Benito Mussolini was an Italian politician, journalist, and leader of the National Fascist Party, who became the Prime Minister of Italy in 1922. He was born on July 29, 1883, in Predappio, Italy, to a blacksmith and a schoolteacher.
Mussolini’s political career began in the early 1900s when he became involved in socialist and anarchist organizations. He was a passionate orator and journalist, and he founded the newspaper “Il Popolo d’Italia” in 1914, which became the official newspaper of the Fascist Party.
You May Also Like: B. F. Skinner Quotes on Learning
Mussolini’s rise to power began in 1922 when he led a march on Rome, which resulted in the King of Italy appointing him as Prime Minister. He then consolidated his power through a series of reforms, including suppressing opposition parties, controlling the media, and creating a one-party state.
Under Mussolini’s leadership, Italy embarked on an aggressive foreign policy, which led to Italy’s involvement in World War II on the side of Germany. However, the Italian military performed poorly, and the Allies invaded Italy in 1943. Mussolini was deposed by the Italian King and imprisoned, but he was later rescued by the Germans and installed as the leader of the Italian Social Republic, a puppet state of Nazi Germany.
In 1945, as the Allies were closing in on Italy, Mussolini attempted to flee to Switzerland but was captured by Italian partisans. He was executed on April 28, 1945, along with his mistress, Clara Petacci.
Similar Post: Bad Bunny Quotes About Identity, Politics And Social Justice
Mussolini’s legacy is controversial, with some viewing him as a charismatic leader who transformed Italy into a modern state, while others see him as a dictator who suppressed dissent and led Italy into a disastrous war. His ideology of fascism, which emphasized the importance of the nation and the state over the individual, remains a subject of debate and criticism.
Here, we have curated some of the most popular quotes of Benito Mussolini Quotes About War And Nationalism.
Famous Benito Mussolini Quotes
1. “Democracy is beautiful in theory; in practice it is a fallacy.”
2. “We do not argue with those who disagree with us, we destroy them”
3. “This is the epitaph I want on my tomb: Here lies one of the most intelligent animals who ever appeared on the face of the earth.”
4. “It is necessary to act, to move, to fight and, if necessary, to die. Neutrals have never dominated events. They have always gone under. It is blood which moves the wheels of history!”
5. “In 1914, the socialists exiled me, and in 1915, the syndicalists exiled me. And despite this, by 1919, the Fasces were mine. This was because I had killed the socialists, I had killed the syndicalists. Your enemy’s life is the only thing standing in the way of your victory.”
6. “Liberty is a duty, not a right”
7. “Inside ever anarchist is a failed dictator”
8. “It’s good to trust others but, not to do so is much better.”
9. “Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power”
10. “It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep.”
Check Out: Benjamin Disraeli Quotes On Themes Of Power And Ambition
11. “We become strongest, I feel, when we have no friends upon whom to lean, or to look for moral guidance”
12. “State ownership! It leads only to absurd and monstrous conclusions; state ownership means state monopoly, concentrated in the hands of one party and its adherents, and that state brings only ruin and bankruptcy to all.”
13. “A nation of spaghetti eaters cannot restore Roman civilization!”
14. “Every anarchist is a baffled dictator.”
15. “We have buried the putrid corpse of liberty”
16. “Let us have a dagger between our teeth, a bomb in our hand, and an infinite scorn in our hearts.”
17. “The definition of fascism is The marriage of corporation and state ”
18. “Democracy is a kingless regime infested by many kings who are sometimes more exclusive, tyrannical and destructive than one, even if he be a tyrant.”
19. “If relativism signifies contempt for fixed categories and those who claim to be the bearers of objective immortal truth, then there is nothing more relativistic than Fascist attitudes and activity. From the fact that all ideologies are of equal value, we Fascists conclude that we have the right to create our own ideology and to enforce it with all the energy of which we are capable.”
20. “The history of saints is mainly the history of insane people.” -Benito Mussolini (Chuck Palahniuk – Pygmy)”
More Quotes: Bette Davis Quotes Worth Reading and Sharing.
21. “Socialism is a fraud, a comedy, a phantom, a blackmail.”
22. “It is the State which educates its citizens in civic virtue, gives them a consciousness of their mission and welds them into unity.”
23. “The function of a citizen and a soldier are inseparable.”
24. “Fascist education is moral, physical, social, and military: it aims to create a complete and harmoniously developed human, a fascist one according to our views.”
25. “There is a violence that liberates, and a violence that enslaves; there is a violence that is moral and a violence that is immoral”
26. “The truth is that men are tired of liberty.”
27. “Against individualism, the Fascist conception is for the State … Liberalism denied the State in the interests of the particular individual; Fascism reaffirms the State as the true reality of the individual.”
28. “Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power” <– This is a fake quote, it appears in none of the writings or recorded speeches of Mussolini. ― Benito Mussolini”
29. “All within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing agaisnt the state”
30. “English to Italian translation Il fascismo, più che ritiene e osserva il futuro e lo sviluppo dell’umanità, a prescindere da considerazioni politiche del momento, non crede né alla possibilità né all’utilità della pace perpetua. which means Fascism, the more it considers and observes the future and the development of humanity, quite apart from political considerations of the moment, believes neither in the possibility nor the utility of perpetual peace.”
Find More: Billy Graham Quotes On Faith, God And Morality
31. “The keystone of the Fascist doctrine is its conception of the State, of its essence, its functions, and its aims. For Fascism the State is absolute, individuals and groups relative.”
32. “You must always be doing things and obviously succeeding. The hard part is to keep people always at the window because of the spectacle you put on for them. And you must do this for years.”
33. “Fascism should rightly be called corporatism, as it is the merger of corporate and government power.”
34. “Race? It is a feeling, not a reality. Ninety-five per cent, at least. Nothing will ever make me believe that biologically pure races can be shown to exist today.Race? It is a feeling, not a reality. Ninety-five per cent, at least. Nothing will ever make me believe that biologically pure races can be shown to exist today.”
35.“Democracy is talking itself to death. The people do not know what they want; they do not know what is the best for them. There is too much foolishness, too much lost motion. I have stopped the talk and the nonsense. I am a man of action. Democracy is beautiful in theory; in practice it is a fallacy. You in America will see that some day.”
36. “The press of Italy is free, freer than the press of any other country, so long as it supports the regime.”
37. “If I advance; follow me. If I retreat; kill me. If I die; avenge me! It is better to live one day as a lion than one-hundred years as a sheep!”
38. “I have been a racist since 1921. I don’t know how they can think I’m imitating Hitler.”
39. “The fascist state is the corporate state.”
40. “Silence is the only answer you should give to the fools. Where ignorance speaks, intelligence should not give advices.”
Interesting Quotes: Bob Dylan Quotes On Freedom, Justice And Humanity
41. “The state reserves the right to be the sole interpreter of the needs of society.”
42. “Fascism accepts the individual only insofar as his interests coincide with the state’s.”
43. “The Socialists ask what is our program? Our program is to smash the heads of the Socialists.”
44. “Yes, a dictator can be loved. Provided that the masses fear him at the same time. The crowd love strong men. The crowd is like a woman.”
45. “Democratic regimes may be defined as those in which, every now and then, the people are given the illusion of being sovereign, while the true sovereignty in actual fact resides in other forces which are sometimes irresponsible and secret.”
46. “Better to live a day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep”
47. “The Fascist conception of the State is all-embracing; outside of it no human or spiritual values can exist, much less have value. Thus understood, Fascism is totalitarian, and the Fascist State — a synthesis and a unit inclusive of all values — interprets, develops, and potentiates the whole life of a people.”
48. “People are tired of liberty. They have had a surfeit of it. Liberty is no longer a chaste and austere virgin…. Today’s youth are moved by other slogans…Order, Hierarchy, Discipline.”
49. “Italian journalism is free because it serves one cause and one purpose… mine!”
50. “If only we can give them faith that mountains can be moved, they will accept the illusion that mountains are moveable, and thus an illusion may become reality.”
More Thoughts: Carl Sagan Quotes About Cosmos, Universe And Science
51. “Religion is man-made to assist in controlling the weak minded individuals because during times of atrocity and despair they feel strength in numbers.”
52. “Fascism entirely agrees with Mr. Maynard Keynes, despite the latter’s prominent position as a Liberal. In fact, Mr. Keynes’ excellent little book, The End of Laissez-Faire (1926) might, so far as it goes, serve as a useful introduction to fascist economics. There is scarcely anything to object to in it and there is much to applaud.”
53. “The struggle between the two worlds [Fascism and Democracy] can permit no compromises. It’s either Us or Them!”
54. “We deny your internationalism, because it is a luxury which only the upper classes can afford.”
55. “I should be pleased, I suppose, that Hitler has carried out a revolution on our lines. But they are Germans. So they will end by ruining our idea.”
56. “Fascism is a religious concept.”
57. “The twentieth century will be known in history as the century of Fascism.”
58. “Fascism is definitely and absolutely opposed to the doctrines of liberalism, both in the political and economic sphere.”
59. “Fascism, the more it considers and observes the future and the development of humanity, quite apart from political considerations of the moment, believes neither in the possibility nor the utility of perpetual peace.”
60. “Fascism recognizes the real needs which gave rise to socialism and trade-unionism, giving them due weight in the guild or corporative system in which different interests are coordinated and harmonized in the unity of the State.”
Wise Words: Coco Chanel Quotes
61. “The Fascist accepts life and loves it, knowing nothing of and despising suicide; he rather conceives of life as duty and struggle and conquest, life which should be high and full, lived for oneself, but not above all for others those who are at hand and those who are far distant, contemporaries, and those who will come after.”
62. “The Fascist State lays claim to rule in the economic field no less than in others; it makes its action felt throughout the length and breadth of the country by means of its corporate, social, and educational institutions, and all the political, economic, and spiritual forces of the nation, organized in their respective associations, circulate within the State.”
63. “Fascism, the more it considers and observes the future and the development of humanity quite apart from political considerations of the moment, believes neither in the possibility nor the utility of perpetual peace. It thus repudiates the doctrine of Pacifism – born of a renunciation of the struggle and an act of cowardice in the face of sacrifice. War alone brings up to its highest tension all human energy and puts the stamp of nobility upon the peoples who have the courage to meet it.”
64. “All within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state.”
65. “The League is very well when sparrows shout, but no good at all when eagles fall out.”
66. “Given that the nineteenth century was the century of Socialism, of Liberalism, and of Democracy, it does not necessarily follow that the twentieth century must also be a century of Socialism, Liberalism, and Democracy: political doctrines pass, but humanity remains, and it may rather be expected that this will be a century of authority … a century of Fascism. For if the nineteenth century was a century of individualism it may be expected that this will be the century of collectivism and hence the century of the State.”
67. “Blood alone literally moves the wheels of history.”
68. “There is no revolution that can change the nature of man”
69. “War is to man what maternity is to a woman”
70. “Journalism is not a profession, but a mission.”
Click For More Quotes: Dante Alighieri Quotes On Human Condition
71. “Peace is absurd: Fascism does not believe in it.”
72. “If two irreconcilable elements are struggling with each other, the solution lies in force. There has never been any other solution in history, and there never will be.”
73. “I want to make my own life a masterpiece.”
74. “State intervention in economic production arises only when private initiative is lacking or insufficient, or when the political interests of the State are involved. This intervention may take the form of control, assistance or direct management.”
75. “Believe, obey, fight.”
76. “Against individualism, the Fascist conception is for the State… Liberalism denied the State in the interests of the particular individual; Fascism reaffirms the State as the true reality of the individual.”
77. “The corporate State considers that private enterprise in the sphere of production is the most effective and useful instrument in the interest of the nation. In view of the fact that private organisation of production is a function of national concern, the organiser of the enterprise is responsible to the State for the direction given to production.”
78. “There is the great, silent, continuous struggle: the struggle between the State and the Individual; between the State which demands and the individual who attempts to evade such demands. Because the individual, left to himself, unless he be a saint or hero, always refuses to pay taxes, obey laws, or go to war.”
79. “For my part I prefer fifty thousand rifles to five million votes.”
80. “At every hour of every day, I can tell you on which page of which book each school child in Italy is studying.”
Read Also: Denzel Washington Quotes About Perseverance And Hard Work
81. “The fate of nations is intimately bound up with their powers of reproduction. All nations and all empires first felt decadence gnawing at them when their birth rate fell off.”
82. “For the Fascist, everything is the State, and nothing human or spiritual exists, much less has value, outside the State. In this sense Fascism is totalitarian.”
83. “It is not impossible to rule Italians, but it would be useless.”
84. “You know what I think about violence. For me it is profoundly moral -more moral than compromises and transactions.”
85. “I owe most to Georges Sorel. This master of syndicalism by his rough theories of revolutionary tactics has contributed most to form the discipline, energy and power of the fascist cohorts.”
86. “I’ve had my fill of Hitler. These conferences called by the ringing of a bell are not to my liking. The bell is rung when people call their servants. And besides, what kind of conferences are these? For five hours I am forced to listen to a monologue which is quite fruitless and boring”
87. “If you acquit me, you will give me great pleasure. If you condemn me you will do me honour!”
88. “It is humiliating to remain with our hands folded while others write history. It matters little who wins.”
89. “What the proletariat needs is a bath of blood.”
90. “War is the normal state of the people.”
You May Also Like: Desmond Tutu Quotes About Social Justice And Equality
91. “We affirm that the true story of capitalism is now beginning, because capitalism is not a system of oppression only, but is also a selection of values, a coordination of hierarchies, a more amply developed sense of individual responsibility.”
92. “Thirty centuries of history allow us to look with supreme pity on certain doctrines which are preached beyond the Alps by the descendants of those who were illiterate when Rome had Caesar, Virgil, and Augustus.”
93. “The history of saints is mainly the history of insane people.”
94. “It is humiliating to remain with our hands folded while others write history. It matters little who wins. To make a people great it is necessary to send them to battle even if you have to kick them in the pants. That is what I shall do.”
95. “Three cheers for the war. Three cheers for Italy’s war and three cheers for war in general. Peace is hence absurd or rather a pause in war.”
96. “What is freedom? There is no such thing as absolute freedom!”
97. “Lenin is an artist who has worked men, as other artists have worked marble or metals. But men are harder than stone and less malleable than iron. There is no masterpiece. The artist has failed. The task was superior to his capacities.”
98. “One moment on the battlefield is worth a thousand years of peace.”
99. “The Mediterranean will be turned into an Italian lake.”
100. “Fascism is not an article for export.”