Interwar years · 1922-1936

Mussolini and Fascist Italy

In 1922 Benito Mussolini became prime minister of Italy and soon ruled as a dictator. He promised order and the glory of ancient Rome, and in 1935 he invaded Ethiopia. Students explore how fascism took power and why the League of Nations failed to stop it.

Teach it live New Open on the map
Length
50 minutes
Ages
13–16
On the map
3 steps, AD 1930 to AD 1938
Live lesson
7 rounds, 3 on the map
Worksheet
Two A4 pages, with Classroom
You need
A projector; phones for live

Live lesson · new in Classroom

Teach it live. The class answers on their phones.

Put the board on the projector. Students join with a six-digit code, no account needed, and tap the map: where was the frontier, where did the grain come from. Their pins drop in together when you reveal, and the closest student takes the round.

€19 per month: every lesson live, every worksheet, cancel anytime. Rome at its height runs live for free.

A live lesson on the projector: the class's pins on the map around Alexandria, the closest students listed beside it A student's phone: the question and a map to tap
7 rounds
3 places to find on the map, quiz questions, a class vote and a one-line answer.
About 15 minutes
Run it as the map step, or to open the discussion. You move on with the space bar.
A report
Every answer, per student and per round, to read back or print after the lesson.
1

Introduction

5 min

Read aloud

In 1922 Benito Mussolini became prime minister of Italy and soon ruled as a dictator. He promised order and the glory of ancient Rome, and in 1935 he invaded Ethiopia. Students explore how fascism took power and why the League of Nations failed to stop it.

By the end of the lesson, students can

  • Explain how Mussolini came to power in 1922.
  • Describe what life in a fascist state meant, with at least three examples.
  • Explain why the invasion of Ethiopia in 1935 showed the weakness of the League of Nations.
2

Explore the map

15 min

Project the map, or let students follow on their own devices. Each step opens the map at the right year and place.

a

AD 1930

Italy in 1930

Open the map in 1930. Find Italy and its colonies across the sea in Libya and in East Africa. Where else might Mussolini want to expand?

Open this view on the map
b

AD 1930

The March on Rome

Zoom in on Rome. Ask the atlas: "What was the March on Rome in 1922?" Why did the king give Mussolini power instead of stopping him?

Open this view on the map
c

AD 1938

Ethiopia

Move the slider to 1938 and travel to the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia is now marked as Italian. Find Addis Ababa. How far is it from Rome?

Open this view on the map
3

Class discussion

15 min

Pick two or three. They run from what happened to why it mattered.

  1. After the First World War many Italians felt cheated by the peace. Why did that help Mussolini?
  2. Fascists used black shirts, salutes, parades and the ancient Roman fasces as symbols. Why do dictators use symbols and shows of strength?
  3. What happened to newspapers, trade unions and opposition parties under Mussolini?
  4. Ethiopia was a member of the League of Nations. Why did the League fail to protect it in 1935-1936?
  5. Mussolini promised to bring back the glory of ancient Rome. How can a dictator misuse history?
4

Game round

10 min

Play one round of Rule History as Augustus, the Roman ruler whose memory Mussolini liked to borrow. Then discuss: how did Mussolini use the image of ancient Rome, and how was a modern dictatorship different from Augustus's rule?

Open Rule History
5

Worksheet

5 min

This worksheet comes with Classroom

€19 per month unlocks every worksheet, every live lesson and the class workspace. The free lesson prints without a subscription.