墨索里尼(1883～1945年)
Mussolini, Benito (Amilcare Andrea)
别名Il Duce。
义大利独裁者（1922～1943）。年轻时桀骜不驯但很聪明，是狂热的社会主义者，1912～1914年在社会党党报《前进报》任编辑。当他改变不参加第一次世界大战的立场後，被开除党籍，於是他创立了赞成参战的《义大利人民报》，1915～1917年在义大利军队服役，後继续任编辑。他提倡政府实行独裁统治，1919年成立一个政治小组，标志着法西斯主义的开端。他在集会上的演说充满激情而十分有说服力，1922年组织向罗马进军，阻止社会主义者领导的全面罢工。政府倒台後，他被任命为首相，成为义大利历史上最年轻的首相。他通过法律确定法西斯党为主要政党，自己则被称为领袖（Il Duce）。他重建了社会秩序，引进社会改革，改善公共设施，获得广泛支持。他梦想建立帝国，於是在1935年入侵阿比西尼亚（Abyssinia，即後来的衣索比亚）。虽然希特勒支持他的法西斯计画，但墨索里尼对德国的力量始终保持警戒，直到1940年才同意建立罗马－柏林轴心，并对同盟国宣战。义大利在希腊和北非的军事失败，使得墨索里尼的美梦幻灭。在盟军进入西西里岛（1943）後，法西斯大委员会将他免职，随後被捕。不久被德国突击队所救，成为希特勒在义大利北部萨洛（Salo）建立的傀儡政府的首领。1945年德国在义大利的防御瓦解後，他试图逃到奥地利，但被义大利游击队抓回并处决。
English version：
1883～1945年
Mussolini, Benito (Amilcare Andrea)
Italian dictator (1922-43). An unruly but intelligent youth, he became an ardent socialist and served as editor of the party newspaper, Avanti! (1912-14). When he reversed his opposition to World War I, he was ousted by the party. He founded the pro-war Il Popolo d'Italia, served with the Italian army 1915-17, then returned to his editorship. Advocating government by dictatorship, he formed a political group in 1919 that marked the beginning of fascism. A dynamic and captivating orator at rallies, he organized the March on Rome (1922) to prevent a Socialist-led general strike. After the government fell, he was appointed prime minister, the youngest in Italian history. He obtained a law to establish the Fascists as the majority party and became known as Il Duce (“The Leader”). He restored order to the country and introduced social reforms and public-works improvements that won widespread popular support. His dreams of empire led to the invasion of Abyssinia (later Ethiopia) in 1935. Supported in his fascist schemes by Adolf Hitler but wary of German power, Mussolini agreed to the Rome-Berlin Axis and declared war on the Allies in 1940. Italian military defeats in Greece and North Africa led to growing disillusionment with Mussolini. After the Allied invasion of Sicily (1943), the Fascist Grand Council dismissed him from office. He was arrested and imprisoned but rescued by German commandos, then became head of the Hitler-installed puppet government at Salò in northern Italy. As German defenses in Italy collapsed in 1945, Mussolini tried to escape to Austria but was captured and executed by Italian partisans.