Hello, and thank you for listening to a History of World War II podcast episode 5.

It'll do Jay Mussolini.

So I'm guessing for some of you, this is starting to sound like the Mussolini podcast, but don't

worry, I haven't fallen for that guy, but I wanted to catch him out to where we left

Hitler, and this episode will do that, I promise.

Then I can backtrack and start on Japan's journey into the abyss, and if you think I've

put your names and phrases so far.

Anyway, I wanted to give Mussolini some time alone on the stage, because soon, very soon,

he will be overshadowed by Hitler, Stalin, Churchill, Roosevelt, and a whole host of generals.

And Mussolini was a fascinating man.

His insecurities drove him to chase his desires, like most people could only wish for.

But then he started hanging out with the wrong crowd, and you know, it all went south.

So here we go.

It is generally believed by biographers in Mussolini that part of his psychological

makeup would never allow a victory to be a sweet one, that he would or could never fully

relax at any moment, and a victory was nothing more than denying defeat for one more day.

But that defeat for him was inevitable.

Indeed, it was only a matter of time before fate would catch up to him for all his deeds

and exacter price.

And that sense of unease ran through the fascist party, never quite allowing them to think

they had total control so they would keep trying.

Mussolini's administrative style was to spend long hours at his desk, starting late in

...