In the dictionary, the word populist is defined as “a person, especially a politician, who strives to appeal to ordinary people who feel that their concerns are disregarded by established elite groups.” 

Across the world, from the Netherlands, to Romania, to India, populists are gaining power - reshaping their countries in the face of huge opposition from many and die hard fanaticism from others. This is not the first time a tsunami of Trumpism has washed across the world however. In my recent series on the rise of Hitler, I covered populism and fascism in Germany. 

In this new episode, we are once again going back to post WW1 Europe but instead of covering an Austrian corporal, we will look at the story of an Italian journalist - the godfather of fascism, Benito Mussolini. 

But, instead of simply relaying history and telling a story of events that occurred a century ago, I’ve decided to put a modern twist on this new series (if it becomes one). As I referenced earlier, there has been a recent uptick in right-wing populism globally. I hope to connect the events of the past to the present to make a stark historical connection. 

In this episode, I mainly focus on Mussolini's early life, his views, and the Italian history that shaped him (the Risorgimento). The next episode will focus more on his transition to fascism and Meloni as well.

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