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Benito Mussolini: A Life From Beginning to End
Benito Mussolini * * *Download for FREE on Kindle Unlimited + Free BONUS Inside!* * * Read On Your Computer, MAC, Smartphone, Kindle Reader, iPad, or Tablet. Benito Mussolini was a figure that was both revered and dreaded. He climbed the ladder of power rapidly in Italian politics, and he was brought down just as fast. Mussolini wished to stir up a united front of nationalism within his people. But, in the end, the only thing he united was their hatred and contempt for him as a despotic leader. Inside you will read about... ✓ Searching for Destiny ✓ More Socialist than Ever ✓ The Godfather of Fascism ✓ Facing the Slackers and Defeatists ✓ The Seeds of Dictatorship ✓ Creation of the Axis ✓ Friends until the End And much more! There were several twists and turns in the life of Benito Mussolini, and this book will take you through them all. Follow his astonishing rise and his dramatic fall. Series World War 2 Biographies Book 5
113 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 13, 2017
254 people are currently reading
321 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
May 26, 2022
The months and years immediately following Benito Mussolini’s 1925 proclamations to parliament were ones of immense intimidation and draconian oppression, to anyone who dared speak out against the leader. During this period most of his former critics in government were silenced, exiled, or outright killed. Journalists were also frequent targets of this intimidation.
Sound familiar?
Sound familiar?
June 19, 2021
Interesting and Informative throughout. I didnt know about socialist history of mussolini and hence that was a big surprise. Rest I was aware but still it was a good read.
June 20, 2021
This is my first hourly history read. It seems like a fun way to revise history. Regarding Mussolini, well apparently he was "More Socialist than Socialist".
May 9, 2018
Actually blown away by this the second time round. it's a powerful little missive on the life of a very dangerous man. considering the times we live in now, it's important to read books like this to be better informed.
June 26, 2017
BENITO MUSSOLINI A Life From Beginning to End by Hourly History Limited is a book from a series of factual biographies meant to be read in about an hour. A reader can figure that out from the author credit. It gives readers like me; a fan of horror, crime fiction, and bizarre novels in general, a break from a guilty pleasure and gives me the illusion I am reading serious stuff. It is true that the material is serious but to fulfill its stated reason for existing, it must necessarily be a surface treatment of the subject. Can you imagine a one-hour treatment of the life of Winston Churchill? This series may have such a work but I won't read it. Some subjects are more appropriate for a survey work. In my opinion, this is one of those.
There are some interesting things written about Mussolini in this book that may contradict some popularly held beliefs. The idea that the "trains must run on time" has been many times written as a phrase of German origin. However, Mussolini was talking about railroad and post office inefficiencies when he noted that if even these functions could not be administered efficiently, the nation should not have much hope in fixing some of the bigger issues such as the national economy.
Many instances of waffling in decision making are given. Of course, there was political waffling but Mussolini was able to reach a point of power that his political flexibility affected military policy and civil bureaucratic government. Mussolini followed a winding political path from Socialism to Marxism through International Socialism to Nationalism which in its final authoritarian form would be called Fascism. A population in chaos due to economic upheavals caused in part by WWI looked for a better life. Which movement offered them the best deal. What did all these words mean? Mussolini was available to explain and define these terms. If they needed more appeal, he would supply the necessary modifiers.
Some readers may not be aware that Hitler was affected by Mussolini's speeches and writings before Hitler himself came to power. Many more readers are probably aware of the disappointment that Mussolini became for Hitler. The low point may have been when Hitler's troops had to rescue Mussolini from confinement. Mussolini's end foreshadowed the fate of other dictators who fell out of favor with and incurred the wrath of their populace. The leader of Romania and his wife would meet a very similar end to the one of Mussolini and his wife, although several years later and in a different, colder war.
As advertised, this account can be read in one hour. I found no typos or grammar mistakes. I was amazed at this after reading other reviewer comments on Amazon. Perhaps I read an improved or re-edited copy. That has happened once before for me when I wrote a rather scathing review about the lack of respect for the reader the writer exhibited by not using the most basic spell checking program. I later read an apology from the writer in a discussion forum where the errors were explained and a corrected version was published.
The table of contents was interesting with a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor. One chapter title was The Good, The Bad, and The Duce. Overall, this was a pleasant break from my normal direction of reading. I will recommend that my high school son read it and the short read will probably be a part of a history class homework project.
There are some interesting things written about Mussolini in this book that may contradict some popularly held beliefs. The idea that the "trains must run on time" has been many times written as a phrase of German origin. However, Mussolini was talking about railroad and post office inefficiencies when he noted that if even these functions could not be administered efficiently, the nation should not have much hope in fixing some of the bigger issues such as the national economy.
Many instances of waffling in decision making are given. Of course, there was political waffling but Mussolini was able to reach a point of power that his political flexibility affected military policy and civil bureaucratic government. Mussolini followed a winding political path from Socialism to Marxism through International Socialism to Nationalism which in its final authoritarian form would be called Fascism. A population in chaos due to economic upheavals caused in part by WWI looked for a better life. Which movement offered them the best deal. What did all these words mean? Mussolini was available to explain and define these terms. If they needed more appeal, he would supply the necessary modifiers.
Some readers may not be aware that Hitler was affected by Mussolini's speeches and writings before Hitler himself came to power. Many more readers are probably aware of the disappointment that Mussolini became for Hitler. The low point may have been when Hitler's troops had to rescue Mussolini from confinement. Mussolini's end foreshadowed the fate of other dictators who fell out of favor with and incurred the wrath of their populace. The leader of Romania and his wife would meet a very similar end to the one of Mussolini and his wife, although several years later and in a different, colder war.
As advertised, this account can be read in one hour. I found no typos or grammar mistakes. I was amazed at this after reading other reviewer comments on Amazon. Perhaps I read an improved or re-edited copy. That has happened once before for me when I wrote a rather scathing review about the lack of respect for the reader the writer exhibited by not using the most basic spell checking program. I later read an apology from the writer in a discussion forum where the errors were explained and a corrected version was published.
The table of contents was interesting with a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor. One chapter title was The Good, The Bad, and The Duce. Overall, this was a pleasant break from my normal direction of reading. I will recommend that my high school son read it and the short read will probably be a part of a history class homework project.
December 2, 2025
(2017-Kindle Ed., Location 10)
Before he was a dictator, Mussolini was the editor of a popular newspaper, and he often bragged that he could understand and write from any point of view. He was completely comfortable in putting himself in other people’s shoes and seeing from their perspective. This may have been a good asset as a writer, but it often proved disastrous as a leader. This is the life, the legend, and the enigma that is Benito Mussolini.
From the very beginning, the book is wrong about the man. He was one of those who used the people's hardship and anxious sentiment of the time for his own rise.
Like Adolf Hitler, he was so desperate to get out of his miserable life as a young man, and full of hatred towards the world he chose to become a criminal wanting to turn the world upside-down.
It wasn't for the people and the general well-being of the society or a better future of the world either. It was for his own desperate desire to get out of the miserable mind'/ ment'ality for his personal satisfaction, and so he could easily take the opposite side against his old followers for his own "selfish" success.
He could easily do that beause now he was a national hero and could join the majority circle of the society. He got what he wanted and didn't need his old ideology or the followers anymore.
He had no moral principles except one: His personal success over anything else.
There are many points to be edited like "misinformation" and "grammatical errors" throughout the pages. I will list some, not all, of them below (The number of lines I can copy and paste is limited):
(Ibid., loc. 179)
...Entering the war in August 1914 on the side of the allied powers against Austria, much as Mussolini had predicted, the nation seemed ready to prove itself in world conflict...
No, that's when most of the powers joined the Great War. Italy joined the war on "May 23, 1915." Italians had to watch first because she was first on the side of German and Austro-Hungarian Empires since the late-19th century.
(Ibid., loc. 239)
After the Treaty of Versailles had been signed, the ink had hardly dried on the page before Italy was forced to cut its losses. To the outrage of the Italian leadership and the common Italian soldier alike, despite the massive loss of life that Italy suffered waging war, they were not allowed to keep any extraterritorial concessions. Italy’s most potent allies furthermore demanded that all land that Italy had so painstakingly gained be returned at once.
Nope, she did gain new territories such as South Tyrol where the City of Trento was located. She also added some more new territories in northwestern Balkan Peninsula. The writer must have been confused with the Empire of Japan, another Axis Power nation towards WW2.
(Ibid., loc. 239)
He then took these feelings and formed the Fascist party on March 23, 1919...
Again, wrong! The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28th, 1919. The writer in fact did NOT even know the "basic" time table.
(Ibid., loc. 254)
...in the banquet hall of a wealthy businessman in Milan. Shortly thereafter he issued his Italian Fasci di Combattimento or “fighting Fascist program” in his effort to combat the socialist and communist forces that were growing in Italy. But for the moment, he determined that his main objections would have to wait until November 16, 1919, when Italy would host its national elections.
The writer must have meant "his 'objectives' would have to wait," not his "objections."
(Ibid., loc. 279)
...The King, of course, had seen what left-wing socialists run amuck had done to Russia just a few years prior when the entire Russian royal family had been brutally murdered by communists...
Since the writer used the adjective word "amuck" as a noun, another hyphen between "socialist" and "run" would prevent the readers from being confused:
...what left-wing socialists-run amuck had done...
There's a good lesson from the story though:
(Ibid., loc. 393)
Mussolini hastily reinforced his troops in Albania in the hopes of driving the Greeks back, but the efforts ultimately resulted in failure. The Italians could progress no further, and the specter of Italian power being diminished even further by a renewed Greek offensive loomed large. And when the British began to reinforce the Greek lines, Hitler deemed the situation intolerable and sent German crack troops to crush the Greek resistance.
The answer for victory & success was, as always, enough manpower (young population) and industrial capabilities.
(Ibid., loc. 399)
In the first few months of 1942, Italy was sliding down a slippery slope of defeat. Italian troops in Egypt were soundly defeated by the British at the Battle of Al Alamein. This completely eliminated any Axis threat to Egypt, and more importantly to the Suez Canal, which both Mussolini and Hitler had coveted for fascist use for quite some time.
Very good info. The importance of critical water passages and supply chains.
Yes, that's why the Axis Powers wanted Suez Canal. The cut of main supply chain and the incompetent leaderships that couldn't manage to secure it were the main reason why they were defeated after all.
But why these lines of great info. had to go with a ridiculous broken sentence? "That that?" Sigh:
(Ibid., loc. 399)
Armaments and equipment were incredibly lacking with no foreseeable way to produce more. Raw material was so scarce that that without fuel to run on, almost all of the factories were shut down...
(Ibid., loc. 439)
To Hitler’s great dismay, Mussolini even asked him permission to retire from public life entirely, desiring to spend the rest of his days in the quiet solitude of his estate in the countryside of Romagna. Hitler couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Mussolini was supposed to be the Godfather of Fascism, and here he was, basically asking if he could just go retire and play golf!
Told you that was what he wanted in the first place: Bursting out of his miserable poverty for a better life.
That personal desperation and desire created Mussolini, who luckily met the best timing with the frustrated peopl'/ publ'ic also in big trouble and their desperate anger towards the old order.
(Ibid., loc. 451)
...Mussolini had long sought to stir the passions of his people; he wanted to wake up and revive their long-dormant sense of nationalism; he even wanted to rebuild the Empire of Ancient Rome...
Again, wrong. A great success for the public and personal honor & reward can go hand in hand, but which one was his "priority?"
Truth to be told, the man was a falied leader in history because he did not fight for his country and people, but for his own "selfish" desire that was his final goal.
He did NOT want to make the world a better place for Human Beings, but for himself.
He wanted the people to have burning nationalism in their heart, but he did not have one himself.
He was just a lucky dictator at best.
Before he was a dictator, Mussolini was the editor of a popular newspaper, and he often bragged that he could understand and write from any point of view. He was completely comfortable in putting himself in other people’s shoes and seeing from their perspective. This may have been a good asset as a writer, but it often proved disastrous as a leader. This is the life, the legend, and the enigma that is Benito Mussolini.
From the very beginning, the book is wrong about the man. He was one of those who used the people's hardship and anxious sentiment of the time for his own rise.
Like Adolf Hitler, he was so desperate to get out of his miserable life as a young man, and full of hatred towards the world he chose to become a criminal wanting to turn the world upside-down.
It wasn't for the people and the general well-being of the society or a better future of the world either. It was for his own desperate desire to get out of the miserable mind'/ ment'ality for his personal satisfaction, and so he could easily take the opposite side against his old followers for his own "selfish" success.
He could easily do that beause now he was a national hero and could join the majority circle of the society. He got what he wanted and didn't need his old ideology or the followers anymore.
He had no moral principles except one: His personal success over anything else.
There are many points to be edited like "misinformation" and "grammatical errors" throughout the pages. I will list some, not all, of them below (The number of lines I can copy and paste is limited):
(Ibid., loc. 179)
...Entering the war in August 1914 on the side of the allied powers against Austria, much as Mussolini had predicted, the nation seemed ready to prove itself in world conflict...
No, that's when most of the powers joined the Great War. Italy joined the war on "May 23, 1915." Italians had to watch first because she was first on the side of German and Austro-Hungarian Empires since the late-19th century.
(Ibid., loc. 239)
After the Treaty of Versailles had been signed, the ink had hardly dried on the page before Italy was forced to cut its losses. To the outrage of the Italian leadership and the common Italian soldier alike, despite the massive loss of life that Italy suffered waging war, they were not allowed to keep any extraterritorial concessions. Italy’s most potent allies furthermore demanded that all land that Italy had so painstakingly gained be returned at once.
Nope, she did gain new territories such as South Tyrol where the City of Trento was located. She also added some more new territories in northwestern Balkan Peninsula. The writer must have been confused with the Empire of Japan, another Axis Power nation towards WW2.
(Ibid., loc. 239)
He then took these feelings and formed the Fascist party on March 23, 1919...
Again, wrong! The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28th, 1919. The writer in fact did NOT even know the "basic" time table.
(Ibid., loc. 254)
...in the banquet hall of a wealthy businessman in Milan. Shortly thereafter he issued his Italian Fasci di Combattimento or “fighting Fascist program” in his effort to combat the socialist and communist forces that were growing in Italy. But for the moment, he determined that his main objections would have to wait until November 16, 1919, when Italy would host its national elections.
The writer must have meant "his 'objectives' would have to wait," not his "objections."
(Ibid., loc. 279)
...The King, of course, had seen what left-wing socialists run amuck had done to Russia just a few years prior when the entire Russian royal family had been brutally murdered by communists...
Since the writer used the adjective word "amuck" as a noun, another hyphen between "socialist" and "run" would prevent the readers from being confused:
...what left-wing socialists-run amuck had done...
There's a good lesson from the story though:
(Ibid., loc. 393)
Mussolini hastily reinforced his troops in Albania in the hopes of driving the Greeks back, but the efforts ultimately resulted in failure. The Italians could progress no further, and the specter of Italian power being diminished even further by a renewed Greek offensive loomed large. And when the British began to reinforce the Greek lines, Hitler deemed the situation intolerable and sent German crack troops to crush the Greek resistance.
The answer for victory & success was, as always, enough manpower (young population) and industrial capabilities.
(Ibid., loc. 399)
In the first few months of 1942, Italy was sliding down a slippery slope of defeat. Italian troops in Egypt were soundly defeated by the British at the Battle of Al Alamein. This completely eliminated any Axis threat to Egypt, and more importantly to the Suez Canal, which both Mussolini and Hitler had coveted for fascist use for quite some time.
Very good info. The importance of critical water passages and supply chains.
Yes, that's why the Axis Powers wanted Suez Canal. The cut of main supply chain and the incompetent leaderships that couldn't manage to secure it were the main reason why they were defeated after all.
But why these lines of great info. had to go with a ridiculous broken sentence? "That that?" Sigh:
(Ibid., loc. 399)
Armaments and equipment were incredibly lacking with no foreseeable way to produce more. Raw material was so scarce that that without fuel to run on, almost all of the factories were shut down...
(Ibid., loc. 439)
To Hitler’s great dismay, Mussolini even asked him permission to retire from public life entirely, desiring to spend the rest of his days in the quiet solitude of his estate in the countryside of Romagna. Hitler couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Mussolini was supposed to be the Godfather of Fascism, and here he was, basically asking if he could just go retire and play golf!
Told you that was what he wanted in the first place: Bursting out of his miserable poverty for a better life.
That personal desperation and desire created Mussolini, who luckily met the best timing with the frustrated peopl'/ publ'ic also in big trouble and their desperate anger towards the old order.
(Ibid., loc. 451)
...Mussolini had long sought to stir the passions of his people; he wanted to wake up and revive their long-dormant sense of nationalism; he even wanted to rebuild the Empire of Ancient Rome...
Again, wrong. A great success for the public and personal honor & reward can go hand in hand, but which one was his "priority?"
Truth to be told, the man was a falied leader in history because he did not fight for his country and people, but for his own "selfish" desire that was his final goal.
He did NOT want to make the world a better place for Human Beings, but for himself.
He wanted the people to have burning nationalism in their heart, but he did not have one himself.
He was just a lucky dictator at best.
November 12, 2022
We commence our literary journey with a short overview of Mussolini in the Introduction: "Before he was a dictator, Mussolini was the editor of a popular newspaper and often bragged that he could understand and write from any point of view. He was completely comfortable in putting himself in other people’s shoes and seeing from their perspective. “Mussolini’s father was a blacksmith and a socialist, his mother a schoolteacher. When Benito was born, he was named after Benito Juárez, a Mexican President and "a liberal of Native American descent who had stood up to the colonial powers of Europe."
After relocating to Switzerland, Mussolini experienced the rough times of the immigrant... poverty, hunger, living as a transient on the streets, eventually living in a local poor house; a similar experience we also see with other leaders of this genre. When one has suffered the low end of 'extreme' poverty, one knows there is no reason to abandon their life of rulership for a return to obscurity. We see in Mussolini an individual who could change his spots, unlike the proverbial leopard, as the social and cultural mood swings of the period swayed to provide him with an avenue for triumphant entry, at least in in his own mind, to those political kingdoms at hand: "There seem to be many instances of Mussolini quickly changing sides all throughout his life." Mussolini was adept at taking advantage of sweeping changes in political landscapes.
These short biographies are a welcome addition to one's library and help the reader to decide if they wish to pursue the individual(s) they are reading about with more lengthy works, preferably early works by true academics rather than modern era revisionists.
- Excerpts (Sounding Eerily Familiar):
"Still, his major stroke of offsetting his numerical challenge came through changing the electoral process itself, which he did in June 1923 when he issued the Acerbo Law. This law essentially made the Italian political system become one single, national constituency. It also ensured that whoever received 25% or more of the national vote, would be automatically granted a two-thirds majority in parliament. These new election rules were applied in force during the national elections of April 6, 1924... Mussolini wasn’t taking any chances... voter fraud and intimidation at the polls were rampant."
"One of the prominent leaders of the socialist opposition party, a man named Giacomo Matteotti, even accused the election results of being rigged and demanded that there be a moratorium until electoral irregularities could be thoroughly investigated. Shortly after his request, however, Giacomo Matteotti would be found dead and prominent members of Mussolini’s inner fascist circle were implemented with his murder."
"In a bizarre display, Mussolini made the initial proclamation that anyone who disagreed with him should actively work to impeach him just as the constitution allowed. But as soon as someone took him up on the notion, they were subject to immediate reprisal... It was as if Mussolini knew that he was in control no matter what his opponents did, and he just wanted to test the constraints of his dictatorial powers. Feigning to lend an ear to the opposition upon consolidation of authority seems to be a classic trick of the dictator."
"Mussolini’s own experience as a newspaper editor that made him so suspicious of the free press. He knew the medium well since he had used it early on as his own springboard for success, so he was aware of just how powerful journalism could be. It was for this reason he wanted to have it completely eradicated. If Mussolini couldn’t control the media, he wanted to get rid of it outright."
- Mussolini quotes from this work:
“The history of saints is mainly the history of insane people.”
“Democracy is beautiful in theory; in practice it is a fallacy.”
“Socialism is a fraud, a comedy, a phantom, a blackmail.”
“Fascism is a religion. The twentieth century will be known as the century of Fascism.”
“The Liberal State is a mask behind which there is no face; it is a scaffolding behind which there is no building.”
“Every anarchist is a baffled dictator.”
“The truth is that men are tired of liberty.”
“Let us have a dagger between our teeth, a bomb in our hands, and an infinite scorn in our hearts.”
“It's good to trust others but, not to do so is much better.”
“We become strong, I feel, when we have no friends upon whom to lean, or to look to for moral guidance.”
After relocating to Switzerland, Mussolini experienced the rough times of the immigrant... poverty, hunger, living as a transient on the streets, eventually living in a local poor house; a similar experience we also see with other leaders of this genre. When one has suffered the low end of 'extreme' poverty, one knows there is no reason to abandon their life of rulership for a return to obscurity. We see in Mussolini an individual who could change his spots, unlike the proverbial leopard, as the social and cultural mood swings of the period swayed to provide him with an avenue for triumphant entry, at least in in his own mind, to those political kingdoms at hand: "There seem to be many instances of Mussolini quickly changing sides all throughout his life." Mussolini was adept at taking advantage of sweeping changes in political landscapes.
These short biographies are a welcome addition to one's library and help the reader to decide if they wish to pursue the individual(s) they are reading about with more lengthy works, preferably early works by true academics rather than modern era revisionists.
- Excerpts (Sounding Eerily Familiar):
"Still, his major stroke of offsetting his numerical challenge came through changing the electoral process itself, which he did in June 1923 when he issued the Acerbo Law. This law essentially made the Italian political system become one single, national constituency. It also ensured that whoever received 25% or more of the national vote, would be automatically granted a two-thirds majority in parliament. These new election rules were applied in force during the national elections of April 6, 1924... Mussolini wasn’t taking any chances... voter fraud and intimidation at the polls were rampant."
"One of the prominent leaders of the socialist opposition party, a man named Giacomo Matteotti, even accused the election results of being rigged and demanded that there be a moratorium until electoral irregularities could be thoroughly investigated. Shortly after his request, however, Giacomo Matteotti would be found dead and prominent members of Mussolini’s inner fascist circle were implemented with his murder."
"In a bizarre display, Mussolini made the initial proclamation that anyone who disagreed with him should actively work to impeach him just as the constitution allowed. But as soon as someone took him up on the notion, they were subject to immediate reprisal... It was as if Mussolini knew that he was in control no matter what his opponents did, and he just wanted to test the constraints of his dictatorial powers. Feigning to lend an ear to the opposition upon consolidation of authority seems to be a classic trick of the dictator."
"Mussolini’s own experience as a newspaper editor that made him so suspicious of the free press. He knew the medium well since he had used it early on as his own springboard for success, so he was aware of just how powerful journalism could be. It was for this reason he wanted to have it completely eradicated. If Mussolini couldn’t control the media, he wanted to get rid of it outright."
- Mussolini quotes from this work:
“The history of saints is mainly the history of insane people.”
“Democracy is beautiful in theory; in practice it is a fallacy.”
“Socialism is a fraud, a comedy, a phantom, a blackmail.”
“Fascism is a religion. The twentieth century will be known as the century of Fascism.”
“The Liberal State is a mask behind which there is no face; it is a scaffolding behind which there is no building.”
“Every anarchist is a baffled dictator.”
“The truth is that men are tired of liberty.”
“Let us have a dagger between our teeth, a bomb in our hands, and an infinite scorn in our hearts.”
“It's good to trust others but, not to do so is much better.”
“We become strong, I feel, when we have no friends upon whom to lean, or to look to for moral guidance.”
June 19, 2017
Benito Mussolini is a paradox in the annals of history. He has been acclaimed the Godfather of Fascism and may also have been the Forefather of National Socialism. Born in the small town of Varano di Costa on July 29, 1883, he inherited his father’s propensity to revolt against the status quo and a fascination for politics. After a shaky beginning in utter poverty, Mussolini eventually found his niche as editor of a small newspaper. Always the revolutionary, he worked diligently at creating unrest among the populace. He tried several times, to be elected to public office, but faced numerous defeats. Far from being discouraged, he only became more inspired. During the First World War, he served in the army. He was sent to the Alpine region to face the advancing Austrian army. He was wounded by shrapnel and eventually released from active service.
He used everything, real and perceived, to gain attention and sow unrest. One of Mussolini’s most dangerous and damaging traits was his indecisiveness; changing his views, policies, and allegiances at the drop of a hat. Although Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler were basically different, they nevertheless shared a number of similarities. Mussolini coined the word “fascism”, it didn’t originally differ from Hitler’s later “national socialism” and Hitler used Mussolini’s path to success in his quest to absolute rule over Germany. The two ally’s main differences were in their determination to stay the course and Hitler’s inexplicable hatred of the Jews.
This short history of an interestingly disturbed man leaves as many unanswered questions as enlightenments. It serves well as an inspiration to delve deeper into the life of this man that used the current events and emotions of the time to rise to a short but total dictatorship of Italy during the first half of the twentieth century.
He used everything, real and perceived, to gain attention and sow unrest. One of Mussolini’s most dangerous and damaging traits was his indecisiveness; changing his views, policies, and allegiances at the drop of a hat. Although Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler were basically different, they nevertheless shared a number of similarities. Mussolini coined the word “fascism”, it didn’t originally differ from Hitler’s later “national socialism” and Hitler used Mussolini’s path to success in his quest to absolute rule over Germany. The two ally’s main differences were in their determination to stay the course and Hitler’s inexplicable hatred of the Jews.
This short history of an interestingly disturbed man leaves as many unanswered questions as enlightenments. It serves well as an inspiration to delve deeper into the life of this man that used the current events and emotions of the time to rise to a short but total dictatorship of Italy during the first half of the twentieth century.
August 8, 2023
Interesting...
My father was a true history buff and always regaled us with tales of historical events from Ancient times on up. My oldest brother really gleaned onto these tales quicker than I and I swear they both had photographic memories. They could remember dates, names etc. Our parents felt we wouldn't get the whole truth in school, especially in regards to our own Black History; so outside books, Documentaries and public Libraries became staples for us. And this was before we got out of grade school.
Our parents were extremely opposed to all dictators most likely because of our own history of descendants of brutalized enslaved people.
I clearly remember Dad mockingly referring to "El Duce" and his alliance with Hitler.
I somehow mistakenly came to think that Mussolini from the start just sucked up to Hitler and did his bidding just to stay in power.
Hourly History reminded me that he was truly a Despot of his own making. Reading this bio bought back memories of my fathers words which mirrored so much in this tome.
Mussolini was one crafty evil snake just like Hitler. And like Hitler he was a mass murderer. He helped to cause immense suffering in his lust for power even amongst his own people.
HH details his tactics to gain and secure power over Italy. And sadly I see these same tactics being deployed all over the world still. We truly don't learn from history except how to repeat it. 😐
My father was a true history buff and always regaled us with tales of historical events from Ancient times on up. My oldest brother really gleaned onto these tales quicker than I and I swear they both had photographic memories. They could remember dates, names etc. Our parents felt we wouldn't get the whole truth in school, especially in regards to our own Black History; so outside books, Documentaries and public Libraries became staples for us. And this was before we got out of grade school.
Our parents were extremely opposed to all dictators most likely because of our own history of descendants of brutalized enslaved people.
I clearly remember Dad mockingly referring to "El Duce" and his alliance with Hitler.
I somehow mistakenly came to think that Mussolini from the start just sucked up to Hitler and did his bidding just to stay in power.
Hourly History reminded me that he was truly a Despot of his own making. Reading this bio bought back memories of my fathers words which mirrored so much in this tome.
Mussolini was one crafty evil snake just like Hitler. And like Hitler he was a mass murderer. He helped to cause immense suffering in his lust for power even amongst his own people.
HH details his tactics to gain and secure power over Italy. And sadly I see these same tactics being deployed all over the world still. We truly don't learn from history except how to repeat it. 😐
April 5, 2022
Published by Hourly History in 2017.
Nowadays, Benito Mussolini is best known as Hitler's far lesser partner in the Pact of Steel (signed in 1939), the formal treaty of the Axis Powers. He is often seen as the weaker partner that may very well have drug the entire alliance down due to incompetence.
But, back when Mussolini took power in Italy in 1922, he was seen, by some, as the vanguard of the future of political organization in Europe - a movement called fascism. He was at least begrudgingly admired by people all around the world.
This is, perhaps, the most balanced of all of the Hourly History biographies. I was mostly interested in a brief look at how Mussolini came to power and what he did once in power. The biography was a little skimpy on Mussolini's years in power before World War II and it won't please students of the war to see how little they discuss of his wartime policies and decisions. That being said, I thought this was a pretty solid short biography.
I rate this kindle e-book 4 stars out of 5.
https://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2022...
Nowadays, Benito Mussolini is best known as Hitler's far lesser partner in the Pact of Steel (signed in 1939), the formal treaty of the Axis Powers. He is often seen as the weaker partner that may very well have drug the entire alliance down due to incompetence.
But, back when Mussolini took power in Italy in 1922, he was seen, by some, as the vanguard of the future of political organization in Europe - a movement called fascism. He was at least begrudgingly admired by people all around the world.
This is, perhaps, the most balanced of all of the Hourly History biographies. I was mostly interested in a brief look at how Mussolini came to power and what he did once in power. The biography was a little skimpy on Mussolini's years in power before World War II and it won't please students of the war to see how little they discuss of his wartime policies and decisions. That being said, I thought this was a pretty solid short biography.
I rate this kindle e-book 4 stars out of 5.
https://dwdsreviews.blogspot.com/2022...
April 19, 2022
This is the guy that pictured himself and his Italian army as major figures in the world. The book goes into his early life, his time at various publications and his love for socialism. He was sent to a boarding school, led a revolt at the age of ten and rightly got kicked out.
At a secular school he got into fights, messed things up, ended up on the streets then back to writing. He even became a communist. The book goes on to his relation with the Italian military of the time, his relation to those from Libya, his multiple about faces on various things and the formation of the Italian Fascist party.
It then goes into his rise in politics, how he became dictator for life, concentration camps he set up, his relationship with Hitler and how he and his army mainly managed to foul up pretty much everything. It also goes into the Allied attack on Italy and the rather disgusting end that Mussolini met.
Basically it seems to be a story of a would-be great man that screwed up everything. Well written.
At a secular school he got into fights, messed things up, ended up on the streets then back to writing. He even became a communist. The book goes on to his relation with the Italian military of the time, his relation to those from Libya, his multiple about faces on various things and the formation of the Italian Fascist party.
It then goes into his rise in politics, how he became dictator for life, concentration camps he set up, his relationship with Hitler and how he and his army mainly managed to foul up pretty much everything. It also goes into the Allied attack on Italy and the rather disgusting end that Mussolini met.
Basically it seems to be a story of a would-be great man that screwed up everything. Well written.
January 30, 2023
Disappointing - should stick to facts
This was not a good book. It had a lot of facts I didn't know, but the book itself is poorly written. There is a ton of 'you' type comments and other supposition. Examples: saying you could hardly blame them if former colleagues were shocked; anyone with eyes in their head would know; and a whole paragraph about what Hitler thought when Mussolini wanted to retire.
Most egregious was probably this tidbit, which has no place in a historical book: "It makes you think that if Mussolini lived today in such a situation, you might have found him slumped over in the corner fiddling with his cell phone, updating his Facebook and Twitter accounts rather than paying attention to his fellow elected officials."
This was not a good book. It had a lot of facts I didn't know, but the book itself is poorly written. There is a ton of 'you' type comments and other supposition. Examples: saying you could hardly blame them if former colleagues were shocked; anyone with eyes in their head would know; and a whole paragraph about what Hitler thought when Mussolini wanted to retire.
Most egregious was probably this tidbit, which has no place in a historical book: "It makes you think that if Mussolini lived today in such a situation, you might have found him slumped over in the corner fiddling with his cell phone, updating his Facebook and Twitter accounts rather than paying attention to his fellow elected officials."
December 25, 2022
Quick informative read regarding the Godfather of Fascism
Despite thinking I knew quite a bit about World War II, at a museum I learned Mussolini rose to power in 1922, and realized I knew little about Mussolini other than he was a fascist, a thug, and the weakest link of the Axis. Early on, this book sets up the theme of Mussolini's life - a flip-flopper whose one ideology, whether as a socialist or a fascist, appears to have been a contempt for democracy. Let his fate serve as a warning to anyone who seeks to rule a nation, while showing contempt for the will of the people.
Despite thinking I knew quite a bit about World War II, at a museum I learned Mussolini rose to power in 1922, and realized I knew little about Mussolini other than he was a fascist, a thug, and the weakest link of the Axis. Early on, this book sets up the theme of Mussolini's life - a flip-flopper whose one ideology, whether as a socialist or a fascist, appears to have been a contempt for democracy. Let his fate serve as a warning to anyone who seeks to rule a nation, while showing contempt for the will of the people.
November 6, 2018
Interesting quick read to get behind the caricature
Another interesting read from Hourly History. It provides a bit of insight into who Il Duce was as he flip-flopped through history, as well as reminding us that a few hundred hooligans can seize control of an entire state if it is feckless and/or decayed enough to permit it.
I am giving it only 3 stars, even taking its genre into account, because unlike most of the books in the series, this is poorly edited and also contains many modern expressions that don't fit a period piece and simply sound childish.
Another interesting read from Hourly History. It provides a bit of insight into who Il Duce was as he flip-flopped through history, as well as reminding us that a few hundred hooligans can seize control of an entire state if it is feckless and/or decayed enough to permit it.
I am giving it only 3 stars, even taking its genre into account, because unlike most of the books in the series, this is poorly edited and also contains many modern expressions that don't fit a period piece and simply sound childish.
May 9, 2019
Unbelievably untrue!
I started to read this book and only got to the third page or so when I caught this grave mistake, "Benito after the Mexican socialist leader Benito Juarez. Juarez was a Mexican revolutionary of Native American descent who had stood up to the colonial powers of Europe". Absolute hogwash, Benito Juarez was the president of Mexico, defending his country of a French invasion, sponsored by the right wing Mexican aristocracy. He was no reactionary nor a socialist. Do not read.
I started to read this book and only got to the third page or so when I caught this grave mistake, "Benito after the Mexican socialist leader Benito Juarez. Juarez was a Mexican revolutionary of Native American descent who had stood up to the colonial powers of Europe". Absolute hogwash, Benito Juarez was the president of Mexico, defending his country of a French invasion, sponsored by the right wing Mexican aristocracy. He was no reactionary nor a socialist. Do not read.
December 28, 2020
Good compressed version of the life of El Duce, very Aaaaaaaaasaassssasreading...if you wanna know about the life and events that shaped Mussolini’s life and do not want to read hundreds of pages, this is the book to get
Good compressed version of the life of El Duce, easy reading to get a general idea of his life ant the events that shaped him
Good compressed version of the life of El Duce, easy reading to get a general idea of his life ant the events that shaped him
April 23, 2025
When I first saw an old news footage of Mussolini a few years ago, I found him comical. The book highlights that he was a man of contradictions. He was originally a socialist and later the founder of fascism and a dictator. His ruthlessness extended beyond Italy. The book gave me a sense of who he was. He went from an unruly youth who lacked direction in his younger years to transforming into Il Duce.
April 24, 2025
Good read
I learned several new things about Mussolini in this book starting with where he got his first name, Benito. Who would have thought????. This high level overview of his life was very good. It captured his youth, his rise to power and his end of life. HH books aren't intended to be in-depth histories but quick looks at history and people so the reader gets a general grasp of events. They did a good job in this one. Worth the read.
I learned several new things about Mussolini in this book starting with where he got his first name, Benito. Who would have thought????. This high level overview of his life was very good. It captured his youth, his rise to power and his end of life. HH books aren't intended to be in-depth histories but quick looks at history and people so the reader gets a general grasp of events. They did a good job in this one. Worth the read.
December 29, 2019
Such a bright start Mussolini had, he ended up being discouraged and emasculated. He seemed to lose faith in himself and his mission.
Though i detested his fascism and beliefs he had later in life, he was a admirable man in his socialist days.
Much like Hitler i was disappointed in him when he met the imprisoned Mussolini, i too was disappointed when i read about his end.
Though i detested his fascism and beliefs he had later in life, he was a admirable man in his socialist days.
Much like Hitler i was disappointed in him when he met the imprisoned Mussolini, i too was disappointed when i read about his end.
June 16, 2017
Term Paper
Poorly researched (Arch Duke Ferdinand was not in a horse drawn coach when assassinated is the first glaring error) and written in catch phrases its just not good history. Reads like a High School term paper.
Poorly researched (Arch Duke Ferdinand was not in a horse drawn coach when assassinated is the first glaring error) and written in catch phrases its just not good history. Reads like a High School term paper.
Read
November 16, 2020Una mattina mi sono alzato
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
Una mattina mi sono azalto
E ho trovato l'invasor
O partigiano, portami via
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
O partigiano, portami via
Ché mi sento di morir
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
Una mattina mi sono azalto
E ho trovato l'invasor
O partigiano, portami via
O bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao, ciao, ciao
O partigiano, portami via
Ché mi sento di morir
May 7, 2021
Story of a criminal
Information how a criminal and totally negative personality grabbed power and abused for tyranny over millions. Really unbelievable story of a tyrant. A lesson for future.
Information how a criminal and totally negative personality grabbed power and abused for tyranny over millions. Really unbelievable story of a tyrant. A lesson for future.
July 2, 2017
Not bad.
Quick easy reading. Nothing that hadn't been said before about Mussolini. Probably 9th grade level of information. Good for supplemental information on Mussolini
Quick easy reading. Nothing that hadn't been said before about Mussolini. Probably 9th grade level of information. Good for supplemental information on Mussolini
August 21, 2017
Not too bad
Wandered a bit here a and theatre but generally tried to keep to the point. It is a good general outline on the subject
Wandered a bit here a and theatre but generally tried to keep to the point. It is a good general outline on the subject
September 1, 2017
Mussolini
Too short. I would have preferred much more detail about his life and family tree. The author did a good job overall.
Too short. I would have preferred much more detail about his life and family tree. The author did a good job overall.
September 2, 2017
Serves its purpose. One star struck for a factual error noticed.
May 11, 2018
Interesting biography; however, there must be a lot more to Mussolini
s story!
s story!
Read
January 4, 2020A very good book about Mussolini.
November 8, 2020
Great read
I learned more about Mussolini in an hour than what was written in the history books. I absolutely loved this book.
I learned more about Mussolini in an hour than what was written in the history books. I absolutely loved this book.
November 16, 2020
A concise history of Mussolini. Well written and takes one through the rise and fall of Mussolini.
Informative read.
Informative read.
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