MussoliniBenito Mussolini was a brilliant Socialist journalist who in 1914 declared war, put himself at the head if the anti-Socialist movement in Italy, manoeuvred himself into power by 1933 and ruled the country until overthrown in 1943. He was a dynamic but insecure personality, who appeared dictatorial but always had to share power with the military and bureaucratic establishment. Mussolini founded an Empire in Africa and tried to 'make Italians' in his own heroic, war like image, but in fact failed to even control his own family! In June 1940, when France fell, he could not resist joining in the Second World War on the German side, although Italy was not equipped for serious fighting. His rule ended in Military disaster and personal humiliation. This new biography focuses both on Mussolini's personality and on the way he exercised power, and regards these two issues as closely linked. It sees him as a man with all the talents needed to attain power but few of those needed to exercise it well. This book primarily focuses on how Mussolini had absolutely the wrong personality for a successful political leader. |
From inside the book
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... parliament : I am more firmly convinced than ever that for the salvation of Italy we need to shoot , I say shoot , in the back , a few dozen deputies and send at least a couple of ex - ministers to life imprisonment . Not only that ...
... parliament , of course , and rarely went there , although often enough to grasp how weak the government and the various parliamentary groups really were - including his own , 51 MANOEUVRES TO POWER 1918-22 A Man of Peace.
... parliament , had reformed the Militia and had proposed electoral reform . It was the opposition that had acted unconstitutionally by deserting parliament and by engaging in a libellous press campaign against a freely elected govern ...
Contents
At the Height of his Power? The Regime | 6 |
Early Years and the Great War 18831918 | 8 |
Manoeuvres to Power 191822 | 38 |
Copyright | |
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