Extra Time – didn’t finish
It is applicable through a number of factors that Mussolini utilised terror and depended on these measures in order to gain control over Italy. He organised a secret police called the OVRA, whereby dissidents were spied upon and severely beaten up as well as often being imprisoned without trial. This created much fear for citizens and opponents, leading them to be faithful to Fascism, and so Mussolini was able to take control of Italy by asserting terror and punishment. Often, a few individuals would be assaulted to remind other that conformity is the safest option, which meant that many would go along with Fascist ideas to avoid abuse. Fascist squads estimated to have murdered 2,000 opponents by 1926 due to the ban of political activity outside the Fascist part and imposition of press censorship. These killings were a demonstration for others that if you went against Mussolini and the Fascist party, you would be severely punished, which repelled many from going against Fascism and thus giving Mussolini control.
The National Fascist Party (PNF) was also a tool that Mussolini took advantage of. After Mussolini’s declaration that the Fascist government would be a ‘toleration’, he then relied on the police, courts, civil service and the army to maintain law and order, which installed fear in much of Italy. The PNF was to serve the Duce, which meant that this infliction of fear on Italy gave Mussolini the control he desired. By the end of 1928, Mussolini organised a further purge of Fascists suspects of disloyalty, this created terror for those within the party, which catalysed the total subservience and obedience the party had towards him, giving the Duce further control.
Anti-Semitic measures were another application of terror for Mussolini’s quest for control. He was eventually persuaded that there was a Jewish influence behind the resistance