Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was born on July 29, 1883, in Predappio in Italy. This famous journalist and politician was the leader of the National Fascist Party and was the Prime Minister of Italy between 1922 and 1943. Here are some more interesting facts about this infamous world leader.
- Mussolini’s father was a blacksmith and his mother a teacher. He had a brother called Arnaldo and a sister called Edvidge.
- He was expelled from school twice due to his poor behavior at school. Mussolini was known for having a short temper that caused problems throughout his childhood.
- He was forced to move to Switzerland in 1902 due to extreme poverty but returned in 1904 to join the army.
- Like his mother, Benito Mussolini became a school teacher but this career was short-lived.
- When his teaching career ended, he spent his days doing odd-jobs for people to make money. In the evenings, he would attend parties with other socialists.
- In 1909, Mussolini moved to Austria but was thrown out of the country for criticizing militarism and nationalism.
- Benito Mussolini formed his own political party called Fasci di Combattimento, or The Fascist Party, on March 23, 1919. It was made up of small local groups that people had formed after the end of World War I.
- Mussolini led his country to acquire Ethiopia in 1936 after a nasty war. At this time, he was offered support from Adolf Hitler, the leader of the National Socialist German Worker’s Party.
- Initially, Mussolini did not like Hitler. However, the constant support form Hitler made him change his mind and decide to create an alliance with Nazi Germany. On May 22, 1939, the two leaders entered the ‘Pact of Steel’.
- Mussolini and Claretta Petacci, his mistress, attempted to flee to Switzerland from Italy but were captured on April 27, 1945. The couple was executed the following day and their bodies were put on display in a plaza in Milan.
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