What is Fascism?

4. The Rise of Benito Mussolini

Benito Mussolini watched D’Annunzio’s experiment and saw an opportunity. Like many Italians, he believed the peace treaty had humiliated Italy. In 1922, as the government faltered, Mussolini and his paramilitary Blackshirts marched on Rome. The king appointed him Prime Minister in hopes of avoiding civil war.

At first, Mussolini claimed to support democracy, but within three years, he dismantled democratic institutions and declared himself dictator—Il Duce. He used violence, censorship, and propaganda to silence critics and build a fascist state. Mussolini remained in power until 1943.