Benito Mussolini

**Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini** (29 July 1883-28 April 1945) was the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italy from 1922-1943, succeeding Luigi Facta and preceding Pietro Badoglio, and *Duce* of Fascist Italy from 1925-1943 who was one of the major axis leaders beside Adolf Hitler and Hideiki Tojo during World War II.

## Biography

Mussolini was born on July 29, 1883 in Predappio, Italy. During World War I, Mussolini served in the Royal Italian Army and also became an editor of the fascist newspaper called *Avanti!.* In 1922, Mussolini became the leader of the fascist "Blackshirts" and took power in 1922 after the March on Rome which forced then Prime Minister, Luigi Facta to resign. King Vittorio Emmanuele III of Italy informed Mussolini that he could form his own government and Mussolini did so and became Duce in 1925, this effectively made Mussolini dictator of Italy. Mussolini was keen at reforming the Roman Empire and engaged in a war with Abyssinia which resulted in its conquest in 1936, taking over Ethiopia, Eritrea, Sommaliland for the Kingdom of Italy. Mussolini was also able to confirm his power of Italy by making the Fascist Grand Council his Parliament. During the 1930's he would also begin a heavy crack down on the Sicilian Mafia.

In 1936, Mussolini sent 50,000 Italian troops to intervene in the Spanish Civil War to fight for the Republicans under Francisco Franco, a fascist leader. Later that year, Mussolini joined the Rome-Berlin Axis in alliance with Adolf Hitler of Nazi Germany which also included Czechoslovakia and Austria by 1938. In 1939, Mussolini conquered the Kingdom of Albania which created an Italian providence there. Mussolini also invaded Greece in 1940 in hopes to take its territory but he failed.

#### World War II

In June of 1940, Mussolini entered Italy into World War II on the Axis side, supporting Hitler and Tojo. Italian troops were sent to occupy France during Hitlers invasion but they suffered many defeats before they could fully occupy the area. Italian forces also battled British troops in Africa and were successful at driving the British back to Kenya for a short time before the British launched a counter attack that conquered Italian Africa.

After many failures during the war, Mussolini's government was suffering and it was worsened when the Allied powers invaded Italy in in 1943 and in July of 1943, Mussolini was arrested by Pietro Badoglio who afterward became the new Prime Minister. Following his arrest, Mussolini was imprisoned at a hotel in the Apennine

Mountains from where he was later freed from by German troops under Otto Skorzeny. Mussolini later became the the leader of the Salo Republic in Northern Italy which attempted to assist the Germans but ended up failing due to inexperience and much of the Italian Army joining the Co-Belligerent Army of the Allies. Many civilians also formed partisan brigades to further fight against Mussolini's forces in the countryside to stop his atrocities and in April of 1945, Mussolini was captured by partisans.

## Death

On April 28, 1945, Mussolini and his mistress were shot dead by partisans and their bodies were hung upside down with citizens throwing filth at it as they were finally free from his oppressive rule.