From 1922 to 1943, Italy is known as the Fascist Italy, which is the time when the National Fascist Party governed with Benito Mussolini as head of State.
The Fascism in Italy bornt right after the Russian Revolution of 1917. In 1920, the workers took over the factories because of the threat of the coming to power of communism. It’s leader was Benito Mussolini. In 1923 he founded the Fascio di Combattimento. Among others, his proposals were to let women vote and that the working hours should be reduced to eight hours a day.
Then, Mussolini created the “Black Shirts”, this group was formed by bullies, nationalist intellectuals, former army officers and young landowners. Mussolini gave an ultimatum against the back then government because of the general strike of the summer of 1922. If the King Victor Manuel III did not act against the strikers, the Black Shirts would be in charge of doing it. With this situation, the Black Shirts began to control the streets of the main Italian cities. Then it took place the famous march to Rome of the fascists. It caused panic in the weak government even it could have had been easily stopped by the 12.000 men that were protecting Rome but they did nothing to prevent it.
Little by little Mussolini managed to get to Rome, and there the King Victor Manuel III handed him the government and designated him prime minister. This action gave power to the fascists. He immediately organized a Fascist State, among its features is included: nationalist, militarist and anti-communist system.
His imperialist zeal led him to invade Ethiopia (1935), Libya (1938) and Albania (1939).
In 1936, Mussolini decided to help Francisco Franco, the spanish’ dictator. Mussolini sent planes and military equipment to Spain.
