Expulsion from the Italian Socialist Party Benito Mussolini

members of italy s arditi corps in 1918 holding daggers, symbol of group. arditi s black uniform , use of fez adopted mussolini in creation of fascist movement.

with outbreak of world war number of socialist parties supported war when began in august 1914. once war began, austrian, british, french, german, , russian socialists followed rising nationalist current supporting country s intervention in war. outbreak of war had resulted in surge of italian nationalism , war supported variety of political factions. 1 of prominent , popular italian nationalist supporters of war gabriele d annunzio promoted italian irredentism , helped sway italian public support intervention in war. italian liberal party under leadership of paolo boselli promoted intervention in war on side of allies , utilized società dante alighieri promote italian nationalism. italian socialists divided on whether support war or oppose it. prior mussolini taking position on war, number of revolutionary syndicalists had announced support of intervention, including alceste de ambris, filippo corridoni, , angelo oliviero olivetti. italian socialist party decided oppose war after anti-militarist protestors had been killed, resulting in general strike called red week.

mussolini held official support party s decision and, in august 1914 article, mussolini wrote down war. remain neutral. saw war opportunity, both own ambitions of socialists , italians. influenced anti-austrian italian nationalist sentiments, believing war offered italians in austria-hungary chance liberate rule of habsburgs. decided declare support war appealing need socialists overthrow hohenzollern , habsburg monarchies in germany , austria-hungary said had consistently repressed socialism. further justified position denouncing central powers being reactionary powers; pursuing imperialist designs against belgium , serbia historically against denmark, france, , against italians, since hundreds of thousands of italians under habsburg rule. argued fall of hohenzollern , habsburg monarchies , repression of reactionary turkey create conditions beneficial working class. while supportive of entente powers, mussolini responded conservative nature of tsarist russia stating mobilization required war undermine russia s reactionary authoritarianism , war bring russia social revolution. said italy war complete process of risorgimento uniting italians in austria-hungary italy , allowing common people of italy participating members of italian nation in italy s first national war. claimed vast social changes war offer meant should supported revolutionary war.

as mussolini s support intervention solidified, came conflict socialists opposed war. attacked opponents of war , claimed proletarians supported pacifism out of step proletarians had joined rising interventionist vanguard preparing italy revolutionary war. began criticize italian socialist party , socialism having failed recognize national problems had led outbreak of war. expelled party support of intervention.

the following excerpts police report prepared inspector-general of public security in milan, g. gasti, describe background , position on first world war resulted in ousting italian socialist party. inspector general wrote:

professor benito mussolini, ... 38, revolutionary socialist, has police record; elementary school teacher qualified teach in secondary schools; former first secretary of chambers in cesena, forlì, , ravenna; after 1912 editor of newspaper avanti! gave violent suggestive , intransigent orientation. in october 1914, finding himself in opposition directorate of italian socialist party because advocated kind of active neutrality on part of italy in war of nations against party s tendency of absolute neutrality, withdrew on twentieth of month directorate of avanti! on fifteenth of november [1914], thereafter, initiated publication of newspaper il popolo d italia, in supported – in sharp contrast avanti! , amid bitter polemics against newspaper , chief backers – thesis of italian intervention in war against militarism of central empires. reason accused of moral , political unworthiness , party thereupon decided expel him ... thereafter he ... undertook active campaign in behalf of italian intervention, participating in demonstrations in piazzas , writing quite violent articles in popolo d italia ...

in summary, inspector noted:

he ideal editor of avanti! socialists. in line of work esteemed , beloved. of former comrades , admirers still confess there no 1 understood better how interpret spirit of proletariat , there no 1 did not observe apostasy sorrow. came not reasons of self-interest or money. sincere , passionate advocate, first of vigilant , armed neutrality, , later of war; , did not believe compromising personal , political honesty making use of every means – no matter came or wherever might obtain them – pay newspaper, program , line of action. initial line. difficult extent socialist convictions (which never either openly or privately abjure) may have been sacrificed in course of indispensable financial deals necessary continuation of struggle in engaged ... assuming these modifications did take place ... wanted give appearance of still being socialist, , fooled himself thinking case.