialists, and he was expelled from the organization.
In , Mussolini joined the Italian army and fought on the front lines, reaching the rank of corporal before being wounded and discharged from the military. On March 23, , Mussolini founded the Fascist Party , which organized several right-wing groups into a single force. The fascist movement proclaimed opposition to social class discrimination and supported nationalist sentiments.
The terms have lost much meaning, other than as insults. Even scholars have difficulty in agreeing on a definition of fascism. But as the article notes, scholars do agree on several common characteristics of fascism. In this activity, you are going to use these characteristics to judge whether particular governments are fascist. Form small groups and review the characteristics of fascism at the beginning of the article.
Each group should discuss and decide each of the hypothetical cases below whether each is an example of a totally, mostly, somewhat, or non fascist state. Case 1: The government of Surs is ruled by one party, whose council of selects the supreme leader. The people vote in other elections, but only one person is on the ballot for each office, as the party nominates all those running.
The supreme leader has complete control of the society. The government owns all the major businesses and runs them in the name of the people.
Religious worship is discouraged: No party member belongs to a religious organization. The prisons are filled with political prisoners. Case 2: The supreme leader of Railkine makes most political decisions and heads the armed forces.
The Assembly of Religious Leaders elects him from the clergy and may remove him. It also approves all candidates running for parliament. The assembly may also veto laws passed by parliament if they go against religious law. The supreme leader has outlawed political parties, closed newspapers, imprisoned dissenters, banned other religions, suppressed minorities, put requirements on how women should dress, and even outlawed dancing.
The supreme leader is building up the military and neighboring countries fear that Railkine will invade and impose its form of government. Case 3: New Sed is a country with a parliament and a strong tradition of political and religious freedom. In the last 40 years, the Accolade Party has won election after election. This party has built good schools and a strong social safety net for all its people. The safety net includes a government-run health system, a high minimum wage, generous unemployment insurance, retirement pensions for all, and other benefits.
It has enacted strict regulations on businesses. The government has a small military. Taxes are very high. Alumni Volunteers The Boardroom Alumni. Curriculum Materials. Add Event. Main Menu Home. Even so, they tend to agree on its common characteristics such as: Absolute Power of the State: Fascist regimes have a strong centralized state, or national government. The fascist state seeks total control over all major parts of society. Individuals must give up their private needs and rights to serve the needs of the whole society as represented by the state.
Rule by a Dictator: A single dictator runs the fascist state and makes all the important decisions.
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