BENITO MUSSOLINI

Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the other Muslim League leaders wanted to stir up India's Muslims in order to prevent Indian Independence from Britain unless India were partitioned and the Muslims could have their own nation. At that point the British and the Congress Party of India—the majority political party were both starting to plan for independence. Jinnah and most of the Muslim nationalists did not want to have Muslims in a Majority Hindu nation. To stop it, they first used fear to try and separate the many Indian Muslims who were politically active from their roles in and loyalty to the Congress Party which although Hindu dominated had Muslim members and officials. All the Muslims who were literate were aware of the terrible revelations of the Nazi Concentration Camps and the attempted extermination of all the Jews of Europe. The "party line" of the Muslim League was that once the British turned the government of India over to the Congress Party, they would turn on the Muslims and exterminate them so that India would be all Hindu. There were no such plans or even suggestions be anyone in the Congress party, the paranoia and the conspiracy theory resonated with many Indian Muslims just as conspiracy theories are believed by some people in every society. In this case, the paranoia that was unleashed by the Muslim League would have tragic consequences as with Independence getting closer many Muslims struck out and preemptively attacked and butchered Hindus and Sikhs who retaliated in kind and the butchery went on all through the Independence process and the partition of India to create a Muslim state—Pakistan. Almost 2 million people would be murdered in the sectarian violence that was unleashed.

In addition to the men who feared communism so much that they ignored the then greater menace of Fascism, there was also a small but influential pro Fascist influence in England which included the King who was forced to abdicate as The Duke of Windsor.

Coughlin was a great admirer of Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini and the Fascists. He was one of the American “heroes” in Nazi Germany, receiving assistance from the Nazi government. Between his anti-Semitism and support for Hitler, Fascism and radical socialism, the Vatican ordered him off the air and shut down his political demagoguery.

This was Churchill’s first Radio Address as Prime Minister.

In 1938 beginning his policy of appeasement of the axis powers, Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain, 1869-1940, agreed to negotiate with Benito Mussolini, 1883-1945. Four days before this letter, Cranborne, along with his Foreign Secretary, Anthony Eden, 1897-1977, resigned in protest.

Gramsci had been arrested 2 years earlier by Mussolini along with most of the dictator’s political opponents. Gramsci died in prison.

There were massive strikes in Italy. These strikes began in the engineering factories and soon spread to railways, road transport, and other industries. The strikers, however, did more than just occupy their workplaces, they seized them for themselves. Soon 500,000 strikers were at work, producing for themselves. See {616351} for a description. The question was what next. Malatesta and others recommended that they go on and take over the government and not just try and have better labor conditions and factory operations. He warned that the capitalists and middle class bourgeoisie had been so frightened by the successful national strike that they would even ally with the Fascists who they did not like either. That is how Mussolini and his Fascists came to power.

Pound was not only an admirer of Mussolini and Fascism, but actually was a traitor and became a propagandist for the Axis in WWII. At his treason trial after the war, he had a breakdown and was committed to a mental hospital as he was not fit to stand trial. He was hospitalized for 12 years. Jefferson and Mussolini could not be more opposite in political philosophy.

Many notables of the left and the right supported Mussolini in his early political days. Virtually all of the worst dictators were welcomed by many when they first appeared on the scene. Human nature seems to have us all looking for exceptional leaders and statesmen and that is exactly what the dictator relies upon to acquire power, By the time most recognize the truth, the dictator has control of all the levers of compulsion. Many Americans were fooled just as the Europeans were. For others, see {623202}. {623200} and {623201}.

Virtually all of the worst dictators were welcomed by many when they first appeared on the scene. Human nature seems to have us all looking for exceptional leaders and statesmen and that is exactly what the dictator relies upon to acquire power, By the time most recognize the truth, the dictator has control of all the levers of compulsion. Many Americans were fooled just as the Europeans were. For others, see {623198}, {623200} and {623202}.

English conservatives were so fearful of socialism and communism that they applauded the efforts of even fascist dictators in putting down labor unions or anything that was favored by the left. Even Churchill ignored the anti-democratic and dictatorial behavior of Mussolini, as did many other British conservatives. The very regimes that some of the British aristocracy supported then turned on England and the democratic world and threatened their very existence. Churchill was chastened by the lesson he learned. The quotation also illustrates how political leaders learn and grow from their experiences and actions. Churchill was not prime minister when he sent this communication. For other politicians who made the same error as Churchill see {623198}. {623200} and {623201}.

Mussolini allied with Hitler. Ciano turned out to be right.

The French leader was one of the first to warn against the Fascism that Mussolini brought to Italy. Although most of the French leadership was opposed to Fascism when it came to fighting Fascism, the French later proved feeble, and many became collaborators and adopted the Nazi puppet state of Vichy France.

Fermi and Segre was two of the group of European Scientists who emigrated to the United States and were key to the Manhattan Project developing the Atomic Bomb.

This has been attributed to Mussolini, most recently when this quote was tweeted by Donald Trump who was accused of repeating the words of the fascist dictator. This phrase was first used as a slogan by Italian solders in 1918 at the Battle of the Piave River during World War I. It was also written on the walls of many homes in the area to encourage each other during the battle.