MUSSULINI

He wanted to gain power at any cost. At one time he was the most powerful leader in Europe. He wanted to be the modern Julius Caesar of Rome and waved his hands after his way. Hitler, Churchill, Roosevelt, and Allama Iqbal, name any who was not his fan? His admirers would kill the opponent at his sign and then hang him in the square. The time turned its side and he was also hanged upside down in the same square. I am "Woh Kaun Tha" I will show you the story of a fascist. When Mussolini was in school, he would hit children with knives. He was a bully in school therefore he was expelled from every second school. When he grew up, the stubborn boy, who was disliked by everyone developed an attractioniveness. It was due to his impressive personality and confidence in discussion. This tall and strong man had a great charm in his discourse. He would become the central attraction of every gathering. But he was captivated by the personality of Karl Marx. How much he was influenced by Karl Marx can be gauged by the fact... ...that when in search of a job he went from Italy to Switzerland, he was absolutely pennyless. But he only had a picture of Karl Marx with him. For the first few months in Switzerland, he did odd jobs. Then he got a job in a trade union. His job was to propagandize in favour of trade unions. Mussolini was an avid reader and a glib-tongued person. So his propaganda became popular. However, this propaganda was not liked by the Swiss government. Mussolini was also arrested when Switzerland launched a crackdown on the socialists. And then, as always, it happened. He attained more popularity after his arrest. Even in his native Italy, he got immense publicity in the media. After being released from prison, Mussolini returned to Italy and became a schoolmaster. As he could not become a good student, he also failed to become a good teacher. So he left the job and turned to the trade unions. However, by then Switzerland also had Italy like problem. The government was not happy with the trade unions, so he was put behind bars. In 1909, when he was freed for a while, he fell in love with the 16-year-old daughter of his father's former lover. Mussolini's love affair was successful and the two became life partners. Mussolini was a well-known writer for Communist newspapers. But in 1912, he launched his own newspaper "La lotta di Classe." It means "class struggle". This newspaper became so popular that the socialists made him the editor of another newspaper "Avanti." It means, forward or progressive. Mussolini was such a prolific editor that he doubled Avanti's publication in no time. Now he has become not only an editor but also an active member of the Socialist Party. Mussolini was on his way to becoming a great revolutionary. But in the meantime the First World War broke out and Mussolini saw a new way to fulfill his ambitions. Socialists were against the war. So initially Mussolini strongly opposed war. But he saw the rich sections of the country investing in the war he also began to support the war. His socialist colleagues opposed him saying they were against the war. In such a situation, Mussolini told him a sentence from Karl Marx that "Revolution comes only after war." However, the socialist class was not satisfied with Mussolini's answer. Mussolini was stripped of his newspaper editorship and expelled from the party. This was the moment when Mussolini developed a deep hatred for the socialists. Perhaps he no longer needed them as he had found capitalist allies to support the war. These were the capitalists who were making money during the war by selling arms and other goods. Now Mussolini did two things. First, he spoke to arouse war craze among people and secondly, he equipped himself with arms and reached the battlefield. When the war ended, Italy and the Allies had won. When Mussolini returned from the battlefield, he was received like a conqueror. Now, his stature became much higher. After the World War, Italy had grievances against its allies France and Great Britain. That is, Italy got a very small share of the conquered territories. That is, Austria and a small part of Jordan were given to Italy. Most of the territories grabbed from the Ottoman Empire, such as Syria, Iraq and others, were shared by France and Britain. The great financial crisis that arose during the war also became a disaster for Italy. Mussolini took advantage of the financial crisis caused by the war. Instead of telling people about the sufferings and crises of wars, he began to do politics on the economic situation. He played a dangerous game and incited people to rebel against the system to get personal fame. He said Italy needed a dictator to raise its prestige in the world. Because the current system has disgraced Italy in the world. It was a fact that Mussolini had a full part in the war that led Italy to this state. However, his charm and charismatic personality made a small passionate section as his staunch supporter. He spoke of the superiority of Italian nationalism and these words touched the hearts of his admirers. A year after the war, in 1919, more than 200 ex-soldiers and political activists gathered in Milan, Italy. They formed a political party based on Mussolini's philosophy and made Mussolini their leader. Mussolini named this party the Fascist Party, which stood for a bundle of rods. The party was named so as Mussolini saw it as a group of fighters who would bring about a revolution. The party name corresponded with the party symbol of a bundle of rods and an axe with it. The Fascist Party was divided into political fascists and military fascists. Militant fascists for wearing black shirts, became known as the Black Shirts in Europe. Mussolini had founded his Party, but it still lacked a thing. It was a nationalist party that needed a rival to increase to add to its power,... ...by holding it responsible for all problems to foment public hatred against it and then use it in need. Luck favoured Mussolini as he didn't have to think too hard to find a rival. As his old love, Karl Marx and the ideology of socialism, were before him as his rivals. Then socialists in Italy were holding demonstrations and strikes for their rights that brought work in factories to a standstill. Mussolini held the socialists responsible for Italy's problems through their demonstrations and strikes which halted the progress. Fascists soon waged open war against socialist groups. Trade union offices were set on fire and hundreds of socialists were killed. The government was a silent spectator in all this catastrophe. Because the government itself was fed up with the strikes of the working class. The government was also happy inwardly that an organisation had volunteered to do its job not to make it do anything. But the Fascists didn't know the fight against socialism was just a trailer and the real film was yet to start. As a matter of fact, Mussolini was preparing to take over all of Italy. His speeches testified his desire to be Julius Caesar, the great emperor of the Roman Empire in BC. Thus, naively or ignorantly, the government shot its own foot by providing an opportunity to Mussolini. Mussolini's armed wing, the Black Shirts, began occupying cities. By 1920, most of Italy was virtually under Fascist control, and the writ of government was nowhere to be found. Two years later, Mussolini gave an ultimatum to the government to step down and hand over the government to him. Otherwise, his supporters would march on Rome and seize power by force. This declaration of Mussolini actually meant an invasion and occupation of the capital of Italy. On October 28, 1922, thousands of armed workers of the Fascist Party, the Black Shirts, gathered outside Rome. They were waiting for a call from their leader who was waiting for someone else at his headquarters in Milan. And then came the telegram he had been waiting for. Mussolini was extremely happy after reading the telegram. Because he no longer needed to march on Rome. Italy's army was subordinate to the king, not the prime minister, and King Emmanuel III wrote that... ...Mussolini would be made the prime minister if he abandoned march on Rome. Mussolini reached Rome well-dressed, met the king and took over as the prime minister. He also stipulated that he would have dictator-like powers for one year. The Fascist Party had become a whole army and the king was helpless. So he accepted all the conditions. After becoming a dictator, Mussolini formed his cabinet which included the majority of new workers of his party, Even many were not party workers at the root. "Just see the shades of the politics...the fruit at destination went to those who were not participants of joureny" Mussolini openly rigged the parliamentary elections in 1924 and got his candidates elected by force. Mussolini's members were in a majority in Parliament. It made it easy for him to change the law so he became a permanent dictator and not for a year. The biggest problem for Mussolini was his fiery speeches in the past. Since he presented himself as a solution to every problem in Italy, so he must be elected to power. Now as a ruler, he realised if he did not fulfil promises to the people, Italy would soon be sick of him. So he focused all his attention on the establishment of peace and development. He also made it known that he was a religious man to gain public support. To prove his religious devotion, he took many actions. One was his recognition of Vatican City, the centre of Christianity near Rome, as an independent state. Since then Vatican City has been known as the smallest country in the world. Along with showing his religious devotion, he also punished his opponents. He banned the media and trade unions and arrested the socialist activists. When Mussolini became the ruler of Italy, the world was passing through a critical phase. A communist revolution had taken place in Soviet Russia which was an extreme form of socialism. Therefore, the European powers and the US were making everyone their ally which could help them crush socialism. It might be the reason Mussolini's coming to power was warmly welcomed by the Western powers. The spiritual leader of Christians, Pope XI, declared Mussolini a Saint by the Providence. British politician Winston Churchill, who later became Prime Minister, called Mussolini the greatest living jurist. Roosevelt on becoming the American president, termed Mussolini as the representative of world peace and its greatest ally. It was the strong impact of Mussolini that Allama Iqbal also met him in Italy when he came to London for the Round Table Conference in 1931. After the meeting, Allama Iqbal was so impressed by Mussolini's personality that he wrote a poem in his praise. Mussolini's admirers included not only Allama Iqbal, Churchill and Roosevelt... ...but also a young German ex-soldier who wanted to follow in Mussolini's footsteps. His name was Adolf Hitler. Hitler took advantage of Mussolini's fascism to create its more dangerous form, Nazism. According to him, the German nation was declared the best and superior in the world. Hitler had great respect for Mussolini. When he took over the power of Germany in 1933, he had close ties with Mussolini's dictatorship. in return, Mussolini supported Hitler by relieving many Jews of their jobs, arresting them and handing them over to Hitler. Mussolini considered Hitler to be his ally but on a personal level, he did not like him very much. When Hitler visited Italy in 1934, the two leaders were in a car outside... ...Hitler asked Mussolini to give Austria to Germany. When Mussolini refused, Hitler got angry. With a long face, both came out of the car. Later when Mussolini was asked what the matter was, his reply was "Hitler is nothing but a little crazy clown". However, after some time, Mussolini gave Austria to Germany, which improved the relationship between the two. Mussolini now began to think beyond Italy's borders. In 1935, he captured the African country of Ethiopia with the help of Hitler. A few years later, he also occupied Albania, a small country in Europe. On the other hand, Mussolini's friend Hitler was starting World War II due to his radical ideas and was winning. His successes in Poland and France made Mussolini jealous. He did not want Hitler to single-handedly take away all of Europe, so he also jumped into World War II. First, he invaded Greece. The Greco-Italian War is one of the most interesting battles of World War II. A power like Italy on one side and a weak country like Greece on the other. Mussolini generously offered the Greek politicians and generals riches if they handed Greece over to him. Greece was a weaker country than Italy but still could not be conquered by greed. When angry Mussolini with a craze for victory invaded Greece, the Greek army gave him a befitting reply. The Italian army was forced to flee. Not only that, but the Greek army followed the Italians and went inside Albania. Great Britain, an ally of Greece, also started destroying Italian ships. Now Mussolini was quite perplexed and called for the help of the same friend he had once called the Crazy Little Clown. When he asked for help, Hitler lectured Mussolini on invading Greece without consulting him. Mussolini somehow managed to cool down Hitler and persuaded him to help him. In 1941, the German army in aid of Mussolini, invaded Greece and in just three weeks conquered it and raised its flag. But the Greek defeat was the first crack in Mussolini's charismatic personality. Now the popular trust in him began to erode. As Mussolini's charisma began to dilute in his own country, the rival forces got power. Within three years, Mussolini's forces suffered crushing defeats in Somalia, Ethiopia, North Africa and Russia. The last straw on the camel's back was the American and British invasion of the Italian island of Sicily in 1943. And this time, the charismatic Mussolini could only pose as a silent spectator. A meeting of the Fascist Grand Council was held on this. The meeting decided to remove Mussolini from power to escape the enmity of America and Great Britain. So Mussolini was dismissed. Mussolini refused to accept the decision, as he was a dictator in his own right. He still believed that the government belonged to him. So he ignored the decision of the party and the council and reached his office the next day. The King of Italy had also turned against him and the continuous defeats weakened the Black Shirts. On the orders of the king, Mussolini was arrested and imprisoned in a mountain area far from the capital. When the news of Mussolini's arrest became public, the atmosphere of fear was instantly over. People began tearing down statues of Mussolini and defacing his pictures across the country. In such a situation, Mussolini's same Crazy Friend came to his help. Hitler sent commandos to free him and bring him to Munich, Germany. Hitler's army then occupied northern Italy and installed Mussolini as its ruler. The same Mussolini who until yesterday dreamed of establishing the Roman Empire... ..and wanted to see himself as conquerors like Julius Caesar, Augustus and Constantine was now a puppet of Hitler. On this, Mussolini's former admirer Churchill said, "The position of a Mussolini is now like a parasite or a slave of Hitler." Time passed and the year 1945 came. The German, who had initially proved to be the greatest player of World War II, was now fleeing the battlefield. Hitler's forces were retreating everywhere and Mussolini being supported by Hitler, began to lose help. When Hitler's defeat was certain, Mussolini decided to flee Italy. This picture before you is said to be the last of Mussolini alive. On April 26, a convoy of German soldiers and civilians was going to seek refuge in Switzerland, including an elderly couple. A 61-year-old soldier with a German Air Force helmet on his head and an overcoat on his body. The soldier was accompanied by a 33-year-old woman who appeared to be his daughter but was actually his lover. The next day the convoy reached the lakeside town of Dongo, 25 km from Switzerland, and an armed group of socialists stopped it. After the defeat of the Germans, the socialists were now powerful... ...and were killing Mussolini's supporters one by one. They were also desperately looking for Mussolini as they were to settle many scores with him. When the convoy was searched, someone recognized this old German soldier. This old man was, in fact, Benito Mussolini, accompanied by his beloved Clara Pattacci. She had sworn to be with him till death. The socialists were frenzied over the arrest of Mussolini. They imprisoned both of them in a farmhouse. When the sun rose the next day, the armed men took them to a nearby village. There the couple was ordered to stand against a stone wall. Mussolini was convinced that he would not be left alive, so he told the gun-wielding socialist soldier... ..." be careful not to miss the target and the fire must hit straight in the heart". It also goes that Mussolini was quiet at the last moment and uttered no words. This was the man who straightened the gun and shot Mussolini dead. The bodies of Mussolini, his mistress and other fascists were brought back to Milan, which he ruled only a few days ago. These bodies were thrown in the city square like garbage. It was the city where Mussolini founded the Fascist Party. It was the city where Mussolini, with the help of Hitler, formed the last government. In the same city and the same square Mussolini had dumped the bodies of 13 socialist workers only 8 months ago. Now in the same square and the city, the dead bodies of Mussolini and his associates were lying,... ...which were being watched and desecrated by millions of people. Even the bodies were hung upside down and stoned. Some other supporters of Mussolini were also brought there, beaten and hanged along with Mussolini. Among them was one Ashley Staurus... ..who had once declared Mussolini a god. He was specifically brought before Mussolini's body and told, "Behold the end of your god." But Ashley was so firm in his ideals that he did not fear death and paid his last salute to his dead leader. Then he too was shot and hanged along with Mussolini. Mussolini's body was buried in a cemetery outside the city, but this body also became a problem for Italy. It happened that Mussolini's opponents used to visit his grave and trample and desecrate it. On April 19, 1946, some of Mussolini's supporters dug his grave and took out his body. They bathed the dead body and took it with them. They left a note on the grave that they could not bear the desecration of their leader by the communists. They also wrote, "our leader you are with us now we will cover you with roses". "But the fragrance of your virtues will overpower even those roses". The government on learning about it, started the search for the body. After months in August, the government recovered Mussolini's remains from a synagogue in Milan. Years later Adone Zoli became Prime Minister of Italy. He handed over the remains to Donna Rachele, Mussolini's widow, to gain the support of right-wing politicians. In 1957, the remains were buried in the Mussolini family cemetery in Romagna. A statue of Mussolini and party symbols were also installed on the grave. A black plaque now stands at the spot where Mussolini was shot. One of Mussolini's sons, Romano Mussolini, became a famous Italian pianist and film producer. Mussolini's granddaughter Alessandra Mussolini has been a member of the European Parliament in Italy. A portrait of Mussolini is installed in the Milan railway station, although someone has removed the eyes of the portrait. Fascist ideology is considered unacceptable in the world today. While a section of Italy still believes that Mussol

ini, the founder of the Fascist Party, is right. This group hold