Ironically, when we think of fascism, we often look at someone as brutal and influential as adolf hitler, but the word "fascism" originated from italian. The ideology that was carried out in the vicious spanish war right before world war 2, and was embraced by nazi germany, was actually pushed and more or less invented by the italians during a critical time in history when many changes were made, and when fear and uncertainty were all in the air. Mussolini was efficient and influential. He was a fearless leader not to be trifled with. Let's take a look at what he did and why. Mussolini would ride that wave to power, and he would hold it for decades as he opportunistically tried to strengthen italy's position and empire. That would lead him to foreign interventions in africa, and eventually an alliance with nazi germany's adolf hitler, ultimately costing him everything and devastating his country throughout world war ii. For the people of spain, however, franco was far from the benevolent figurehead he portrayed himself to be. Franco's rule was vicious and spiteful, and persecution and oppression were ever present during his dictatorship. Franco's spain was intolerant of dissent, and by the 1970s, the country appeared to outsiders to be completely under his control and influence. It seemed likely that his successors would continue to rule in his image or, more worryingly, that far left groups would challenge a post-franco autocrat.