Biography
Benito Mussolini was born in Predappio, Italy to a blacksmith.In 1902, after working briefly as a schoolteacher, he moved to Switzerland to avoid military service. In 1904 he returned to Italy where he became a journalist for the socialist press. However, his support for Italy's entrance into World War I led to his break from socialism. In September 1905, he was drafted into the Italian army.
Mussolini moved up the ranks in the military but was wounded and reuturned to Milan to edit the right-wing Il Popolo d'Italia. In March 1919 he helped form the Fascist Party and created armed squads known as Black Shirts who terrorized their political opponents. In 1922 after a series of riots, King Victor Emmanuel III invited Mussolini to form a government in order to prevent communistic revolutions in Italy. Eventually he dismantled the democratic institutions in Italy and made himself dictator with the title "Il Duce."
Throughout the next 20 years Mussolini incorporated Abyssina into his empire, provided military support to Franco in the Spanish Civil War, and cooperated with Nazi Germany to then create the 1939 Pact of Steel. Mussolini even started introducing anti-Jewish legislation in Italy. However, his declaration of war on Britain and France in 1940 exposed Italian military weakness and led to a series of defeats in North and East Africa and the Balkans.
In July 1943, Allied troops invaded Sicily and overthrew Mussolini. Mussolini was then imprisoned by his former colleagues in the Fascist government. In September Italy signed an armistice with the Allies and Germany began occupating Italy. Mussolini was rescued by German commandos and was installed as the leader of a new government, which had little power. The Allies eventually continued north through Italy and Mussolini fled toward Switzerland. Italian partisans captured him while he was traveling and and shot him to death on April 28, 1945.
Mussolini moved up the ranks in the military but was wounded and reuturned to Milan to edit the right-wing Il Popolo d'Italia. In March 1919 he helped form the Fascist Party and created armed squads known as Black Shirts who terrorized their political opponents. In 1922 after a series of riots, King Victor Emmanuel III invited Mussolini to form a government in order to prevent communistic revolutions in Italy. Eventually he dismantled the democratic institutions in Italy and made himself dictator with the title "Il Duce."
Throughout the next 20 years Mussolini incorporated Abyssina into his empire, provided military support to Franco in the Spanish Civil War, and cooperated with Nazi Germany to then create the 1939 Pact of Steel. Mussolini even started introducing anti-Jewish legislation in Italy. However, his declaration of war on Britain and France in 1940 exposed Italian military weakness and led to a series of defeats in North and East Africa and the Balkans.
In July 1943, Allied troops invaded Sicily and overthrew Mussolini. Mussolini was then imprisoned by his former colleagues in the Fascist government. In September Italy signed an armistice with the Allies and Germany began occupating Italy. Mussolini was rescued by German commandos and was installed as the leader of a new government, which had little power. The Allies eventually continued north through Italy and Mussolini fled toward Switzerland. Italian partisans captured him while he was traveling and and shot him to death on April 28, 1945.