Timeline Description: Benito Mussolini was an Italian dictator before and during World War II. He was captured but then rescued from prison. He was eventually killed by the Allied Powers.
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1883 | Benito is born Benito Mussolini was born in Italy. His father was a socialist, and he was named after and raised with strong socialist beliefs. |
| 1901 | Mussolini's early career After making good grades in school, Mussolini moved into a career in teaching. He became an elementary school master in 1901. |
| 1903 | Emigration and arrest Mussolini left Italy to avoid military service, and he relocated to Switzerland. While there, he studied and became active in the Italian socialist movement, and he was eventually arrested for spreading propaganda. |
| 1905 | Military work Upon returning home after his arrest, Mussolini found himself forced to enlist in the military in Italy. He served dutifully for two years. |
| 1910 | Mussolini the author Mussolini began writing and distributing socialist essays and even a novel. His name and prominence as a socialist grew. |
| 1914 | World War I When the war broke out, much of Italy supported the war. Socialist in Italy did not support war, but Mussolini took a stand for it, though it was for his own selfish purposes. |
| 1922 | The March on Rome After years of seeking support and raising funds, Mussolini and his followers stormed the Prime Minister in Rome. They took over power from the king and began setting up a new form of government. |
| 1923 | The Start of a new government Mussolini had much of the nation's support in the beginning. He passed laws and made changes that pleased nationalists, liberals, and others, causing the people to place more trust in him. |
| 1925 | Small changes toward dictatorship Not everyone loved Mussolini, and a few on the opposing side tried proving he had been dishonest in his political dealings. Mussolini came clean, admitting not all of his dealings had been democratic. |
| 1926 | A movement toward Italy's youth In order to spread his beliefs, Mussolini took control of the Italian schools. He began teaching his doctrine in order to raise generations of citizens who believed as he did. |
| 1927 | A Police State Over a period of 2-3 years, Mussolini slowly changed laws, giving himself more and more power. By 1927 he had power to do whatever he pleased, making the nation into a police state. |
| 1935 | Gaining control of the business sector By changing laws over time, Mussolini was able to gain control of many of the Italian businesses. He claimed to control over two-thirds of the businesses in Italy by 1935. |
| 1940 | World War II Mussolini had been strongly influenced by Hitler over the years, and when World War II broke out, Mussolini sided with Germany. The Allied powers of Britain and later America would soon come after Mussolini. |
| 1945 | Mussolini's capture and death Italians grew steadily unhappier with Mussolini's rule until they finally fired him from his rule as supreme leader in 1942. He was captured by Allied powers in 1943, but escaped, and in 1945 he was captured once again where he was shot and killed. |