Mussolini & Fascism

by Marco Palla

On October 29, 1922, while the fascist squads marched through the streets of Rome, the king of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III, gave Benito Mussolini the mandate to form a new government. Many believed the fascist period in power would not last long. But the reality turned out quite differently. The march on Rome of the black shirts dealt a decisive blow to the fragile liberal democracy. The murder of Matteotti, the attempt to create a totalitarian state, the annihilation of the opposition, the alliance with Hitler, and the wars in Ethiopia and Spain were the most significant steps of the long journey of the Italian people through dictatorship. Ending with the disaster of the Second World War and the tragic finale of the Republic of Salò, it was an experience that would mark the history of the 20th century and throw its shadow across post-war Italy.

Genres: History

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Marco Palla ha insegnato Storia contemporanea all'Università di Firenze. E' autore e curatore di diverse pubblicazioni sul fascismo.

Reviews

[Mark Wigert]

Well, after I read Alan Furst's The Foreign Correspondent I said I wanted to check out more on Italian fascism and the Italian resistance. This little, illustrated primer gave me an overview of fascism & Mussolini with a little resistance also mixed in. A broad, succinct synopsis that's easy to read, with some primary sources added in with photographs of events, highlighting the major players in Mussolini's rise and fall. So, I'm only slightly more educated on the subject, but just enough for my needs.

[Gianni Mannucci]

Un manuale scorrevole da avere sempre sotto mano per non smettere di ricordare.

[Jean Papillon]

Fascism is alive and well in many countries today and still spreading

[TrumanCoyote]

The best thing about this one was the design--making for a quite attractive little tome.