Mussolini: A Biography

An unflinching portrait of a supreme opportunist. Although Mussolini considered himself a man of destiny, he program consisted of little more than aggression overseas, suppression at home, and an aping of Hitler's racial laws. In the end, that "destiny" led to his nation's collapse and his own destruction. MUSSOLINI Contents Illustrations Preface 1 Boyhood, 1883-1901 2 The Socialist 3 War and Peace 4 The Fascist Movement 5 The Conquest of Power 6 The Matteotti Crisis 7 Fascist Government At Work 8 Mussolini As Leader 9 Consolidation and Achievement 10 In Search of Strife 11 War Policy 12 The Axis With Germany 13 Alliance With Germany 14 The Second World War 15 Defeat, 1940-3 16 The Fall From Power 17 The Republic of Salò Notes List of Works Cited in the Notes Index Bibliography: p. 389-416. A political biography exploring Mussolini's career including his childhood, his leadership of Italy, his weaknesses, and his military miscalculations The Mussolini who emerges from Denis Mack Smith's political biography is the supreme opportunist, more actor than statesman, with policies shaped chiefly by events.