Mussolini: Italy's Strongman, Fascism's Founder

Benito Mussolini ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943, gaining power 11 years before Hitler and providing with him a totalitarian model of governance. This presentation surveys Mussolini’s rise and fall, including such events as his rise to power, the use of violence to eliminate opponents, military campaigns in Spain, Albania, and Greece, and Italy’s role in the Holocaust. 

Mark Davis, a Maryland lawyer for 38 years, has taught over twenty courses for RENESAN evenly divided between 20th-century history and jazz.  His most recent course was Jazz and the French New Wave in the fall of 2024.

Host or Publisher RENESAN Institute for Lifelong Learning