Benito Mussolini
Overview
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (beˈniːto musːoˈliːni; 29 July 1883 28 April 1945) was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party
National Fascist Party
The National Fascist Party was an Italian political party, created by Benito Mussolini as the political expression of fascism...

 and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism.

Mussolini became the 40th Prime Minister of Italy
Prime minister of Italy
The Prime Minister of Italy is the head of government of the Italian Republic...

 in 1922 and began using the title Il Duce
Duce
Duce is an Italian title, derived from the Latin word dux, and cognate with duke. National Fascist Party leader Benito Mussolini was identified by Fascists as Il Duce of the movement and became a reference to the dictator position of Head of Government and Duce of Fascism of Italy was established...

by 1925. After 1936, his official title was Sua Eccellenza Benito Mussolini, Capo del Governo, Duce del Fascismo e Fondatore dell'Impero ("His Excellency Benito Mussolini, Head of Government, Duce of Fascism, and Founder of the Empire") Mussolini also created and held the supreme military rank of First Marshal of the Empire
First Marshal of the Empire
First marshal of the empire was a military rank established by the Italian Parliament on March 30, 1938. The highest rank in the Italian Military, it was only granted to Benito Mussolini and King Victor Emmanuel III...

 along with King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III of Italy
Victor Emmanuel III was a member of the House of Savoy and King of Italy . In addition, he claimed the crowns of Ethiopia and Albania and claimed the titles Emperor of Ethiopia and King of Albania , which were unrecognised by the Great Powers...

, which gave him and the King joint supreme control over the military of Italy.
Quotations

The national flag is a rag that should be placed in a dunghill.

During his youth as a socialist, as quoted in Cracking the AP European History Exam, Kenneth Pearl (2008)

Let us have a dagger between our teeth, a bomb in our hands and an infinite scorn in our hearts.

Speech (1928), as quoted in The Great Quotations (1966) by George Seldes, p. 349

The Fascist accepts life and loves it, knowing nothing of and despising suicide; he rather conceives of life as duty and struggle and conquest, life which should be high and full, lived for oneself, but not above all for others — those who are at hand and those who are far distant, contemporaries, and those who will come after.

"The Doctrine of Fascism|The Doctrine of Fascism" (1932)

Speeches made to the people are essential to the arousing of enthusiasm for a war.

Quoted in Talks with Mussolini (1932) by Emil Ludwig

I owe most to Georges Sorel|Georges Sorel. This master of syndicalism by his rough theories of revolutionary tactics has contributed most to form the discipline, energy and power of the fascist cohorts.

Quoted in The New Inquistions by Arthur Versluis

Three cheers for the war. Three cheers for Italy's war and three cheers for war in general. Peace is hence absurd or rather a pause in war.

Quoted in The Menace of Fascism (1933) by John Strachey, p. 65

I don't like the look of him.

to his aide after Mussolini's first encounter with Hitler (1934), as quoted in The Gathering Storm (1946) by Winston Churchill|Winston Churchill

 
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