Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was born on 29th July 1883 and died on 28th April 1945 when World War II was coming to an end. He was the fascist dictator in Italy from 1922 to 1943. Through propaganda, he was able to create a fascist and anti-democratic state in Italy. He had control of local media and used that opportunity to disassemble the democratic government system that existed in peace.
Mussolini was very aggressive during the Second World War. According to the history of World War II, when this war approached, he made it clear that he wanted to annex Corsica, Malta and Tunis. After a brief struggle in April 1939, he occupied Albania. It is also said that he failed to realize that he would gain more by holding on power balance in Europe but instead opted to rely on bluff and bluster policy to provoke Western democracies to heed to his growing territorial demands. Italy’s military buildup began before other world powers, and was at more of a disadvantage. This is because by this time, Italy’s military invasion was becoming obsolete. When Adolf Hitler invaded Poland leading to World War II, his army was unprepared and hence opted to remain ‘nonbelligerent’. This is because he wanted to be quite certain of the side that would win before he committed to his next move.
After the fall of France, Mussolini declared war on 8th June 1940, with hopes that the war had only some few weeks before its end. He attacked Greece in October, which was said to have been a military disaster. His position in Greece was threatened, thus the need for assistance from German troops. Following in the footsteps of Adolf Hitler, in June 1941, Mussolini declared war on the Soviet Union and later, in December the same year, he declared war on the United States. Italy was defeated on all fronts, which later culminated to the landing of Anglo-Americans in Sicily in 1943. Following this defeat, Mussolini’s colleagues who included Conte Ciano, as well as his son-in-law, turned against him during Fascist Grand Council meeting on 25th July 1943. This gesture made it possible for the King to dismiss, and later arrest him. He was sent to Gran Sasso, which was a mountain recovery in the center of Italy (Abruzzo) where he was isolated.
Mussolini was later rescued by Germans under Otto Skorzeny’s spectacular raid. He set up a RSI- Republican Fascist State in North Italy. In this republic, he went back to his collectivisation and socialism ideas. He also executed some fascist leaders who abandoned him, including his son-in-law. Before allied armies had reached Milan on 28th April 1945, Mussolini and Claretta Petacci (his mistress), were caught and shot on the spot by Italian partisans while heading for Chiavenna, where they were to board an escape plane to Switzerland. His 16-man escort was not spared either as they too were shot. Together with Mussolini, their bodies were hung in Milan (Paizzale Loreto). His death weakened German forces which were later defeated, leading to the end of World War II.