Video Analysis: Benito Mussolini
Daimarys Casabona Manresa
Chamberlain College of Nursing
HIST410N-10352 Contemporary History
01/19/2020
In this video, the life of Benito Mussolini has been detailed, including h
...
Video Analysis: Benito Mussolini
Daimarys Casabona Manresa
Chamberlain College of Nursing
HIST410N-10352 Contemporary History
01/19/2020
In this video, the life of Benito Mussolini has been detailed, including his rise to power
and his fall. The video paints an image of how Mussolini was the pioneer dictator of the 20th
VIDEO ANALYSIS: BENITO MUSSOLINI 2
century, having been dismissed as a wag whose rule was Hitler and Stalin’s shadow (Stevenson,
& Cameron, 2018). Nonetheless, among the despots who ruled in the 20th century, Mussolini
was a pioneer who used extreme tactics such as undermining the judiciary and indoctrinating
children in the name of seizing power. Mussolini developed the ideology of fascism that brought
darkness over Europe. The paper describes three interesting aspects of the video aligning with
foreign policy, violent and/or non-violent movements for social, economic, and Governmental
authority/loss of personal liberties.
One of the exciting things noticeable is the fascist foreign policy. Mussolini plans were
protecting the Mediterranean Sea as well as some sections of Africa.In just his 1st year of the
ruling (1923), he launched an attack against the Greek island of Corfu as a justification of the
killings of 4 Italians. Mussolini played a statesman of Europe as a tactic that proved to work. For
example, he made agreements with Yugoslavia, which followed the proposal of Fiume to Italy. In
Libya, Mussolini strengthened the position of Italy, made more investments into the military, and
made further plans to extend into Africa, in particular, eying Ethiopia where Adva’s extermina-
tion had not been justified since 1896 (Gooch, 2007). In 1935, Ethiopia was attacked, and after
defeating the nation Victor Emanuel III, an Italian ruler, was declared to be the head of the coun-
try. Ethiopia is one of the few countries in Africa which were not colonized even though at least
400,000 Italian soldiers were involved in the dispute using brutal tactics such as toxin gas bombs
and slaughter (Pini, 2019).
The rise of the fascist movement was solely because of the violence used. Mussolini and
his followers benefited from the strikers by workers to call for violence (Stevenson, & Cameron,
2018). Between 1919 and 1922, Mussolini utilized paramilitary violence to have Italy destabi-
lized, creating a perception that there was a crisis in leadership, and he was the only ‘savior.’
VIDEO ANALYSIS: BENITO MUSSOLINI 3
Consequently, it became easier for him to undermine the authority of established institutions
such as the judiciary replacing it with the dictatorial ruling (Ebner, 2010). When seeking to con-
quer nations, violence was the most preferred tact for the Italian ruler. Following his totalitarian-
ism regime, Mussolini was able to change the nation’s critical structures. For instance, he altered
the education system with the hope of changing people’s mentality and way of life (Duiker,
2015). Giovanni Gentile became the education minister, a position that befitted him, considering
he was a philosopher and politician and hence suitable to spread the fascism ideology from a
young age via the education system. Gentile was quick to advocate for the use of physical edu-
cation in schools, hoping that there would be an emergence of a physically and healthy fit war-
rior country. Creating a new education system that promoted his ideologies was one of the non-
violent movements Mussolini successfully developed in his reign (Watt, 1981).
Mussolini’s government authority can be assessed through three areas: social, monetary,
and politics. The political understandings he had were supposed to strengthen his capabilities.
Being the chief administrator in the alliance government, he lacks full authority or control, as he
had to deal with 35 other extremists. Thus, to be in complete control, Mussolini had to use effec-
tive strategies for achieving balance and cooperation. One of the strategies was forming an ad-
ministration that pleased the majority of the people (Stevenson, & Cameron, 2018). As a result,
Mussolini assumed control of all the significant positions in the government. Using threats to
muscle his way into what he wanted was a norm. For example, during the first speech, he made it
clear that dissolving the parliament was not an option if there was no adequate participation.
Through manipulation and propaganda, he requested to have full authority for a year, and this
was granted by parliament (Eatwell, 2011). In 1923, there was the formation of the fascist Great
Council, which acted as the fundamentalist party governing body. The council was an essential
VIDEO ANALYSIS: BENITO MUSSOLINI 4
element in his leadership as it was involved in making critical decisions. The Nazi’s ousted the
police and were directly controlled by Mussolini. Political rivals were captured, but no action
was taken against MSVN, National Fascist Party’s paramilitary wing. Political opponents of
Mussolini were imprisoned, beaten, arrested, and at times killed as he sought to consolidate
power.
In 1925, Mussolini would show tyrannical power calling for an end to freedom of expres-
sion and free press. He assumed the title of Duce, where it was possible to pass laws without
consultations with the parliament (Duiker, 2015). The military and other people in leadership
roles within the government were expected to make a solemn devotion vow to him. Mussolini
would also make Italy become a single state party where no other ideological group except the
fascist was allowed. Individuals in parliament seen as resistors were ousted, and any delegation
of persons had to have the consent of Mussolini. Economic strategies by Mussolini were built to
have individuals receive the necessary help they required to survive. For instance, in 1924, the
Southern Problem struggles meant to eradicate the poverty in Sicily, and southern Italy turned
out to be a disappointment. The developmental plans were not actualized, and greedy individuals
stole the monies (Pini, 2019). The devastation of south Italy would be the start of the fall of Mus-
solini.
References
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