Show Let Us Live Like Lions Lions' rl t. t r v w c L' L tr R IN HIS illS SECOND YEAR of or rule 1923 Premier Mussolini l was already already already al al- ready showing his yearning yearning- to rattle the sword He lie sent such a sharp diplomatic note to Greece on the murder of or members of an Italian commission on the Greek-Albanian Greek frontier that world feared a war was near on Ethiopia Mussolini's first openly imperialistic move and a successful successful successful success success- ful defiance of ot the League Italian and German policies were moving closer together through similarity similarity similarity sim sim- of interests and Hitler and Mussolini began concluding a series of ot treaties and agreements that culminated culminated culminated cul cul- In the formation of the Rome Berlin Axis Both Italy and Germany sent troops into the Spanish civil war The Italian troops showed even then their distaste for fighting but the officers gained valuable experience with new weapons and tactics especially especially especially espe espe- airplanes and tanks Mussolini 1 joined in signing the Munich Agreement that was supposed supposed supposed sup sup- posed to assure peace in our time as Neville Chamberlain put it Knowing Knowing Knowing Know Know- ing that a great war was around the corner Mussolini 1 then turned his attention attention attention at at- to bringing his army navy and especially his air force torce to full strength Stab In the Back When STen France was staggering to defeat in the spring of or 1910 Mussolini Mussolini Musso Musso- lini thought he saw the long sought opportunity for important territorial acquisitions without much loss or risk He ne entered to war on the side I of or Germany hoping to get a few French islands President Roosevelt Roose characterized this move as a stab In the back From then on on Italy was in World War II All looked I rosy as long as the German blitzkrieg blitzkrieg blitzkrieg blitz blitz- krieg continued to smash ahead but butIn butin butin in 1941 1911 English troops defeated the Italians in two widely separated African African African Af Af- rican campaigns and the Italian navy lost heavily in several actions Last year Italy went on the de de- Mussolini sent some divisions divisions divisions divi divi- to fight against Russia others to North Africa with the German Africa corps Both sustained defeat defeat defeat de de- de- de feat and severe losses The Italian people began to grumble ever louder loud loud- er against Fascism and Mussolini He p pinned ned medals on bereaved mothers and wives made his fa famous ta- ta balcony speeches and tried to whip up morale with posters parades parades parades pa pa- rades of the youth organizations and every other trick in his b bag g. g But It didn't work Then came the North African campaign campaign campaign cam cam- when the Italian soldiers surrendered surrendered surrendered sur sur- rendered in large masses plainly revealing revealing revealing re re- re- re their war The In Invasion Invasion In- In of Sicily moved so swiftly not only because of the weight of or armaments armaments arma arma- ments but because of feeble resistance resistance resistance re re- re- re at many points Everywhere Everywhere Every Every- where the people welcomed the Allied Allied Allied Al Al- lied troops When Rome was bombed Mussolini's Mussolini's Musso Musso- Mussolini's linis lini's long hypnotic spell was broken If he could not even protect the capital said the people how could he hope for victory The Italians were tired of war tired of privations and restrictions II Duce got out just in time according to majority opinion to avert a civil ivil war s y s lr d t y y yM M mil y FASCISM ON THE RUN RUN RUN-A A photograph photograph photograph photo photo- graph showing Mussolini setting the pace for his army officers during maneuvers in September In-September 1938 IronIcally Ironically ironically Iron Iron- symbolizes the hasty basty exit of Fascism in July 1943 1913 This time too the running was fittingly led by byH byn II n Duce |