Benito Mussolini, an inspirational, yet violent man whose ideas inspired even the depraved Hitler during his establishment of the Third Reich. Mussolini rose to power when Italy was in need of a strong leader, though his tight control over Italy ended shortly after Italy's disastrous entry into World War II. Historians today still ponder the complex life of a man who emerged from the ruins of post-war Italy to become the uncontested leader of the world's first fascist nation, Italy, then only to fail where he thought himself best, war.

Rise to Power

Benito Mussolini's early life was not out of the ordinary for an Italian of the time, but it gave a small picture for what was to come. He was born in Dovia di Predappio, in the Italian province of Forli on July 29, 1883. His full name was Benito Amilcaro Andrea Mussolini. According...