Who was the Prime Minister of Italy between 1922 and 1943?

Known in Italy as 'Il Duce' (the Leader), Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) became the Prime Minister of Italy in 1922. Under his fascist dictatorship, Italy allied with Nazi Germany and Japan during World War II.

As a young adult, Mussolini started writing for socialist newspapers, critiquing the Italian government, democracy, the middle classes, and the church. Despite being arrested for his writing, he caught the attention of socialist leaders. After his release in 1912, Mussolini was appointed editor of the national socialist newspaper 'Avanti' (meaning 'Forward!').

Mussolini first began to advocate against Italian participation in the First World War, because he believed it was anti-socialist. Later, he saw the war as a form of revolution, but the owners of 'Avanti' and the socialist party disagreed. In defiance, Mussolini began his own political party, the Fascist Party.

In 1921, Mussolini and his right-wing associates gained seats of power in the Italian government. His reputation grew, and people began to idolise Mussolini as a leader. At the age of 39, Mussolini became Prime Minister of Italy.

Mussolini's propaganda spread across Italy, and he established his own totalitarian regime. In 1939, he partnered with Hitler's Nazi regime to fight in the Second World War. Mussolini lost the support of the population and was removed from power in 1943. Toward the end of the war, Mussolini was arrested and shot by Italian communists.