Benito Mussolini (1883-1945)Benito Mussolini was born on 29 July 1883 in the municipality of Varnano dei Costa near the town of Predappio. His mother, Rosa Maltoni, was married to a blacksmith named Alessandro Mussolini. Alexander, being an admirer of the Mexican revolutionary Benito Juarez, named his son in honor of the patriot and hero. Benito Mussolini was a devoted writer and, after completing his studies, he became editor of the Milanese socialist newspaper "Avanti". He became well known among Italian socialists, but soon began promoting his ideas in favor of war against Germany in World War I. This infuriated the socialists who were against Italy entering the war. In 1915 he founded his own newspaper, Il Popolo d'Italia, and continued his pro-war advocacy. When Italy finally joined the Allies to fight Germany, Mussolini joined the Army. Mussolini rose to the rank of corporal, the same rank as Adolf Hitler, but was discharged in 1917 due to wounds from shrapnel from a grenade. He returned to his journalistic career in which he began to develop his ideas that would soon become known as fascism. After the war Italy was in turmoil. The economy was shattered and there were strikes and protests everywhere. On March 23, 1919, Mussolini and many other veterans formed the National Fascist Party. This festival grew in popularity among the Italian people, who were disappointed by the chaos that surrounded them. Mussolini seemed to have the answers to bringing order to his country. During this period, he adopted the Roman salute and the Blackshirt militia, which Hitler later copied from him as the Brownshirts. On 15 March 1921 Mussolini together with 35 other fascists were elected to the Italian Chamber of Deputies. On October 29, 1922, King Victor Emmanuel III (1869-1947) telephoned Mussolini to come to Rome and form a government. Mussolini boarded a train to Rome and was greeted by thousands of fascist Blackshirts awaiting his arrival. His first act was to send the strikers home, to their families and to their jobs. Mussolini managed to take over the powers of all government offices to regain control of the economy. In a short period of time he managed to stabilize the economy and bring his country out of economic turmoil. He became known as "Il Duce" (the leader). His first international crisis as head of Italy made him an Italian hero.