Show Mussolini's Meteoric Career Recalled as He Makes Males Exit How Italy's Master aster Rose to Power an ani and WIlY Why i He e Collapsed By ELLIOTT J. J PINE PINEOn PINEOn PINEOn On July 25 1943 Benito Mussolini dictator of Italy for 21 years tearfully resigned resigned resigned re re- re- re signed his offices and turned his government over to King Victor Emmanuel The immediate immediate immediate im im- im- im mediate reason for the dictators dictator's dictators dictator's dictators dictator's dicta dicta- tors tor's relinquishing of power is said to be his inability to obtain obtain obtain ob ob- tain greater military aid from Germany The Fascist council council council coun coun- cil voted 19 to 7 i against accepting accepting accepting ac ac- ac- ac his plan for abandoning abandoning abandoning abandon abandon- ing more than half the country country country coun coun- try to the Allies and of establishing establishing establishing lishing a defense line in the north When Mussolini realized realized realized real real- that he could not enforce his will as he was accustomed accustomed accustomed tomed he stepped out or according according according ac ac- ac- ac cording to other accounts was forced out More basic than this dispute on war plans however was the in increasing increasing increasing in- in creasing and bitter distrust of Mussolini Mussolini Mussolini Mus Mus- and the Fascist party he head head- ed The Italian people most observers ers say never wished to enter World War II Defeats losses and hardships hardships hardships hard hard- ships have turned the people of Italy away from Fascism and revolt revolt revolt re re- re- re volt was brewing ving ever hotter When Mussolini went Fascism ended too King Victor Emmanuel who has always retained the shadow of authority authority au au- au- au has given the official version of ot the situation In this statement His Dis Majesty the King Emperor has bas accepted the resignation from the offices of or chief of government prime minister and secretary of state which was tendered by His lIis Excellency signor signer Benito Mussolini l and has appointed as chief of government government government gov gov- prime minister and secretary secre secre- secretary tary of state His Excellency Marshal Marshal Mar Mar- of Italy signor signer Pictro Pietro Ba Ba- doglio At the time this statement was made public it was pretended that Mussolini's ill health was the reason reason reason rea rea- son for his leaving office but this rather weak excuse was soon dropped The new government thus established established established by the king and Marshal Badoglio is generally considered to signify the end of ot the Fascist party The structure that held Ital Italy tightly for two decades apparently has collapsed collapsed col col- col- col lapsed by the removal of one man Actually the party has been crumbling crumbling crumbling crum crum- bling from within for years say Informed informed informed In in- formed correspondents Fascism Began 24 Years Ago Fascism as a name dates from March 23 1919 when Mussolini and others organized the Fasci Italiano dl di meaning meaning mean mean- ing Italian fighting groups It The word Fasci comes from the old Roman symbol of authority the Fasces a beheading ax with a bundle of scourging rods bound on the handle It can be seen on the reverse of an American dime During the following two years this little party increased rapidly While Mussolini did not actually found i it perhaps he at least was one of ot its earliest and strongest t lead lead- ers He soon came out in front a vigorous man of ot 38 with a compelling compelling com com- manner and oratorical per per- He was born In 1884 the son of ofa ofa ofa a village blacksmith and country school teacher in Predappio Romagna Romagna Romagna Ro- Ro magna province When he completed ed grade school he became a teacher teach teach- er in a neighboring village and soon took to stump speaking for the Socialist Socialist Socialist So So- party His political activities I brought him Into several clashes I with the law He became a writer I and rose to be editor of the Socialist I organ ttA Avanti vanti During World War I J he served as a corporal and he participated Inthe Inthe in inthe the Fiume Flume campaign of ot 1919 Soon after being discharged from service he met a few kindred spirits and andI began the organization of ot the Fas Fas- I It was a time of or great unrest and unemployment Although victorious In the th-e war Italy had suffered heavy beavy losses and was oppressed by a ponderous ponderous ponderous pon pon- derous war debt Being a country naturally poor in hi resources and only slightly industrialized at nt the time the war post depression bore down more weightily than on other na na- Many were embittered about their frustrated hopes for territorial gains through gh the Versailles treaty They blamed Britain and France for leaving Italy out The wealthy and conservative class feared the spread of communism communIsm communism and many churchmen added I l' l n v their voices to the clamor The national national national na na- na- na assembly was divided di into numerous numerous numerous nu nu- bickering and rolling log factions and the premier signor signer Faeta was 35 not a strong enough man manfor manfor manfor for a n crisis The March on Rome Assembling the Fascist militia the party's parts private army in Civitavecchia Civitavecchia Civita Civita- vecchia on October 27 1922 he began began began be be- gan the famous March on Rome It When he approached the capital with armed men Premier and Marshal then General Badoglio begged the king the same Victor Emmanuel to stop the marchers with machine gun Jun fire and the bayonets of ot the regular army The king who hated bloodshed refused refused refused re re- re- re fused to give the order Three days later he acceded to Mussolini's demands demands demands de de- de- de mands and appointed him premier From that day onward Mussolini has been continuously in complete control of Ital Italy until the other day Ironically he turned his power over overto overto overto to Victor Emmanuel and Badoglio who might have stopped him 21 years earlier As soon as Mussolini found himsel himself himself him him- self sel firmly In the saddle he set about making himself and his party absolute All AIl political parties were banned except the Fascist and many social cultural and religious societies were closed down under the force of these laws Party members members members mem mem- bers were placed in every position of authority in the civil and military administration Business and professional professional pro pro- men soon found It to their advantage to join the party or to get on good terms with some important important important im im- member For a time the Fascist regime appeared to be a decided benefit to Italy Domestic order was restored business and finance stabilized and I i. i i. i F DONT DON'T BOTHER T THE E PILOT PILOT PILOT-A A propaganda poster showing Mussolini Mussolini Musso Musso- lini at the controls of ot a big big- bombing plane he is 15 an amateur flier ier warned Italians in 1939 not to disturb disturb disturb dis dis- the pilot especially when he is engaged in tempestuous navigation nor ask the way at every turn This appeal for blind and unquestioning unquestioning unquestioning faith In the thc wisdom of or the leader is the keynote of ot Fascism as of or all dictatorships Mussolini 1 piloted Italy Into kilo the war then when the thc navigation really got tem tem tempestuous he bailed out encouraged employment stimulated by public works and a program of social benefits put into operation The Fascist regime floated international international inter inter- national loans built hydroelectric plants opened opened- mines drained swamps introduced new manufactures manufactures manufactures tures and in many ways brought temporary advantages and prosperity prosperity prosperity pros pros- to Italy accustomed to backwardness backwardness backwardness back back- and poverty But the Italians soon discovered the price of these gains w was s the loss of liberty In 1925 Mussolini I or II 11 Duce the leader as he liked to tobe tobe tobe be called had a law passed legalizing legalizing ing his position as prime minister and rendering him responsible to no noone noone noone one but the king This m meant ant In effect that he could do as he be pleased During the twenties Italy shared somewhat in the prosperity of the war post-war world but the great depression depression depression de de- de- de fell heavily on the nation the more so because of its reliance on International trade Its artificial prosperity began to crumble despite tight controls and unrest and dissatisfaction dissatisfaction dissatisfaction dis dis- dis- dis satisfaction began to fester here and andt t there ere under cover Land Hunger Meanwhile Mussolini was thinking of expanding Italy territorially The League of ot Nations had prevented him from undertaking any small wars of conquest such as were common common common com com- mon in the century In 1923 he had a belli against Greece but he did not push the issue to open war Nothing occupied his large army excepting patrol action in North Africa In 1933 Adolf Adolt Hitler rose to power as chancellor of Germany as head of the National Socialists or Nazis a party that had much In common with the Fascists of at Italy Mussolini Mussolini Mussolini Musso Musso- lini soon welcomed his imitator and began to plan International tures Nevertheless a year later when Hitler began to threaten Austria Austria II n Duce offered to support to support that weak state Next year Italy declared war t. t a Y |