Benito Mussolini, former dictator of Italy, was the leader of the Fascist Party in the early 20th century. As the founder of Italian fascism, he was a major proponent of nationalism, corporatism and expansionism. Mussolini used censorship and propaganda to garner support of Italian citizens and to promote his ideology.http://www.politicsprofessor.com/politicaltheorists/benito-mussolini.php

Mussolini's Fascist Party took power after the March on Rome in March 1919, which ousted then-prime minister Luigi Facta. Prominent supporters of the fascist government turned on Mussolini as the Axis powers suffered defeats nearing the close of World War II. Mussolini was executed in 1945 while attempting to escape to Switzerland.http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/mussolini_benito.shtml

Mussolini was born in 1883 to Alessandro, a blacksmith, and Rosa Mussolini, a schoolteacher, in Predappio, Italy.http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XKUd3Y0GoV8 In 1902, Mussolini immigrated to Switzerland where he studied socialist politics. He returned to Italy two years later and began working for a socialist newspaper, La Lotta di Classe ("The Class Struggle"). He supported Italy's entry into World War I and joined the military service in 1915.http://www.politicsprofessor.com/politicaltheorists/benito-mussolini.php

In March 1919, Mussolini garnered the support of unemployed World War I veterans to form the Fasci de Combattimento, or Fascist Party.http://www.politicsprofessor.com/politicaltheorists/benito-mussolini.php Fascism is an anti-democratic political philosophy that centers on the cult personality of one person. Mussolini formed armed squads called the Black Shirts, who terrorized his political opponents as he attempted to form a dictatorship.http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XKUd3Y0GoV8 With Italy slipping into political chaos, King Victor Emmanuel called on Mussolini to become leader and restore order.http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/mussolini_benito.shtml

By 1925, Mussolini had dismantled parliamentary powers and any remaining facets of democratic government in Italy. Once a pacifist anti-imperialist, Mussolini shifted his foreign policy to aggressive nationalism. Italy invaded Corfa, Albania and Libya, and then defeated Abyssia (now Ethiopia) in a war lasting from 1935 to 1936.http://www.politicsprofessor.com/politicaltheorists/benito-mussolini.php

Leading up to the start of World War II, Mussolini became increasingly cooperative with Nazi Germany, and in 1939 signed the Pact of Steel with Adolf Hitler, which united the economic and military policies of Italy and Germany. Mussolini thus began introducing a similar racial policy into Italy that persecuted Jews and created apartheid within the nation.http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XKUd3Y0GoV8

Pressured to pursue military conquest, Mussolini entered World War II with an unprepared army. Italy suffered defeats to Britain, France, countries in east and north Africa and the Balkans. He was overthrown by his former fascist colleagues in 1943. He tried to flee to Switzerland, but was captured and shot on April 28, 1945.

• July 29, 1883: Born in Predappio, Italy
• 1902: Emigrated to Switzerland
• 1904: Returned to Italy to work as a journalist for socialist paper La Lotta di Classe
• 1912: Appointed editor of the socialist journal Avanti 
• 1914: Expelled from the socialist party, and resigned from Avanti
• 1915: Joined military service to fight in World War I
• 1919: Formed Fascist Party
• 1921: Won seat in Parliament
• 1925: Formed dictatorship over Italy
• 1932: Granted asylum to Ante Pavelic
• 1935: Ordered invasion of Abyssia (Ethiopia)
• 1936: Joined Adolf Hitler in Pact of Steel
• 1939: Invaded and occupied Albania
• 1940: Defeated in wars on Britain, France, north and east Africa and the Balkans
• 1943: Deposed, arrested, imprisoned in Ponza, escaped to Munich
• April 28, 1945: Shot and killed near Lake Comohttp://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/mussolini_benito.shtmlhttp://www.politicsprofessor.com/politicaltheorists/benito-mussolini.php