Mussolini: The First Fascist

A sober, archive-driven portrait that feels like a grim history lesson on how power is seized and kept.

Created by

Serge de Sampigny

Genres

Documentary, War & politics

Starring

Jacques Gamblin, Benito Mussolini, Piero Gandini

Overview

Mussolini seized power in Italy in 1922, after his March on Rome. He would hold it in his grasp until his death in 1945, establishing a dictatorship that lasted more than 20 years. Long considered a buffoon and a second-rate dictator, Il Duce invented fascism that was imitated by Hitler, who viewed the Italian as his political master. He wanted to transform his country into a warrior nation and promised Italians a return to the grandeur of the Roman Empire. He governed by violence and trickery and was one of the first populist leaders of modern times, leading his country into the catastrophe of the World War II. But who was Mussolini, this former teacher who came from the extreme left to become a newspaper editor and creator of the Fascist Party? Why did he ally himself with Hitler? Were the Italians really behind him? With archives and interviews with the last-surviving witnesses of the era, this portrait takes a look back at one of the most notorious dictators of the 20th century.

How it feels

Dark, tense, earnest and melancholic. Measured and needs your attention.

About

Power, politics, corruption, violence

Content

Mild violence and language. No gore or sexual content.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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