Benito Mussolini, the dictator of Italy during the early 20th century, is a much-forgotten character from world history. When we think of tyrants and despicable thugs, we often jump right to Adolf Hitler. Few people know that Mussolini was idolized by Hitler. Hitler loved Mussolini’s style and used much of his doctrine as his own.
As a politician, he openly stated that he could tell the people anything, and they’d believe it; the more outrageous, the better. He also admitted that later he could tell the people the exact opposite, and they’d believe that too. Exaggeration, sleight of hand, and downright lying were his calling cards. Many of the tactics used by today’s politicians were developed by a man whose name we barely recognize.
In his younger years, he was picked up by the Swiss police for begging, and in their official report, they commented that he was,
“Ill and with no desire to work.”
He was handy with the women and would move between two, Ida and Rachele. They both helped to support him in his early days as a writer, working on political newspapers. Later, he would marry Ida but could never settle with one woman. To fix this problem, he had all records of her existence expunged, as though she had never been born. She spent her remaining years in an insane asylum. He had his son, Benito Albino expunged in the same manner and then sent him to an orphanage.
His ability to speak and sway an audience opened the doors for him in ways he could never achieve by his own abilities. He bragged about how he could win a debate with anyone, on any topic. It wasn’t that; he just beat them down until they gave up.
Toward the end of WWII, Mussolini and his mistress, Clara, were caught trying to flee Italy. Knowing she and Mussolini would be executed, she asked that she not be shot in the face and not tell Benito. The following day they were both executed, and their bodies were dumped in the street.
Discovered by the towns folks, their bodies were dragged through the streets and then hung up by their feet at an Esso garage.
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