Francesca Eales KAA 20th October 2004
Why was Mussolini able to become a dictator in 1922?
In modern times, the term "dictator" is generally used to describe a leader who holds an extraordinary amount of personal power. This was, to a certain extent Mussolini, though some do not think that he should be described as a dictator. Mussolini actually still had to answer to the King, who had the final say in important matters, and there were also religious borders to cross.
In 1922, Mussolini came to power as Prime Minister of Italy. Italians believed that his position in office would not last for long, and that he would continue the coalition government and act well within normal constitutional limits until someone more radical was appointed.
There is a debate to whether Mussolini’s supposed dictatorship was actually planned, or whether the power he gained as Prime Minister gave him a thirst to gain greater control. The main reason for the creation of the authoritarian state can be found in the Matteotti crisis. This occurred in 1924, where socialist leader Matteotti was found murdered, and the reaction to this threatened Mussolini’s position. His bold reaction was to suppress his critics, thus showing his power and the need for people to respect it. Also the Ras (powerful local leaders of Fascist squads) put pressure on Mussolini to take more control, and there was a need to it as the publics post-war reaction were more rampant than previously thought. It is thought to be unlikely that Mussolini planned for a dictatorship, as he has been described as a man with little vision or political knowledge and so it is unlikely that he could have maneuvered his way into power deliberately.
