March on Rome, the

Means by which fascist leader Benito Mussolini came to power in Italy in 1922. A protracted crisis in government and the threat of civil war enabled him to demand the formation of a fascist government to restore order. On 29 October 1922, King Victor Emmanuel III invited Mussolini to come to Rome to take power. The ‘march’ was a propaganda myth: Mussolini travelled overnight by train from Milan to Rome, where he formed a government the following day, 30 October. Some 25,000 fascist Blackshirts were also transported to the city, where they marched in a ceremonial parade on 31 October.