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Is Benito Mussolini A Hero Or A Villain?

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Is Benito Mussolini A Hero Or A Villain?
Was Benito Mussolini a Hero or a Villain?
By Rachel Coster
Research Phase:
Primary Sources
A speech made by Mussolini on the 23.3.1939.
PropagandaItaliaFC. (2012). Benito Mussolini - Speech (26.03.1939 Rome) (English subtitle). [Online Video]. 15 April 2012 . Available from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hpn9iPLbNDc. [Accessed: 08 September 2013].
It can be seen from this speech how much the Italian people admired and believed in Mussolini. This is evident when the camera cuts to the crowd and thousands of people from all directions can be seen, yet when Mussolini is speaking it is dead silence as if all of Italy is listening. The speech also shows how he created morale and what sort of words he used to evoke this sort of mass emotion.
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It was at this time when small, pro nationalist groups began to spread all over Italy under the new name of the fascist party which was under the control of one Benito Mussolini. He swiftly began to increase in popularity and he would stop at nothing to get to the top of the political ladder. This-in conjunction to the rest of his life-can be used to make a judgement on whether Benito Mussolini was a man who cared for the renewal of his country and or if he believed that all men were expendable for his well-being. Many historians have come to the conclusion that he was a vein man of evil as he invaded defenceless nations such as Ethiopia in the name of establishing fascism within East Africa. He became the accomplice of Adolf Hitler thereby disregarding the Jewish people. And finally his lust for power and greed brought about the timely fall of his fascist empire. Therefore, it can be said that Benito Mussolini was a vile and self-righteous …show more content…
Furthermore, his hostile invasion and conquest of Ethiopia was carried out in such a manner that the African nation did not stand a chance. Mussolini’s alignment of Hitler also proved that even his own people were expendable as, he initiated laws that were directed towards removing all rights from the Italian Jewish people. And finally, Mussolini’s greed and cowardice was at the expense of not only the Italian people but of the French when a surprise attack was deployed whilst they were weak. Therefore, Mussolini 's misdeeds greatly exceeded what little good he did as a ruler, and what he did was for his own benefit rather than that of his people 's. He was, for all intents and purposes, a

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