Benito Mussolini 8

 Mussolini's obvious pride in becoming the youngest prime minister in Italian history (on October 31, 1922) was not misplaced. He had certainly been aided by a favorable combination of circumstances, both political and economic; but his remarkable and sudden success also owed something to his own personality, to native instinct and shrewd calculation, to astute opportunism, and to his unique gifts as an agitator. Anxious to demonstrate that he was not merely the leader of fascism but also the head of a united Italy, he presented to the king a list of ministers, the majority of whom were not members of his party. He made it clear, however, that he intended to govern authoritatively. He obtained full dictatorial powers for a year, and in that year he pushed through a law that enabled the fascists to cement a majority in the parliament. The elections in 1924, though undoubtedly fraudulent, secured his personal power.