To what extent can the rise of Mussolini to power be explained by his own talents and abilities?

An essay like this is a factor based question, which could come up in an exam worded in many different ways, with different named factors. Therefore, it is important to get to grips with how you would approach this kind of essay and formulate a rough plan that you can then alter to suit any question you are presented with. For example, the question “‘The main reason for Mussolini’s rise to power was economic problems after WW1’ Discuss” is essentially the same question – why did Mussolini rise to power in 1922? Every answer to this type of question would involve writing about the same factors. I would suggest, Mussolini’s skills, the economic condition of Italy, weaknesses of the Liberal government, the rise of socialism, and the role of the King. But of course, if there are other factors that you think are important and you have some facts that show this, then go for it! The first thing I would do would be to go through your notes and text books and jot down three to four key facts that appeal to you, for each factor you choose to write about. For instance, for Mussolini’s talents and abilities you could mention: - his failure in the 1919 election and how this led to him becoming more moderate - his journalistic skills in ‘Il Popolo d’Italia’ - his attempts to gain support from the Church - his dual policy of interally supporting radical violence but externally deploring it Next, consider what these facts show – they show that Mussolini was a skilled opportunist who was able to manipulate support for his party, making it far easier for him to come to power. Do the same for all the factors and you will start to see links forming between them. The answer to the question lies in the factor that links most completely with all the other factors. I personally would say that the economy is the main reason for Mussolini’s rise, because it created a climate of discontent needed for such a big change. Without economic problems, there would be less anger towards the liberals, socialism would not have grown so quickly, Mussolini would have little to exploit, and the King would have felt less pressure. Therefore, the economy was more important than Mussolini’s talents. This is what I would explain in my introduction and conclusion so the examiner is clear about my answer to the question. In each paragraph then, I would present the facts, what this shows, and then explain how this links to the economy so that my argument is strong. For any question on Mussolini’s rise to power, I would use the same facts, analysis and argument, but I would change the order of paragraphs and tweak my writing to fully fit the question.