Ten Minute History - Mussolini and Fascist Italy (Short Documentary)

Twitter: / tenminhistory
Patreon: www.patreon.com/user?u=4973164
Merch: teespring.com/stores/ten-minu...
Frolicking Caption was provided by Norman A. Letterman.
Special Thanks to the following Patrons for their support on Patreon:
Chris Fatta
James Baker
Richard Wolfe
Cornel
Mitchel Wildoer
Joshua
Perry Gagne
Thomas Mitchell
Bernardo Santos
Joooooshhhhhh
Matthew
FuzzytheFair
Daan ter Elst
Byzans_Scotorius
Spencer Smith
anon
Andrew Keeling
João Santos
Recommended reading:
A Concise History of Italy by Christopher Duggan. I cannot recommend this book enough. Almost certainly the best single-volume book that covers Italy's history. Great balance between readability and detail.
Mussolini's Italy: Life Under the Dictatorship by R.J.B. Bosworth. A very detailed and meticulous book which covers anything you'd need to know about Fascist Italy. Very good book for understanding what life was like for normal people and how the war affected everything.
Invade Greece now, for the Italy! Show no mercy, slaughter them like sheep!

[@TravisBroski]

Fun Fact: Mussolini was also a grade school teacher. So imagine growing up and seeing the same man that taught you when you were a kid suddenly rule over the country with an iron fist.

[@Wabu_227]

That sounds like an anime with cheap plot if you put it like that lmao

[@skeletonking2501]

@@Wabu_227 “Oh My! That Time My Grade School Teacher Ruled My Country as an Iron Fist Dictator”

[@santinovalfiore]

@@skeletonking2501 As an Italian, never thought about this before, but this gives me Denzel Crocker vibes

[@lamb5440]

“Mr. Mussolini, what is 2 x 7?”

[@semdavidanger]

Oh,. Yep,.

[@Orthane]

Britain and France criticizing Italy for building a Colonial Empire is the most hypocritical thing to ever exist lol.

[@Noob-_-69]

Lmao

[@karlslicher8520]

The critical point was the Catholic church. Before oil, there was religion to fight over.

[@karlslicher8520]

@Cardboard Cape Church of England.

[@Hypogean7]

@@karlslicher8520 And France? They had the same faith. It had nithing to do with religion, and everything to do with power politics.

[@karlslicher8520]

@@Hypogean7 A promise to expand the Roman church was also a threat to French sovereignty. Italy is a joke, France was a joke, religion is dangerous and always will be. Royalty with their own church and armed forces obviously has this opinion to voice through the political mouthpieces of the day.

[@romulusnuma116]

Hey kids do you want some Land and Votes?

[@TexasViking_INFP-t_5w4]

Suuuure mister

[@miloskocic1759]

Yes please

[@merrittanimation7721]

Just step into this van...

[@Harmonicanalysis54]

*Denies land and only gives vote like a boss* F a s c i s m t i m e

[@jacintovski]

Oh boy, reaaaaally?

[@Whitemoon193]

1:23 "worst allies ever" so weird when Italy holds it

[@Salty-Doggy]

Oh the irony

[@njvikesfan0162]

Italy: Don’t worry guys I have a plan [ITALY HAS LEFT THE GAME]

[@eingamer1918]

White Moon it's karma

[@JG_Enigma]

Italy: Fells betrayed be the allies in WW1Italy: "I'm allying with Germany"Italy: Gets crushed by allies in WW2Italy: "Oh shoot I'm joining the allies now!"

[@artificialgravitas8954]

An Austrian then brakes down the door: *"HYPOCRITE!"*

[@helium4169]

Germany: Losing the war help! Italy: Don’t worry Germany I got this! -Italy has changed teams

[@Jamie95326]

At the time Italy changed teams Germany was winning the war

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

@@Jamie95326 How do you figure? There was no score-board keeping track. In 1943 they were getting it in every orifice. Hardly was it a German-only effort. The leadership didn't change sides because of Germany (more like a lack of Germany, since there were tensions from the very beginning), the country split in two for purely Italian concerns. Though the Salo Republic was much more of a German puppet than the Kingdom was an Allied puppet. The Salo regime still fielded a couple hundred thousand men (against their will), so not exactly something to scoff but honestly a shadow of the Fascist regime's former self. I often wonder if Mussolini wanted to stay on that island. lol

[@Jamie95326]

@@fuzzydunlop7928 mostly because D-day hadn't happened yet and the eastern front hadn't collapsed so Germany still had control over most of Europe.

[@duduchannel6729]

It was a civil war

[@salvino6699]

@@Jamie95326 - I'm not sure, summer 1943 Italy was knocked out of the war and the German army was defeated around Kursk by the Red Army.

[@Chegf]

bald man take country for wild ride

[@maxace1078]

Mustache man is friend

[@PadecMaybeReal]

And switching side is perk.

[@s1050]

Orange man wannabe

[@robertrichard6107]

Il Duce was good journalist, understand he had traumatic childhood events like mr. (chaplin) moustache.

[@jjnn2]

@@robertrichard6107 It doesn't change the fact he was a dictator

[@limon16025]

Fun fact. Since wheat is hard to grow in Italy, it depended a lot on grain imports from other nations. Mussolini planned to change that by increasing production and consumption of Rice, which was easier to grow, and Brown Bread, which required less grain. Another proponent of Italian Rice was Filippo Marinetti, founder of the futurist movement, who claimed Pasta made Italian men lazy, and wanted to replace it with new and purely italian dishes.

[@marcobaretta9645]

That is interesting

[@marcobaretta9645]

Actually I think Italy does grow certain varieties of rice in the north. I do love risotto

[@Mr.LaughingDuck]

Italy's dependence on grain imports stem back to the Roman Republic/Empire, especially notable during eras when Egypt wasn't ruled by Rome (and later Constantinople of the Eastern Roman Empire).

[@thezeitos469]

Did he just talk shit about Pasta? Im going to murder that man!

[@JonatasAdoM]

Which is ironic because both rice and past are rich in carbohydrates

[@bbenjoe]

The last king of Italy, Umberto II reigned for only 33 days. He is sometimes lebelled as the 'May King' because of this.

[@jimtaylor294]

Yup. One of the only Kings removed by electoral fraud too. (the Ref' being rife with iffy behaviour, rather like one on a similar issue in Vietnam a few years hence)

[@MazDezViz]

@@jimtaylor294 proof?

[@nabo1871]

@@jimtaylor294 Even more based if true.

[@AlexeiArwinson]

@@jimtaylor294 What do you mean by Vietnam?

[@leonardoferrari4852]

@@MazDezViz there is none, historians agree that people tried to alter the results on both sides effectively balancing themselves out. We need to take into account that coming from a dictatorship italians were not really used to actuals referendums so the logistical aspect was kinda hard and that explains some inconsistencies. There are nut jobs like the one above who think it was fraud but they can't really prove it

[@davefoxxo]

These minecraft updates keep getting better and better

[@legogonkdroid3792]

Would like but 69 likes

[@okutem2014]

@@legogonkdroid3792 yeah

[@legogonkdroid3792]

Whom has destroyen the sacret 69 likes

[@anonymousanonymous133]

Ahaha

[@pepsi-cola2791]

ape mate 6.9k

[@scratchy996]

Wait, the French and British didn't keep their promise ? I'm shocked !

[@chrislouis7913]

God it’s impossible to like the French

[@mskull24gaming79]

@@chrislouis7913 you mean British lol

[@XXXTENTAClON227]

@Henry VIII that’s rich coming from you, horny man

[@pecadodeorgullo5963]

Blame the Italian's for being useless during the war and the us for adopting a policy of choice of the people or something.

[@XXXTENTAClON227]

@@pecadodeorgullo5963 I agree that the USA was a big reason for Polands lack of sufficient relief, however I think the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact completely eradicated any perceived “betrayal” from France and Britain. For some reason, people can’t understand why Britain and France couldn’t quickly simultaneously defeat two military world superpowers within months… like wtf. Britain didn’t even have a big army, it had a big navy. Boats don’t work well on land. Idiots still believe that Poland was betrayed because they planned to defend until the allies gave relief, yet fail to consider that such a plan becomes COMPLETELY INVALIDATED when the worlds biggest army starts invading you from the east. Even in a world where Britain and France magically got their armies into the centre of Poland, it would’ve been fought to a stalemate, and if additional countries like Japan and Italy inevitably send troops, Poland would never see independence again as their only allies would be twatted alongside them.

[@PASTRAMIKick]

This video is as long as the time the Italians held north africa.

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

They had their Libyan colony for a bit. Some of those Libyans still have excellent culinary taste to this day.

[@ericboynton5884]

A couple centuries long..

[@jakubpraznovsky8999]

@@ericboynton5884 I think you mean the time Rome had all of the Mediterranean but everyone means the period from 1912 to 1943

[@romulusnuma116]

@@jakubpraznovsky8999 in fairness that's longer then nazi Germany existed

[@jakubpraznovsky8999]

@@jangelnar5624 prečo by som mal byť?

[@FourOf92000]

7:50 "King Zog of Albania" is the fakest-sounding name I know of a real leader having

[@Evandarlingisdaddy]

Have you forgotten about Prince Leonard I of Hutt River and Prince Roy I of Sealand?

[@rondaxen88]

It’s funny because there’s literally no reason he should have been king of Albania in the first place. He was prime minister of Albania and one day just decided to become King.

[@arbxx338]

@@rondaxen88 You are aware that there was the hole becoming President and usurping power phase before that right?Heck even when he did that he was sent as a representative during the Albanian declaration of independence and organised troops against the yugoslav invasion.He was pretty popular back then and there are still some Albanian monarchists(small in number) even today.

[@rondaxen88]

@@arbxx338 I mean I realize that but, no connections to any royal family or anything like that, it’s a bit unorthodox

[@arbxx338]

@@rondaxen88 Oh if that was your argument I suppose you are right.Though I would argue it's not that weird after all even Napoleon wasn't related to any royal dynasty.

[@MTTT1234]

Interestingly to note here, is that during the vote for whether to keep the monarchy or go republic, the split was pretty even North - South, with the North voting overwhelmingly for the republic, while the South wanted to keep the king. And when a few decades later the disposed royal family wanted to sue the Italian republic for injust treatment (seizing their money and lands) , the republic answered by saying 'Then we sue your family for letting fascism happen' , to which they promptly pulled back.

[@AllahCat7889]

What could've the royal family do to stop the fascist? I mean shooting people doesn't work and to blame the entire family is dumb, my point is that the italian republic was unfair

[@artificialgravitas8954]

I'd personally sue them for, you know, being a MONARCHY - disgusting

[@Scillamar]

@@artificialgravitas8954 Yeah disgusting. How dare the family that unified Italy hold a special status in Italy?

[@pgdunk12]

@@AllahCat7889 When Mussolini marched on Rome the King, and just the King, had the power to call the army and arrested him, so even if it's unfair to put all the blame on the monarchy they did let fascism happen and then the king screwed up also during WWII so in Italy we still feel a bit betrayed by the monarchy.

[@artificialgravitas8954]

@@Scillamar I would thank, you know, Garibaldi But anyways, how about them ruling the country as a Monarchy? ( As was All-CAPS-ed)

[@danielartok3886]

It's amazing how the allies litterally created their future enemies step by step.

[@Suksass]

Yes, losing war usually makes loser unhappy. So Germany being an enemy in WW2 makes sense.

[@transexualattentionseeking7509]

It's called being jewish puppets. USA has not ruled itself since 1913.

[@fuckinantipope5511]

​@@transexualattentionseeking7509 sure thing there buddy. You could've just said you're a dirty fascist and nazi

[@Stapler42]

The treaty of versailles wasn't that harsh relative to other treaties at the time and Italy was only mad because they didn't get enough land (even though they were given more than they had in the first place). The fascists were to blame for WWII not the allies.

[@runajain5773]

​@@Stapler42just imangine being italian you send your troop to Austria help allies hope that we just get some land but after war your do not get single land but britain and france take german ottoman colony you can say allies betray us

[@SmilingIbis]

You omitted the embarrassing fact that when Mussolini attacked France, after France had surrendered to Germany, his troops were largely repelled and got only minor territorial concessions from a country that really didn't exist any more.

[@lorenzomariani503]

yeah, that troops were bad equipped (ww1 weapons) just to have a place in the peace treatry

[@OperatoreDelMiniCalcolatore]

I will never understand why if Italy attacks France when in trouble is backstabbing. When France and Yugoslavia took the fuck they wanted when Italy was on his knees is fair game. Reality is than winner takes it all, land honor and history writing

[@SmilingIbis]

@@OperatoreDelMiniCalcolatore Who said anything about "backstabbing". I make no moral judgments, only comic references about the buffoon who pretended to be an emperor. Given the outcome of the war, Italy would have been smarter to stay at home and pretend everything was fine.

[@OperatoreDelMiniCalcolatore]

@@SmilingIbis France stayed home, infact Hitler marched on parade in Paris in two weeks. Here the only bafoon is who "knows" history by memes. You don't know shit about Italian history. Maybe you watched 3 cartoon video about Italy in WWII and now you think you can give grades to others

[@shadyyy7490]

The funniest thing is that Mussolini literally gave Badoglio 3 whole days to prepare the invasion of France. 3 days to attack the second most fortified border in Europe on the highest mountains of the continent...

[@12345689069]

Well, actually Mussolini “managed” to escape with a bit of a help from German special forces, not by himself as you may expect from the video, which is, nevertheless, fantastic.

[@plionk__a]

And I also believe that he was not shot, but rather hanged upside down

[@JustSome462]

@@plionk__a He was shot, then hanged upside down

[@plionk__a]

@@JustSome462 I stand corrected

[@Dante12466]

@@plionk__a Yea in public next to his wife

[@fakegun7728]

@@Dante12466 *his mistress

[@richardgonzalez6409]

my favorite parts of these videos is the "soon sign" its just so perfect and the look the character has holding the sign is just as perfect

[@dominykassimonis2180]

i love how mussolini's supporters were going to take the goverment,mussolini be like: UHHHHHHHHH

[@artificialgravitas8954]

On the Swiss border, ready to run away, xD

[@NotVeryRandomDude]

Artificial Gravitas Like a true frenchman, wait a minute...

[@Cityinlead]

That’s seriously is the funniest thing I’ve learned and made my entire night

[@josephrichter2104]

He was there in Rome. It is on video for crying out loud. Do some research.

[@Uriel6178]

@@josephrichter2104 Yes, he was in Rome.... after he realized it was safe. He wasn't there when the march initially started.

[@hocolate271]

"Giving Mussolini a legitimate position in government would make him act in a more respectable manner" 2:58 Oh yeah, because the last time the Italians tried that one it went so well

[@lorenzooliveira1157]

Pardon my stupidity, but you’re referring to Caesar?

[@hocolate271]

@@lorenzooliveira1157 Nothing stupid about that, but yea

[@adamkerman475]

Well at least Caesar was a good strong leader.

[@balabanasireti]

@@hocolate271 It was stupid to gove your enemy way more power, yes

[@balabanasireti]

@@adamkerman475 It depends. While the Senate was certainly corrupt and paranoid, Caesar wasn't perfect either.

[@Apollo1989V]

My great great grandpa got out of there just in time. He had served in the Italian army, but booked it to America around the turn of the 20th century.

[@Erik-ko6lh]

My family got out of Germany around the same time.

[@Partialfractions1]

My great grandpa did the same exact thing I’m not even lying. Wonder if they ever crossed paths.

[@Nonaryfame]

My great grandfather did the same thing!

[@TheEnergizer94]

My uncel bin fought against a mugger on the street and now i'm a spoderman

[@void_wyrm]

@Amon Ra oof

[@pukalo]

When you try to rebuild the Roman Empire because of muh past glory so you invade Greece but you need Germany's help so you try to invade Egypt but you need help from Germany again so you try to invade Kenya but Germany's not there so you play defensively but you lose Egypt and the Allies invade your mainland so you ask Germany for help but they can't do shit but at least the trains ran on time but maybe you should have asked Germany for help with that too

[@alpinthor]

and then, gues what... Italy declares war on Germany, prick

[@abram3283]

Mussolini perfectly embodied all the stereotypes of a corrupt politician lmao.

[@mrnonsense1031]

And that concludes this episode of "World's Funniest Geopolitical Bloopers"

[@samiamrg7]

It actually kinda parallels the late Roman empire where they relied on Germanic Foederati to be a huge proportion of their soldiers

[@TheGanimex12]

Roman Empire? More like Holy Roman Empire 😎😎

[@spdutahraptor777]

"On October 28th, 1922, the fascists conducted their infamous march on Rome, where 30.000 blackshirts....marched on Rome" Is the subtle Monty Python-ish style of humor what made me fall in love with this channel

[@leninbilalexander6754]

5:53 Notice how all the factories are in the north.

[@Soloohara]

Like it should be, and like it is now

[@Ghostkilla773]

Ah just like the United States in the 1800s

[@Magnusthered18]

@xXredanXx wot

[@littlemacisunderrated412]

I personally believe the reason why fascist Italy failed was because of the lack of armament, they ran into war too fast

[@natanplayz1236]

🤓🤓🤓

[@elenacarrara4780]

as we did in WW1! we're not the brightest ahahaha

[@allo3573]

Mussolini didn't want to but Hitler couldnt wait

[@chrisdawson1776]

@@natanplayz1236 ❄️❄️❄️

[@christopherjones8448]

@@allo3573 Mussolini could have pulled a WW1 Italy and just not declared war and watched from the sidelines for a while, but he wanted to recreate Rome. Didn't go to well did it?

[@ghost.3271]

Imagine you and your 4 friends are in your kitchen, you want cookies but there was only 3 cookies left. You play rock paper scissors and decide to give the cookies to the winners. Then all of a sudden your mom comes in sees what you are doing and appoints herself as the judge of who should get cookies. She takes a whole cookie for herself and eats it, then she splits off a third of a cookie and gives it to one of the losers, then she takes another cookie but then she takes a big bite of that one too, then she hands the already bitten piece of a cookie to the winner, she takes another cookie and splits it in half, she gives you one half and then she gives the other half to the dog. Then she decides one of your friends who isnt even in the kitchen should have part of the last one, and just for good measure she takes another bite out of that one too. Then she tells one of your friends he has to bake more cookies himself and give them out to everyone in the kitchen and the dog. Then she just walks out of the kitchen still chewing cookie and you and your 4 friends are left standing there furious at each other and eyeballing the bits of cookies in each others hand. Now replace you and your friends European countries, replace the cookies with land and money, replace your mom with David Llyod George, Georges Clemenceau, and Woodrow Wilson, and you have the Versailles Treaty. TL;DR -- Your mom caused World War 2.

[@harp_.ily_1825]

Wait bc you just helped me out! I wasn’t understanding a thing

[@sihamhassan5683]

wow, thanks so much. never understood this before :)

[@somedude5422]

god damn bro

[@highgrounder]

Yo mama so fat Germany invaded her but had similar supply problems as they did in the USSR.

[@user-njyzcip]

The biting cookies scene made me think of the Bill Clinton at McDonald's sketch by SNL

[@peterstamatiou4530]

A French town put up a sign on their Italian boarder that said “Greeks, do not advance this is French territory!” 🇬🇷🇬🇷🇬🇷

[@georgigoranov4445]

You got fucked lol

[@francescocecchetto8671]

You damn pathetic idiot!!!

[@francescocecchetto8671]

@jokar jokar tell boomer your father or your mother you deluded pathetic person!!!

[@peterstamatiou4530]

Francesco Cecchetto tell ur mother or father u need anger management classes😂😂😂

[@peterstamatiou4530]

Francesco Cecchetto ok

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

The "lol dey chernged sides 2wice!" comments even though madlad here wipes that away in the video within the first twenty seconds. >.> I love me some good "changed sides" memes, but they're honestly only memes. The first time they got off on a technicality and they didn't like the Austrians anyway, the second time it wasn't as simple as changing sides - they broke in two. And had a pretty fucking awful civil war that lasted until the end of the war. Northern Italy was one of the last places in which Fascist and German forces capitulated. History is complicated and messy, but who wants messy memes?

[@FlagAnthem]

Well said

[@goldenfreddyadventures8780]

@I hate black people don't mind if i do

[@scottlawson1800]

What I love about your vids is that when one is 10 minutes long, you know its not for ad revenue, its because that is how long the actual content is. No filler and well explained, easily my favourite YT channel atm 👍

[@Choppytehbear1337]

The Romans are not amused.

[@artificialgravitas8954]

Aren't italians largely descendant of the Ostrogoths and Lombards, i.e.: not really roman?

[@TexasViking_INFP-t_5w4]

@@artificialgravitas8954 they say the closest thing left to the ancient Romans would be the island of Sardinia. And Sardinian is the closest thing to latin.

[@artificialgravitas8954]

@C. C. A. The Franks were latinised as well, but they were no romans and didn't they have to import philosophy from the Byzantines (actual-ish Romans) and the Ottomans before such philosophy returned to Europe?

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

@@artificialgravitas8954 If you're speaking in terms of genetics, they're a lot closer to Romans than one might think - though even the name "Roman" meant something more specific in those times compared to Italians. Of course, genetics don't give a fuck about artificial social constructs so saying "This group is a lot like this ancient-er group! More so than that other group!" is reductionist.

[@beambooi6431]

Italy was severely depopulated but the majority of the Italians are descended from a Latin Mediterranean peoples mixed with Germanic in the north and Greek and other Mediterranean peoples in the south

[@rafaelmoreno1985]

Gramsci's glasses were a nice touch. I recognized him even before you presented him just because of his glasses. Keep up the great work!

[@Potatotenkopf]

Italian trotsky 😳🥵😤

[@kseniav586]

A nicer touch would be pronouncing his name correctly)

[@xsqio]

Fun Fact: Gabriele D'Annunzio is one of Italy's most famous poets, he referred to himself as a "social animal". When he took Fiume he turned the main villa of the city into a brothel-HQ. He was also well known for consuming copious amounts of cocaine. Badass.

[@josephrichter2104]

I would like to point out some of the inaccuracies in this video, particularly the parts concerning World War II. First, Italy did not declare war "after the fall of Paris". Mussolini initially planned to declare war on June 5, 1940. Hitler asked him in a letter to postpone the entry by one week. Therefore Italy declared war on June 10, 1940 instead. Germany occupied Paris on June 14. Now I'm no mathematician, but I do know that 10 comes before 14. So that was the first major error: Paris was still standing when Italy declared war. I would also like to point out (since this is a common trope) that when Italy declared war, France was still intact and had not yet collapsed; its Navy, its Air Force and its southern Army were all intact. This common misconception that France was "on its last legs" and that Italy - motivated by some Machiavellian plot - "hopped on board" and attacked an "already-defeated France" is truly historical revisionism made with the benefit of hindsight. No one at the time thought that the fall of France was imminent; not the French, not the British, not the Germans, and certainly not the Italians. It was anticipated that the war with France would last several more months. No one knew that France was going to capitulate so quickly. They were believed to have the strongest army in the world at the time and could have resisted a lot longer. Their surrender came as a surprise to everyone, including Italy.

[@CDexie]

After the break through the Ardennes, everyone knew the Germans would win. You are correct about how long it would drag though.

[@cammarc]

The people making these videos sadly seem to care more about appealing to meme culture than about being accurate. In meme culture it has become common to ridicule the Italians during both world wars so that is what these videos show.

[@CDexie]

@@cammarc The Italians did underperform, especially compared to Germany's great campaigns, but keep in mind these videos are also entertainment.

[@Fixundfertig1]

So technically we could say France surrended because they were scared of Italy 🤔

[@josephleonard6695]

it's like declaring a country open to avoid more damage to lives and property in the event of resistance

[@theweirdofengland]

Interestingly, part of the reason Mussolini was deposed is because many of the US soldiers invading Italy were Italian-American and had family there, causing many Italians to question why they were fighting in the first place.

[@top10familyguyclipsdaily6]

8:49 Benito didn't escape, he was rescued by Nazi German soldiers lol

[@rallis3937]

So what you're saying is that he escaped...

[@ilikewindows3455]

So.... *_He escaped?_*

[@helix953]

read that again but slowly

[@garypulliam3740]

Escape by rescue is a thing.

[@gonk4509]

ur mom *indeed*

[@zalow64]

2:44 the first italian jojo

[@Cjnw]

Jojo Coniglio

[@mmgg1671]

fun fact in italian Giorno means day and Giovanna is a female name

[@thotticussupremus4772]

Pippo Troca Giovanna is indeed a feminine version of Giovanni

[@mmgg1671]

@@thotticussupremus4772 bruh im italian i know

[@kuh-7281]

Allies: people, based on respect for the principle of equal rights and fair equality of opportunity, have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no interference. *1:18**, Treaty of Rapallo* also Alies: I'm gonna pretend I didn't see that

[@filz159]

The people of Fiume did want to become part of Italy

[@alexg4711]

in which way are those principles anything more than platitudes sold to the public. the only sin the axis had was that they wanted to reach the same state as the allies had, especially Germany. German people were occupied and under foreign rule on all sides (doesnt sound very free and equal to me). Also brittain and france had the most colonies, which is also a pretty unequal and unfree thing to do. all germany and italy wanted was to take some of those colonies away and have them for themself. so the only immoral thing the axis did was to want the same thing the liberal nations already had. i never really understood the meme of fascist unreasnable expansionism. you can make that claim about strategic war effort, but from an ideological or moral view they simply had the disire to replace other nations as world powers. and brittain and france commit various atrocities in establishing their colonies too, but back than it was harder to kill many people and frankly, nobody cared to demonize them for it.

[@kikker981]

You're confusing the first and second world war lol

[@ktayba8303]

@@filz159 they did actually

[@naoyanaraharjo4693]

@@alexg4711 so that means having more people subjugating other people is good? Big brain right there

[@THECOMMUNISTCHANNEL]

Mussolini: *enters Greece* Greeks: *YOU PICKED THE WRONG COUNTRY FOOL!!!!*

[@biliminsrlar5752]

Germany:What am I gonna do with these fools.Hey Turkey wanna help? Turkey:If you fire those fools and hire me yes. Italy:Should I change sid- Germany:Nvm Turkey just stay neutral.

[@JonatasAdoM]

It's ancient times reversed.

[@solwen]

The Italian "invasion" of France in 1940 was also a peculiar one: 5000 Italians were stopped by 9 French in a bunker (and the angry grandma who brought them bread each morning)

[@winchesterchua3390]

@@solwen interesting

[@solwen]

@@winchesterchua3390 This was during the battle of Menton. The battle of Pont Saint louis more precisely.

[@bocbinsgames6745]

"Geolitti actually lost seats and the socialists gained them" after calling an election as head of the ruling Conservative party. Hmm... Seems familiar...

[@franciscomm7675]

Theresa may

[@90PaMa]

"Geolitti" WAT

[@hushpuppy1735]

Bocbin YEETO BENITO

[@jester9750]

this post hasnt aged well

[@georgigoranov4445]

This has aged like milk

[@KingofDiamonds117]

Kinda seems like mussolini was like that guy who gets pressured into everything at school until eventually everything is blamed on him and not the rest of the group. That's politics in a nutshell.

[@piterleik2953]

didn't knew my name's now benito lmao

[@joelt2002]

It's called being a leader.

[@MrThejboe3oh5]

There is always a "fall guy", and it is typically the new guy in the spotlight.

[@SuperLusername]

Giovanni + Giolitti = Gio (vanni + litti)

[@tylerbozinovski4624]

lol

[@garypulliam3740]

FOIL

[@Sakura-dk1ru]

Giorno Giovanna

[@garypulliam3740]

Algebra

[@kickitoldskool]

Gio Gio Wait Giorno Giovanna He’s a Jojo or GioGio

[@MrMarios3000]

3:32 Fun fact: October 28th is celebrated in Greece as the day our participation in WW2 started. And it started with Italy invading Greece. Seems Mussolini liked this particular day a lot

[@sabertoothwallaby2937]

Participation award

[@alessioartioli3323]

Very brilliant to start an invasion at the end of October, with a whole winter coming soon, in a mountain region... wow!! Mussolini's war genius! :-) Should we ask ouselves why we lost?

[@MrMarios3000]

@@sabertoothwallaby2937 If "pArTiCiPaTiOn AwArD" is being awarded to countries that stood the most against Axis, sure.

[@alessioartioli3323]

@Player Player we lost because we where unprepaired, bad equipped and lead by total idiots. War strategy nonexistent. My grandfather was sent to Greece, he was from the north of Italy. They all stayed in trenches the whole winter! The truth? Nobody in Italy wanted the invasion of Greece, as nobody wanted to go to war. Germans were motivated (and drugged), even if by a crazy and criminal cause. Italians were not. Besides, they for sure didn't want to move war to the Greeks, the people I mean. Most Italians would have rather fougth the Germans much stronger! As they did in fact, during the Reistance period, fought in the North by the Partisans

[@alessioartioli3323]

@Player Player you don't get me here. May be my fault in explaining. Let's make it clear: I despice every war! The invasion was a crime, period. I just wanted to point out how a dictature can be bad and stupid at the same time. Nobody wanted the war, what Mussolini did? Go to war. They (the fascists I mean) expressed their best in conducting the war.

[@micheleblonna3722]

The pronunciation of italian names makes everybody cry...

[@extremathule982]

🤮🤮👍👍

[@aleksandarvil5718]

4:45 [deadpan] *_Tragic_* priceless XD 😂😆

[@tass.1127]

I love these videos. My sister is a Byzantine history professor.

[@shionkreth7536]

"The second, and arguably main, reason they supported the law was the armed black shirts who were in the room with them." Politics at their finest. :D

[@ricardoguanipa8275]

I'm disappointed not seeing the block figurine of Mussolini hung upside down by the partisan

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

I CLAPPED, I CLAPPED WHEN I SAW IT~!

[@jakubpraznovsky8999]

Mussolini deserved what he got but when you look at what they did to his body afterwards you won't be so sure. I wasn't and my grandpa tells me stories about the Nazis killing nearly all of his neighbourhood just for wanting the Nazis to stop pillaging that neighborhood. I'm lucky to be alive but there is something called respect for the dead.

[@Yora21]

That's too gruesome for this channel. :D

[@AuthenticDarren]

I'm with you there Ricardo Guanipa, that's certainly the best public appearance Mussolini ever made.

[@ricardoguanipa8275]

@@AuthenticDarren Mussolini a true man of the people, hanging with the common folks

[@joachimaugestad7874]

Thank you for another great video! Keep up the good work! The book recommendations are also much appreciated!

[@tacticalnuke5673]

Fun Fact: The original March on Rome was a disaster, with trains breaking down due to rain, as well as the fascists being uncoordinated and bumbled around Italy; even those who got to Rome were uncoordinated and didn't know what to do. Mussolini got into power via backroom deals, and once in power had the fascists March on Rome again, this time more coordinated. This march, with Mussolini present, played into his mythos.

[@gyhden9299]

You didn't seem to talk about privatization in the 1920s. Yes, Mussolini was a socialist, then he became "rightist" and then he carried out privatization, then he became a dictator, then the narrator organized monopolies, in general, it's quite interesting, their economy.

[@MrShadowThief]

The fact that they made everything privatized but work like it was run by the government is the most amusing thing.

[@gyhden9299]

@@MrShadowThief yes. But privatization is always governed by the state.

[@vlagerio7921]

I mean, it's just fascist 101. Right is all about private sector, and far-right is the same.

[@ericksonjustinAK]

@@vlagerio7921 Except the far-right makes the private sector operate for the government, making it not much different than the far-left, like in China that has transitioned from communism to a state run private sector. So a state controlled private sector is neither right or left on its own. It depends which side implemented it. Mussolini and fascism really makes this blurry in my opinion. I suppose you could just say going from the extreme right to the extreme left, or vice versa, isn't that far to go.

[@nicolomodica2704]

@@ericksonjustinAK Fascist wasn't extreme right, it's called the Third Position for a reason

[@swausgebouwen143]

3:00 the guy gave a fascist a high up position in the hope he'd become LESS violent?

[@Realkeepa-et9vo]

As long as they can keep their property, capitalists have no problem with supporting fascists.

[@Tom-eq7eh]

@@Realkeepa-et9vo I mean, that's broad. At the time of the great depression maybe, but there wasn't many 'capitalists' left outside of the UK and USA most had turned away from the centre. Now days I don't see many Capitalists supporting Fascists, heck look at europe where even the conservates are refusing to work with the alt right let alone full blown fascists.

[@andresgagge6977]

It's kinda funny, but basically the black shirts were out of control and were being extremely violent through out all of Italy, and so Mussolini presented himself as the only choice Italy had for order, being, as he proclaimed, the only person that could control the black shirts...

[@andresgagge6977]

@@Realkeepa-et9vo They didn't have the gift of hindsight though, and to be honest, fascism was somewhat successful in europe (Italy, Germany, Spain). Of course the big mistake was they wanted to conquer the whole damned world and started ww2. Who knows what the world would be like if Germany had not invaded Poland...

[@Realkeepa-et9vo]

@@andresgagge6977 How exactly was fascism successful?

[@SouthcarolinaThrift]

I just found your channel the other day and you are absolutely awesome man! Great entertainment and great education.

[@yucas997]

It's always nice to recap the (sad) historic your own country. Always love your videos! 😘 Btw, a language note for you: in Gramsci the "SC" sound pronounces the same as the "SC" sound in Fascists. 😉

[@wolfdog7900]

I love this! Quick note for further videos: Gramsci is pronounced like "gram she" not "gram ski."

[@henrikschmidt3964]

As always, great work! My compliments.

[@iancritchley7859]

Your voice really reminds me of Richard Ayoade! Thanks for the great video, I'll be sharing with my students :)

[@JohnnyLodge2]

Please keep going. Do the years of lead.

[@korakys]

Yes, Years of Lead are not well known I think.

[@Desmaad]

Italy was pretty shit in the '70s.

[@nightfallshort9232]

@@Desmaad You mean life in Italy was shit.

[@nadrini300]

Would be great if he also covered the Gladio stay-behind network.

[@davidodonovan1699]

Fantastic video as usual. I love these funny and educational short videos. Well done.

[@extremathule982]

....educationals?? 🤣🤣🤣🤣....Entertainment, if anything.😃

[@gauntlettcf5669]

A fun fact about why Italy joined the Entente: there were 3 ways to resolve the war thing. The first (and the best, in my opinion) was that we could have sat this one out, staying neutral and making big money by selling stuff to both sides and getting bribed by both to not get involved. This was a very common tactic used by the famous and fierce Italian (and foreign too) mercenary companies and their mercenary captains (like Giovanni dalle Bande Nere, a strategist so strong he would literally get paid by both sides not to intervene in their wars on the enemy's side). France and Austria-Hungary had already shown they were aware that if Italy had joined, maybe it wouldn't have accomplished much, but it would have forced the attacked nation (either Austria or France) to divert tons of troops from the main battlefields to their border, weakening their forces. Sadly, many "intellectuals" and patriots wanted to break neutrality because there were many Italian-speaking lands that were still under foreign control, and they wanted to get those back. The second option was to join the Tripartite Alliance with our old allies, the Central Powers, and attack France to gain back the territories we had given them during our unification in exchange for their support (and then some more). These territories included Savoia, Nizza, and Corsica (Corsica was considered Italian only because their language and culture were clearly Italian and the Corse patriots wanted to join Italy. France made sure to displace them with French citizens in the later decades to crush such sentiments and get a definitive hold of the Island). This option wasn't really possible, and it was as clear as day to the Italian generals, more than to the French ones. The Italian Army was WAY overvalued by the foreign Nations. The reality was that there was no adequate equipment, artillery, training and generals. The French army could go toe-to-toe with the English and the Germans, do you really think the Italian could do the same. Not at all. Our soldiers would have been crushed by the French army, had we attacked. Yes, it would have also meant we would have distracted for a while the French for the Germans to possibly defeat them, but it would have costed us WAY too much in terms of lives and territory losses. The last option, was to attack Austria-Hungary, the only Nation (aside from the Ottoman Empire) with which we could really go toe-to-toe. Our armies were more or less at the same level, although Italy was WAY younger than the Austrian Empire, and we would have been able to keep them distracted for long enough, and had we been able to succeed (according to English and French tracherous diplomats) we could have seized many lands on the Adriatic (even tho only some of them spoke one of the Italian languages and many only held some groups of Italian minorities). So that's why we chose option 3. BTW, much love to our beloved neighbors, the French, the Austrians, and the Croatians. The fact that we fought in the past doesn't mean we can't be friends, and I personally love all of you. Cheers mates ✌

[@oqo3310]

Also fighting france would have meant fighting in one of the highest mountain range in europe. The fight against the austrian was awful because of the Alps, but the same against France would have been close to impossible. Also have fun being blockaded by the royal navy.

[@oliversherman2414]

I love your channel keep up the great stuff!!

[@ok-up4qx]

Keep up the good work, also thanks for the A from history you helped me get.

[@umightlikeme33]

6:00 is my favourite visual, this is awesome!

[@KarakuraRiser]

Man these hearts of iron IV lores are so well designed

[@peoplesrepublicofliberland5606]

The king was soooo closed to maintain power in Italy it was almost 50 50

[@alessioartioli3323]

54,27% Repubblic vs 45,73%. 2 milions votes more for Repubblic on less than 25 milion votes total. "soooo close"?

[@idek6585]

@@alessioartioli3323 Dude in a country with 28 million people (at the time and only 24 million voted) 2 million has a huge impact

[@alessioartioli3323]

@@idek6585 it has! That's what I wrote. I was pointing out that "so close" and "almost 50 : 50" isn't such an appropriate comment, in my opinion

[@tombufford136]

Thank you for your video.

[@stevenmichael12705]

You have literally the most soothing voice out of any history channel

[@dongyongkim]

this got me thinking you should possibly do a video about the mafias role during ww2

[@hiddennuggies6887]

Interesting thought my man, thanks for sharing!

[@nik65stgt60]

Wonderful content!

[@TheMercyfulEmperor]

Love the vid! Would you consider making a video about Antionio de Oliveira Salazar and Portugal's Estado Novo?

[@ondank]

The battle for grain actually made the italian diet worse. Land that had been used to for meat and dairy production was turned over to produce grain and that ended up being inefficient. As a result, grain prices did end up falling but meat and dairy prices increased substantially and the variety and quality of food on italian tables took a significant hit.

[@juno-666]

Thank you for saving my History project, you're a life-saver.

[@pennjazz]

The Fez-wearing Italian Man...😄😄

[@Desmaad]

D'Annunzio was a weird character. He started off as a decadent poet then joined the army before taking over Fiume.

[@rufus501st9]

2:20 that moment when even Mussolini Switches sides

[@Magnusthered18]

Jajajajaja, it's tradition

[@otterconnor942]

This is the last video of my massive binge watch of all of his videos. I have completed the backlog and now I don't know what to do

[@curtpiazza1688]

Great history lesson!

[@kennytannenberg5851]

Mussolini didn't "escape", he was bailed out by German special forces (which is a very interesting story btw)

[@lempire6361]

I love these WW2 videos, great job!

[@TheDKninja]

luv u thanks for the history lessons keep it up!!!

[@evancrum6811]

Awesome job

[@willseagon3314]

LMAOOO that SISISISISI poster with the square face at 5:42 oh my ahahahaha

[@iielysiumx5811]

Keep it going man soon you’ll have an entire history of the world

[@thebeastgamerharris7816]

Great vids.

[@alumi9818]

literally most enjoyable to learn about moment of history

[@haitamc5611]

People nowadays: The middle east is so complicated Europe: *Am I a joke to you?*

[@clementbruera]

I'm amazed about the numbers of ignorant guys that think with their meme brains! I find this video quite good but with some inaccuracies; for exemple in WWI Italy fared more or less like the other countries in a much difficult terrain, the mountains! You should also have said that Italy did not get the promised territories (that includes colonies in africa) because of the US president Wilson, he wanted to nullify all the secrets treaties.

[@rengarthedwarf4029]

Yeah, these KZbin "history" channels appeal to the memes.

[@literallyafuckingspoon8801]

i am very smart too, those memers suck am i cool yet smart people

[@aiiv7839]

Hmm, did not know about the last part. Interesting...

[@alessandromele3918]

@@aiiv7839 yeah and you know why he did it? The people of those territories had the right to decide who governed them. And look i'm ok with that.... i the president of a nation who stole all the territories from the original owners wasn't the one who said that.

[@SmashingCapital]

@@alessandromele3918 there were literally around 300 thousands italians in the territories that italy wanted in ww1, now no more

[@LP-op2ue]

Very very very accurate. More so than most of the videos or articles is see on this topic. Good job

[@synk7422]

I have to write an essay about this, and imma do it exactly as the man told the story. wish me luck, imma keep ya updated

[@jarnodatema]

i remember reading Infantry Attacks by Erwin Rommel and basically all the Italians were on Germany's side because they used to work there before the war. One time when he convinced an entire army unit to surrender *on his own* they basically all yelled "Long live Germany!" and shot their commanders when they tried to stop them from surrendering.

[@EderJPires]

It’s incredible to think that none of these former empire can stand on their own feet now! That’s why they have to bunch to keep terrorizing and surviving, but time will solve everything…

[@justinstafford4943]

I can see all these discussions with palms up, fingers together and waving up & down.

[@nas8104]

great video

[@Orca19904]

Fast-forward to late 2022 and we're right back here again.

[@miguelpadeiro762]

You had to publish this video right after my history test about this :(

[@rafisiddiki4774]

very good video have a good day mate

[@ilbranca9208]

I love how you pronunce italian words and names, it just makes laugh sometimes 😂

[@mr.crowgamer6250]

Lol hitler literally marches with the ss into the streets to coup ans gets shot and Benito is ready to flee 😂😂

[@78Point26]

Good video! It seems most of the time historians talk about Germany and Japan during this time period but you have given us videos about Italy and Spain too. Now how about one about Portugal and Salazar?

[@artificialgravitas8954]

Didn't Portugal not do anything major?

[@78Point26]

@@artificialgravitas8954 In terms of World War II, you're right. I was just referring to the fact that Portugal also seemed to have a one-party type state, secret police spying on people, etc. It amazes me that Spain and Portugal managed to have that situation until the late 1970s. We never heard about this in school in Canada.

[@artificialgravitas8954]

@@78Point26 Yeah, and to think Franco towards the end restored the monarchy which immediately after he died instituted a democratic system making the entire exercise pointless even for his point of view...

[@George-cr6jq]

@@artificialgravitas8954 They didn't restore the republic Spain is still a monarchy

[@artificialgravitas8954]

@@George-cr6jq Good correction

[@louisjefferies2733]

Good one

[@agent6467]

thanks so much