Benito Mussolini was Italy's firs Fascist dictator. He had many influences in his life which contributed to his political success as a fascist dictator. Mussolini and his fascist political party believed in ruling Italy using a system of extreme right-wing dictatorial government. The Italian people were annoyed with the current government so it was a good time for Mussolini to promote his political views. Hitler and Mussolini supported each other, however as the years went by, Benito Mussolini became more and more influenced by Hitler. The rise of Benito Mussolini and his political party played a critical role in the growth of fascism as well as Italy's decision to side with Germany in World War 2.
Before Benito Mussolini and his fascist regime came to power, Italy was in a horrible state. Italy had suffered badly during the First World War having lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers and the country was heavily in debt. Britain and France promised extra land for the Italian government during the war but when World War 1 ended this land was not given to them. The Italian government was promised extra land by Britain and France during the war but when World War 1 ended this land was not given to them. This made the Italian government feel like they were being ignored. Unemployment rose and led to unrest in many cities in Italy. People were ready for a change. When Benito Mussolini formed his fascist party and promoted himself as a strong man who could resolve Italy's problems, the Italian people threw their support behind him. Mussolini promised to rebuild Italy. He organized armed gangs called the Blackshirts who dealt with troublemakers and criminals. .
Mussolini was the son of a poor Blacksmith and his mother was a teacher. In Mussolini's early years, his father influenced him with his socialist beliefs. He became a teacher and taught for 1 year before moving to Switzerland where he greatly increased his knowledge of fascism.