Abstract
Abstract This chapter describes the political events behind Mussolini’s establishment of a personal dictatorship in 1925 from the formation of the unified Italian state. It particularly concentrates upon increasing political divisions affecting Italy in the decade or so before the First World War, the impact of that war, and the subsequent political and economic breakdown in the aftermath of the war with the emergence of considerable industrial and political disorder driven by the left. It then explores how these circumstances created the conditions for the rise of the Fascist movement, Mussolini’s appointment as Prime Minister during the March on Rome (1922), and how then through state powers and Fascist squad violence he built a personal dictatorship. It is argued that his reliance on violence, the support of Italy’s social and political elites, and the presentation of him as an exceptional political leader did much to set boundaries for his future rule.
Published Version
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