

Mussolini: The First Fascist
2022-10-23 · 54 min / episode · ★ 8.2
Mussolini seized power in Italy in 1922, after his March on Rome. He would hold it in his grasp until his death in 1945, establishing a dictatorship that lasted more than 20 years. Long considered a buffoon and a second-rate dictator, Il Duce invented fascism that was imitated by Hitler, who viewed the Italian as his political master. He wanted to transform his country into a warrior nation and promised Italians a return to the grandeur of the Roman Empire. He governed by violence and trickery and was one of the first populist leaders of modern times, leading his country into the catastrophe of the World War II. But who was Mussolini, this former teacher who came from the extreme left to become a newspaper editor and creator of the Fascist Party? Why did he ally himself with Hitler? Were the Italians really behind him? With archives and interviews with the last-surviving witnesses of the era, this portrait takes a look back at one of the most notorious dictators of the 20th century.
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Production details
- Creators
- Serge de Sampigny
- Production companies
- Histodoc
- Countries
- France
- Status
- Ended
Top Cast
Jacques GamblinNarrator (voice)
Benito MussoliniSelf (archive footage)
Piero GandiniSelf - Son of a fascist industrialist
Santino PicchettiSelf - Former communist deputy
Marta BadoniSelf - Daughter of a fascist industrialist
King Victor Emmanuel III of ItalySelf (archive footage)
Adriano MontiSelf - Fascist activist
Aldo BonucciSelf - Fascist activist
Carlo BenvenutiSelf - Son of a fascist activist
Silvana Ajò CagliSelf - Victim of Mussolini
Antonio TombesiSelf - Fascist activist
Lidia MenapaceSelf - Anti-fascist resistant
Edda Ciano MussoliniSelf (archive footage)Title information and images are supplied by TMDb. Explore our discovery guide for advice on comparing metadata and legal viewing options.
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