Benito Mussolini was the first of the 20th-century fascist dictators and the original creator of fascism. These Benito Mussolini quotes give insight into his rise to power, political beliefs, and fascist leadership.

Born to a blacksmith father who moonlighted as a socialist journalist, Mussolini was also a member of the socialist party as a young man. However, he changed his tune after World War I as he was a supporter of the war.

Quickly his political beliefs would change to become more xenophobic and included the themes of racial superiority and imperialism that he would become known for as a dictator.

Mussolini created a charismatic public persona that encouraged people to idolize him. Because of this, he was able to create a large following and win his campaign for Prime Minister of Italy.

From there on, it was easy for him to dismantle Italy’s democratic institutions from the inside and secure himself a seat as a fascist dictator. Enjoy these Benito Mussolini quotes and sayings!

Don’t forget to also check out these Joseph Stalin quotes from the influential and controversial soviet leader.

Famous Benito Mussolini quotes about fascism

1. “Fascism recognizes the real needs which gave rise to socialism and trade-unionism, giving them due weight in the guild or corporative system in which different interests are coordinated and harmonized in the unity of the State.” — Benito Mussolini

2. “The twentieth century will be known in history as the century of Fascism.” — Benito Mussolini

3. “The Fascist accepts life and loves it, knowing nothing of and despising suicide; he rather conceives of life as duty and struggle and conquest, life which should be high and full, lived for oneself, but not above all for others those who are at hand and those who are far distant, contemporaries, and those who will come after.” — Benito Mussolini

4. “The Fascist State lays claim to rule in the economic field no less than in others; it makes its action felt throughout the length and breadth of the country by means of its corporate, social, and educational institutions, and all the political, economic, and spiritual forces of the nation, organized in their respective associations, circulate within the State.” — Benito Mussolini

5. “Fascism, the more it considers and observes the future and the development of humanity, quite apart from political considerations of the moment, believes neither in the possibility nor the utility of perpetual peace.” — Benito Mussolini

6. “If relativism signifies contempt for fixed categories and those who claim to be the bearers of objective immortal truth, then there is nothing more relativistic than Fascist attitudes and activity. From the fact that all ideologies are of equal value, we Fascists conclude that we have the right to create our own ideology and to enforce it with all the energy of which we are capable.” — Benito Mussolini

7. “Fascism, the more it considers and observes the future and the development of humanity quite apart from political considerations of the moment, believes neither in the possibility nor the utility of perpetual peace. It thus repudiates the doctrine of Pacifism – born of a renunciation of the struggle and an act of cowardice in the face of sacrifice. War alone brings up to its highest tension all human energy and puts the stamp of nobility upon the peoples who have the courage to meet it.” — Benito Mussolini

8. “Fascist education is moral, physical, social, and military: it aims to create a complete and harmoniously developed human, a fascist one according to our views.” — Benito Mussolini

9. “The function of a citizen and a soldier are inseparable.” — Benito Mussolini

10. “Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power.” — Benito Mussolini

11. “Fascism is a religious concept.” — Benito Mussolini

12. “Fascism is definitely and absolutely opposed to the doctrines of liberalism, both in the political and economic sphere.” — Benito Mussolini

Benito Mussolini quotes on unifying the state

13. “It is the State which educates its citizens in civic virtue, gives them a consciousness of their mission and welds them into unity.” — Benito Mussolini

14. “Given that the nineteenth century was the century of Socialism, of Liberalism, and of Democracy, it does not necessarily follow that the twentieth century must also be a century of Socialism, Liberalism, and Democracy: political doctrines pass, but humanity remains, and it may rather be expected that this will be a century of authority … a century of Fascism. For if the nineteenth century was a century of individualism it may be expected that this will be the century of collectivism and hence the century of the State.” — Benito Mussolini

15. “All within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state.” — Benito Mussolini

16. “State ownership! It leads only to absurd and monstrous conclusions; state ownership means state monopoly, concentrated in the hands of one party and its adherents, and that state brings only ruin and bankruptcy to all.” — Benito Mussolini

17. “Against individualism, the Fascist conception is for the State … Liberalism denied the State in the interests of the particular individual; Fascism reaffirms the State as the true reality of the individual.” — Benito Mussolini

18. “The League is very well when sparrows shout, but no good at all when eagles fall out.” — Benito Mussolini

19. “The definition of fascism is The marriage of corporation and state.” — Benito Mussolini

20. “All within the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state.” — Benito Mussolini

Benito Mussolini quotes on liberty

21. “The truth is that men are tired of liberty.” — Benito Mussolini

22. “We have buried the putrid corpse of liberty.” — Benito Mussolini

23. “Liberty is a duty, not a right.” — Benito Mussolini

24. “It’s good to trust others but, not to do so is much better.” — Benito Mussolini

25. “Every anarchist is a baffled dictator.” — Benito Mussolini

Benito Mussolini quotes about other political parties

26. “Democracy is beautiful in theory; in practice, it is a fallacy.” — Benito Mussolini

27. “The Socialists ask what is our program? Our program is to smash the heads of the Socialists.” — Benito Mussolini

28. “The Liberal State is a mask behind which there is no face; it is a scaffolding behind which there is no building.” — Benito Mussolini

29. “Socialism is a fraud, a comedy, a phantom, a blackmail.” — Benito Mussolini

30. “Democracy is a kingless regime infested by many kings who are sometimes more exclusive, tyrannical and destructive than one, even if he be a tyrant.” — Benito Mussolini

31. “Marx was the greatest of all theorists of socialism.” — Benito Mussolini

More Benito Mussolini quotes and sayings

32. “It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep.” — Benito Mussolini

33. “I want to make my own life a masterpiece.” — Benito Mussolini

34. “There is a violence that liberates, and a violence that enslaves; there is a violence that is moral and a violence that is immoral.” — Benito Mussolini

35. “Let us have a dagger between our teeth, a bomb in our hands, and an infinite scorn in our hearts.” — Benito Mussolini

36. “This is the epitaph I want on my tomb: Here lies one of the most intelligent animals who ever appeared on the face of the earth.” — Benito Mussolini

37. “Fuehrer, we are on the march! Victorious Italian troops crossed the Greco-Albanian frontier at dawn today!” — Benito Mussolini

38. “If you acquit me, you will give me great pleasure. If you condemn me you will do me honor.” — Benito Mussolini

39. “If two irreconcilable elements are struggling with each other, the solution lies in force. There has never been any other solution in history, and there never will be.” — Benito Mussolini

40. “War alone brings up to their highest tension all human energies and imposes the stamp of nobility upon the peoples who have the courage to make it.” — Benito Mussolini

41. “We become strong, I feel, when we have no friends upon whom to lean or to look to for moral guidance.” — Benito Mussolini

Other famous Benito Mussolini quotes

42. “A nation of spaghetti eaters cannot restore Roman civilization!” — Benito Mussolini

43. “The history of saints is mainly the history of insane people.” — Benito Mussolini

44. “I do not intend to defend capitalism or capitalists. They, like everything human, have their defects. I only say their possibilities of usefulness are not ended.” — Benito Mussolini

45. “Capitalism has borne the monstrous burden of the war and today still has the strength to shoulder the burdens of peace.” — Benito Mussolini

46. “Many think, and I myself am one of them, that capitalism is scarcely at the beginning of its story.” — Benito Mussolini

47. “You must always be doing things and obviously succeeding. The hard part is to keep people always at the window because of the spectacle you put on for them. And you must do this for years.” — Benito Mussolini

48. “Religion is a species of mental disease. It has always had a pathological reaction on mankind.” — Benito Mussolini

49. “Science is now in the process of destroying religious dogma. The dogma of the divine creation is recognized as absurd.” — Benito Mussolini

50. “The struggle against the religious absurdity is more than ever a necessity today.” — Benito Mussolini

What did you learn from these Benito Mussolini quotes?

Mussolini’s creation of the fascist party became a major factor in Hitler’s rise to power. Originally, Hitler failed to gain traction, but he idolized Mussolini. He modeled his campaign after Mussolini’s example and melded fascism into nazism.

Mussolini was convinced that his fascist beliefs would take over the world. He thought that his leadership was bringing about the end of democracy.

He supported Hitler during World War II, which eventually led to his downfall. He was executed with his mistress in 1945 while attempting to flee the country after the war.

Despite the end of his reign, Mussolini’s legacy has not disappeared. In fact, just as he had predicted, there are still supporters of fascism across the globe. Because of this, our duty is to remember the past, learn from previous mistakes, and make a conscious, daily effort to be a part of positive progress. We must always fight for equality, love our neighbors, and not allow fascism to rise again.

Let us know what you learned from these Benito Mussolini quotes and sayings in the comments below!

The post 50 Benito Mussolini Quotes from the Man Who Created Fascism appeared first on Everyday Power.