The Diabolical Things Benito Mussolini Did During His Reign

Beneath the azure skies of the Mediterranean, a dark cloud of tyranny and violence gathered. This was Fascist Italy, a nation where Benito Mussolini's iron-fisted rule smothered the voice of dissent and liberty. It was a time marked by the infamous years between the 1920s and 1940s, where the boot of fascism stomped upon the face of humanity.

One cannot forget the bombing of Guernica on April 26, 1937, a horrific act of aggression during the Spanish Civil War. Orchestrated by the German Luftwaffe with support from the Italian Aviazione Legionaria and the Corpo Truppe Volontarie, which comprised regular army units and Blackshirts from the Fascist paramilitary, this event remains a stark reminder of the brutality of totalitarian regimes. Vividly immortalized in Pablo Picasso's painting 'Guernica', it continues to symbolize the devastation of war.

But the horrors did not end there. Mussolini's conquest of Ethiopia in 1935 was a chapter stained by the indiscriminate use of chemical weapons, such as mustard gas, against combatants and civilians alike. The skies of Ethiopia wept with the poison of oppression, as countless innocents suffered under the tyranny of conquest.

It was in this era of brutality and moral darkness that Haile Selassie, the Emperor of Ethiopia, stood before the League of Nations on June 30, 1936, and voiced a prophecy that would echo through the ages: "It is us today. It will be you tomorrow." These words, a dire warning of the contagious nature of fascist aggression, resonate with chilling clarity. Can you imagine the despair and hopelessness that gripped the hearts of those who suffered under the shadow of fascism?

Join us as we unravel the cruel tapestry of Fascist Italy's atrocities. We delve into a time where ambition and cruelty walked hand in hand, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake. Welcome to the diary of Julius Caesar.

The Dawn of Despotism. Mussolini's March to Power.

In the tumultuous aftermath of World War I, Italy was a nation in turmoil. The seeds of discontent, sown by economic strife and political instability, found fertile ground in the disillusioned Italian populace. It was in this cauldron of chaos that Benito Mussolini, a former socialist turned radical nationalist, began his inexorable rise to power, culminating in the birth of Fascist Italy.

The year 1919 marked a pivotal moment in this journey. Italy, though on the victorious side of the Great War, felt betrayed by the Paris Peace Conference. Italians expected territorial gains promised in the Treaty of London (1915), but the outcome was bitterly disappointing, giving rise to the term "mutilated victory." This nationalistic grievance was a critical element that Mussolini exploited.

Mussolini's Fascist Party, founded in 1919, capitalized on the widespread disillusionment. They promised to revive Italy's economy, restore its national pride, and stabilize the political chaos. The Fascist ideology, a unique blend of extreme nationalism, militaristic symbolism, and anti-communist sentiment, resonated with many, particularly in the war-torn northern regions.

00:00 Benito Mussolini and Fascist Italy
2:11 Mussolini's March to Power
6:10 The Iron Grip of Il Duce
10:13 The 1938 Racial Laws and the Jewish Plight in Italy
13:49 The Forgotten Italian Concentration Camps
17:04 Propaganda in Mussolini's Italy
21:22 The Axis Bet and Its Aftermath
25:14 The Forgotten Atrocities of Italian Forces
28:56 OVRA and the Rise of Fascist Surveillance
32:30 Italy's Role in the Spanish Civil War
36:19 Italy's War Against Partisans
39:59 Political Dissent in Fascist Italy
43:41 The Italian Social Republic and the Holocaust
47:44 The Fall of a Dictator

[leephil]

My father was a P-38 pilot during WW2 and was shot down on 25 Aug 1943 over Foggia Italy. He was captured by the Italian’s and put in an Italian POW camp. Later he was transferred to German control and moved to Stalag Luft 3. I asked my father which POW camp was worse. While both were terrible, my father did not hesitate to say the Italian POW camp was worse. Very few allied soldiers survived Italian POW camps is why you never hear about them.

[robertte]

Outstanding commentary and presentation of the Mussolini era - this period is rarely examined and largely unknown because of the dominance of events in Germany. My dad is now 88 and was but a five year old school boy in the first few years of WWII, living in northern Italy. He remembers getting all dressed up in semi military looking school uniform for a visiting dignitary - that visitor was Mussolini. He has lived in Australia since 1955 but despite his young age, remembers the years under Mussolini like yesterday. How history is all connected! Perth - Western Australia.

[dalemcguff]

As a retired TV producer and ww2 history fan, I was absolutely amazed to see such a sophisticated and we'll researched documentary. I've never seen anything like this!!!
Well done!

[MGWohl]

This is an outstanding presentation on an aspect of fascism that seems to have been grossly neglected. The presenter needs to be complimented for this outstanding and informative work.

[kenhnsy]

Every American must watch this and understand what can happen today.
The Constitution can easily fall.

[markjohnson]

Most people don't realize old Benito was Hitler's role model. Hitler adored him. Mussolini looked at Hitler (in the early days) as the little Austrian wimp. When they first met after Hitler gained power, Mussolini thought he was a nut.

[arneophyte]

This was possibly the best thing I have seen on Youtube. I rarely cry. My Grandfather fled Italy. He then learned about airplanes in America and was a early contributor to Skunk Works

[MrZeissOne]

Excellent documentary. Well researched, written and narrated. This filled in a lot of gaps for me. Thanks!

[mikesparrow]

JC - Excellent narration as always - you deserve 2 million followers-all one has to do to appreciate your deliveries is listen to one of your movies - thanks a bunch for the continued education!

[susand]

...and yet, looking at world events in 2024, I don't think (most) people have learnt anything from the lessons of the past. 😢

[bartofilms]

My high school Algebra teacher, Ret. US Army Col. Vernon Gilbert, a West Point Graduate, once casually told us he ‘was there’, when Mussolini was strung up in Milano. He told us, There’s only one thing that Communists & Fascists respect, and that is Military Power and the Demonstrated Willingness to Use It, if necessary.

[thequickbrownfox]

Looks awfully familiar... kinda like a script being followed today.

[tommyfox]

Does any of this sound at all familiar to anyone else

[Andrew-mvqb]

The same playbook is playing out across the west

[judithcampbell]

My mother-in-law was Italian, long gone now, she met n married a scotchman. What a temper she had! God bless her.
I appreciate your coverage of this important time in our history, it affected us all. 🇺🇸. Thank you 💛 I love your channel, very educational and very well done!!!

[golden]

Well that is an OUT STANDING video as was the watched video before this one, keep them coming and THANK YOU .

[JohnDooley-kb]

The parralles to what is happening today, in plain view. and by politicians who should know better. is frightening!!

[bcgoldminer]

Stunning and absolute attention to detail in the research and narration.
Thank you!

[stevemiecznikowski]

Take extreme caution around people who say “I alone can fix it.” They’re usually the ones behind breaking it in the first place.

[jeanr]

I appreciate hearing about Mussolini, the Italian Fascists and Italy's role in WW II. Interesting and well presented. Love the Diary of Julius Caesar episodes.