proto Islamo-fascist

Modern History Sourcebook: Mussolini: What is Fascism, 1932 — I keep hearing the term Islamo-fascist, so I decided to do a little research.

Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) over the course of his lifetime went from Socialism – he was editor of Avanti, a socialist newspaper – to the leadership of a new political movement called “fascism” [after “fasces”, the symbol of bound sticks used a totem of power in ancient Rome].

Mussolini came to power after the “March on Rome” in 1922, and was appointed Prime Minister by King Victor Emmanuel.

In 1932 Mussolini wrote (with the help of Giovanni Gentile) and entry for the Italian Encyclopedia on the definition of fascism