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Fascist Italy is a common name given to Italy during the fascist rule between 1922 and 1978. In 1922, Benito Mussolini seize power of the Italian government and formed a new government. During his control of Italy, the fascists controlled nearly all aspects of every citizen's life. The nation ceased to exist with the June Revolution, led by many democracy movements and, in secret, King Umberto II.
On October 22, 1922, Benito Mussolini and his army of "blackshirts" began to travel across Italy and taking strategic points across the country. The king, fearing a civil war, ultimately decided to hand over his power to Mussolini on October 28. He then formed his cabinet on October 29, 1922, officially ending the march. Italy went through several "phases" of government. The first phase 1923–25 was nominally a continuation of the parliamentary system, albeit with a "legally organized executive dictatorship." Then came the second phase, "the construction of the Fascist dictatorship proper from 1925 to 1929." The third phase, with less activism, was 1929–34. The fourth phase, 1935–40, was characterized by an aggressive foreign policy, warfare in Ethiopia, which was launched from Italian Somaliland and Italian Eritrea, confrontations with the League of Nations sanctions, growing economic autarky, and semi-Nazification, which caused tensions with Germany and the United States during World War II. Italy was accused of being a "Nazi sympathizer" before and during the Second World War mostly due to the Austro-Italian Non-aggression Pact and Mussolini's friendship with Adolf Hitler.
In 1939, the Italians entered World War II after the French demanded the return of several portions of territory annexed by Italy in World War I. Hitler condemned Mussolini for declaring war on one of his ally's and suspended diplomatic relations with Italy.