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(41,133 posts) Thu Aug 13, 2020, 10:49 AM Aug 2020

PBS The Dictator's Playbook: 6 of The Deadliest Dictators of The 20th Century (2019)

Last edited Thu Aug 13, 2020, 11:51 AM - Edit history (1)

PBS, “THE DICTATOR’S PLAYBOOK” Preview: 6 of the deadliest dictators of the 20th c. examined in a PBS mini-series (2019). https://www.commondreams.org/views/2020/08/11/will-enough-americans-show-stop-trump-using-dictators-playbook
*WATCH* PBS, Meet The Dictators, 6 Episodes, https://www.pbs.org/tpt/dictators-playbook/episodes/

- 'The Dictator's Playbook' Preview, BENITO MUSSOLINI in Italy: He’s been dismissed as a buffoon, a small-time tyrant who ruled in the shadow of Hitler & Stalin. But in the world of 20th c. dictators, Mussolini was a pioneer. He created fascism, a movement that would plunge most of Europe into darkness. From undermining judges to indoctrinating children, he pioneered key tactics that other dictators would use to seize power.. As a young man, when Europe was consumed by World War I he was drawn to nationalism. He came home in 1917 & began to formulate the fascist ideology; it celebrated military might, extreme devotion to country & the superiority of the Italian people. Fascism also glorified ancient Rome, with the promise to return the country to the glories of the past.

- The Road to Dictatorship: Mussolini built fascism into a movement, complete with a paramilitary force: the blackshirts. 30,000 marched on Rome in 1922, seizing govt. buildings & train stations along the way. Already a member of parliament, Mussolini demanded to be made prime minister-& Italy’s king capitulated. Once in power, Mussolini began a systematic effort to weaken the country’s fragile democracy. A former journalist, Mussolini was a gifted writer with an instinct for playing on people’s dreams & fears. He connected with the public at mass rallies- & through the power of a new technology, radio.

Dig Deeper: Mussolini & the Jews of Italy: Under pressure from Hitler, Mussolini deported thousands of Jews to concentration camps. But years earlier, Mussolini’s regime was already passing anti-Semitic laws. Italian Fascism glorified the notion of a "pure Italian," evoking an ideal world where men were warriors & women were devoted mothers. This vision was used to justify a series of racial laws, begun in 1938, that mostly targeted the Jewish population. Jews were prohibited from owning property, banned from professions like medicine & law, and prohibited from joining the army. They were not allowed to marry non-Jews or enroll in schools or universities. The Fascist govt. even revoked citizenship from Jews who had been in the country for a short time, endangering thousands of refugees who had fled to Italy from Nazi Germany. In 1943, arrests & deportations began. Ultimately, around 10,000 Jews were deported from Italy to Nazi concentration camps..https://www.pbs.org/tpt/dictators-playbook/episodes/benito-mussolini/

- 'The Dictator's Playbook:' Preview, FRANCISCO FRANCO "El Caudillo." The Leader of Spain (1939-1975)
The general & dictator Francisco Franco (1892-1975) ruled Spain from 1939 until his death. He rose to power during the bloody Spanish Civil War when, with the help of Nazi Germany & Fascist Italy, his Nationalist forces overthrew the democratically elected Second Republic.
Adopting the title of “El Caudillo” (The Leader), Franco persecuted political opponents, repressed the culture & language of Spain’s Basque & Catalan regions, censured the media & otherwise exerted absolute control over the country. Some of these restrictions gradually eased as Franco got older; upon his death the country transitioned to democracy- after 35 years..https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/francisco-franco