HOW BENITO MUSSOLINI BECAME THE FIRST FACE OF FASCISM
“Mussolini had an imposing presence, with a powerful physique and almost hypnotic oratorical style – an effective blend of charismatic and callous”
Alongside Adolf Hitler, the name of Benito Mussolini is inextricably linked with the rise of fascism in 20th-century Europe. But in his youth, Mussolini was an ardent socialist. Even his name had left-wing connotations: born on 29 July 1883 in the Italian town of Predappio, his parents christened him Benito, after a liberal Mexican president, and gave him two middle names, Amilcare and Andrea, in homage to two Italian
