Series synopsis
Mussolini: The First Fascist, also known as Mussolini, le premier fasciste is a French documentary war & politics television series that premiered on France 5 on October 23, 2022. It ended on October 23, 2022. It was created by Serge de Sampigny. It stars Jacques Gamblin, Benito Mussolini, Piero Gandini and Santino Picchetti.
Mussolini seized power in Italy in 1922, after his March on Rome. He would hold it in his grasp until his death in 1945, establishing a dictatorship that lasted more than 20 years. Long considered a buffoon and a second-rate dictator, Il Duce invented fascism that was imitated by Hitler, who viewed the Italian as his political master. He wanted to transform his country into a warrior nation and promised Italians a return to the grandeur of the Roman Empire. He governed by violence and trickery a ...
Premise
Mussolini seized power in Italy in 1922, after his March on Rome. He would hold it in his grasp until his death in 1945, establishing a dictatorship that lasted more than 20 years. Long considered a buffoon and a second-rate dictator, Il Duce invented fascism that was imitated by Hitler, who viewed the Italian as his political master. He wanted to transform his country into a warrior nation and promised Italians a return to the grandeur of the Roman Empire. He governed by violence and trickery and was one of the first populist leaders of modern times, leading his country into the catastrophe of the World War II. But who was Mussolini, this former teacher who came from the extreme left to become a newspaper editor and creator of the Fascist Party? Why did he ally himself with Hitler? Were the Italians really behind him? With archives and interviews with the last-surviving witnesses of the era, this portrait takes a look back at one of the most notorious dictators of the 20th century.
Cast and characters
Leading cast
- Jacques Gamblin as Narrator (voice)
- Benito Mussolini as Self (archive footage)
- Piero Gandini as Self - Son of a fascist industrialist
- Santino Picchetti as Self - Former communist deputy
- Marta Badoni as Self - Daughter of a fascist industrialist
- King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy as Self (archive footage)
- Adriano Monti as Self - Fascist activist
- Aldo Bonucci as Self - Fascist activist
Supporting cast
- Carlo Benvenuti as Self - Son of a fascist activist
- Silvana Ajò Cagli as Self - Victim of Mussolini
- Antonio Tombesi as Self - Fascist activist
- Lidia Menapace as Self - Anti-fascist resistant
- Edda Ciano Mussolini as Self (archive footage)
Guest cast
- Luigi Facta as Self (archive footage)
- Rachele Guidi Mussolini as Self (archive footage)
- Adolf Hitler as Self (archive footage)
- Galeazzo Ciano as Self (archive footage)
- Francisco Franco as Self (archive footage)
- Clara Petacci as Self (archive footage)
- Édouard Daladier as Self (archive footage)
- Neville Chamberlain as Self (archive footage)
- Erwin Rommel as Self (archive footage)
Episodes
This series spans 1 season with 2 episodes.
| Season | Episodes | First aired | Last aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| Season 1 | 2 | October 23, 2022 | October 23, 2022 |
| Episode | Title | Air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rise to Power | October 23, 2022 |
| 2 | The Fall of a Dictator | October 23, 2022 |
Production
Release
| Original network/platform | France 5 |
|---|---|
| First aired | October 23, 2022 |
| Last aired | October 23, 2022 |
| Runtime | 54 minutes |
| Status | ended |
| Schedule | Sunday at 00:00:00 |