ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Italian fascism

Italian fascism was a type of government that happened a long time ago in Italy. It was created by a man named Benito Mussolini who became the leader, or dictator, of Italy.

Fascism is when one person or group has all the power and makes all the decisions for everyone else. In Italy, Mussolini and his group called the Fascists believed that Italy should be a powerful and strong country, and they thought they had to be the only ones making decisions to make that happen.

They made a lot of changes in Italian society. They wanted to promote discipline and obedience, so they made new laws that controlled people's behavior, like what they could wear, what they could say, and who they could be friends with. They also controlled the media, so people could only see and hear what the Fascists wanted them to know.

The Fascists were very nationalistic, which means they believed in their country above everything else. They wanted Italy to be the best in the world and thought it needed to be powerful to do that. They encouraged Italians to be proud of their country and to work hard to make it strong.

Sadly, the Fascist government also mistreated people who were different than them. They didn't like people who were Jewish, gay or believed in different things, and thought they were not important for the country. They also started wars and led Italy into a lot of trouble.

Eventually, the Italian people grew tired of the Fascist rule and their country's problems, and Mussolini was removed from power when the Fascist government fell apart.