Perhaps everyone has heard the name of Hitler's closest ally, one of the most cruel dictators of the first half of the 20th century - Benito Mussolini, nicknamed "Duce". But few people know that it was he who invented the ideology of fascism and carefully "fed" it to the ambitious German Fuhrer.
Childhood and youth
In 1883, at the end of July, in the small Italian commune of Varano, a child appeared in the family of the blacksmith Alessandro and the school teacher Rosa, whom his father named in honor of his favorite socialist leaders with a triple name - Benito Amilcar Andrea.
From the age of nine, the intelligent Rose sent her beloved baby to a good school in Faenza, but the boy, so obedient and affectionate at home, could not study normally. And it’s not a matter of mental ability. Constant outbursts of rage, absolute intolerance to any comments - Benito was expelled from school several times for fights with mentors and students, and the mother had to hard work to persuade to take her son back.
Somehow, the future dictator overcame education, joined the Socialist Party (in 1900), received a diploma in primary school teachers (in 1901) and worked a little in his specialty, publishing rather scandalous articles criticizing the government and the monarchy in local newspapers.
Then, in order not to serve in the army, Benito, at the insistence of his father, leaves for Geneva and finds a job as a bricklayer. But physical labor did not attract the narcissist at all, and he went on a wandering, and soon contacted the Swiss revolutionaries, fully sharing their ideas about equality and pacifism, proved to be an excellent fiery orator and decided to go into politics. But he was arrested as a deviator, taken back to Italy and sent to serve.
Career in politics
By 1911, unrest and riots began in Spain. A serious revolution was brewing. By that time, Mussolini, thanks to his provocative articles and arrests, of which there were many, became almost a symbol of the new movement among the masses. And then the First World War began, in which the future famous supporter of Germany opposes the Germans and Austrians, considering them the enemies of his people.
Benito went to the front in 1915, but returned home soon after being wounded. By the end of the war, realizing that the victors were not doing too fair with the defeated (Italy was defeated by Austria) and socialism was not working, in 1918 Mussolini created his own social party, calling it Fascio di combattimento. The terrible word "fascism" sounds from his speeches, calling on the military to a new ideology.
Soon a competent program of the "Combat Union" was born, which was supposed to seriously improve life in the country through control over the working class, harsh laws and punishments for criminals and the correct organization of the activities of the middle class. Mussolini is supported by almost everyone: youth, church, farming. The hallmark of Mussolini's party is the black shirt.
Benito managed to negotiate with Pietro Gaspari, the cardinal, promising him the broadest powers of the church and the status of a separate state for the Vatican. Rome supports Benito. King Victor Emmanuel III, frightened of large-scale riots, appoints Duce as prime minister, thereby opening a wide path for him to implement his personal plans.
Soon, work began to boil in the country. The mafia was ruthlessly rooted out without any humanism, even those who were indirectly related to crime were shot. Mussolini became the head of seven major ministries and set about creating a personal police state.
His power drained swamps, built schools and hospitals, but at the same time the standard of living of ordinary people did not improve - Benito promised the people a wonderful future by cutting benefits, wages, raising taxes and exhausting work - they say, everything is invested in development. The disaffected were ruthlessly destroyed as accomplices of criminal organizations, up to the use of poisonous gases against people in the former Italian colonies.
At the same time, in order to prevent a riot, Mussolini is engaged in foreign policy with might and main, provoking successful military conflicts for him. In 1935, he begins the Ethiopian war, in 1936 he actively participates in the civil war, although this only harmed the country, and in 1938 he begins cooperation with Adolf Hitler, supporting his idea of the Jewish genocide, helping him financially and developing his plans with fascist ideology … The cult of personality and tough management, concentrated in one hand, pleased Adolf, and he actively began to use these methods on his people.
The Second World War almost turned into a complete collapse for Duce. He desperately envied the expansion of the Germans, but the weakened country could not even provide supplies for its troops. The people, taking advantage of the situation, arrested the dictator in 1942, but Hitler kidnapped Mussolini, and then occupied Italy and reinstated Benito's rights. True, already on its own terms.
Personal life and death
There were many women in the life of a dictator, he was used to taking what he liked without hesitation. And not all of them ended up in Benito's bed voluntarily. The first woman to give birth to his child was Ida Dalser, the daughter of the village mayor. It is believed that they began to live together in 1914, but the family lasted only a year, since the wife was too hysterical, and the husband was unrestrained.
And then the servant Raquel confidently entered the scene, who gave birth to the dictator two daughters and three sons, ignored his countless mistresses and remained faithful to Benito to the end. After World War II, she fled abroad, but was arrested and extradited to the United States, where she was released a few months later. The woman started her own business and until the end of her life received a small pension from the Italian Republic.
Duce himself, having learned about the surrender of Germany, tried to escape with his mistress Klara, but was captured by partisans and mercilessly shot near the village, where he himself had executed anti-fascists. It happened on April 28, 1945, two days before the Fuhrer's suicide.
