Alongside Adolf Hitler, the name of Benito Mussolini is inextricably linked with the rise of fascism in 20th-century Europe. But in his youth, Mussolini was an ardent socialist. Even his name had left-wing connotations: born on 29 July 1883 in the Italian town of Predappio, his parents christened him Benito, after a liberal Mexican president, and gave him two middle names, Amilcare and Andrea, in homage to two Italian socialists. Following an unruly childhood – he was kicked out of two schools for attacking students with a penknife – Mussolini spent time in Switzerland writing for socialist newspapers and even going to prison for the cause.
Mussolini salutes the statue of Roman emperor Nerva, in the 1930s
His socialism crumbled, however, in the face of World War I. By 1914, Mussolini had become a leading left-wing figure in Italy, and as editor of the socialist newspaper Avanti! (Forward!), he oversaw a huge increase in the paper’s circulation. Mussolini had initially argued vociferously against Italy’s involvement in the war, but a sudden change of heart caused consternation among his fellow socialists, who called for his expulsion from the party. Committing to a different kind of politics, Mussolini formed his own right-wing newspaper and served in the trenches with the Bersaglieri, the sharpshooters, until he was wounded. He returned home a fledgling fascist, and in 1919 set up the Fascist Party, with himself as leader.