Giovinezza

"Fascism is a religion. The twentieth century will be known in history as the century of Fascism""-Benito Mussolini" The rise of the Italian Empire is perhaps the most epic tale of the twentieth century. The "Century of Fascism", as the great Duce himself called it, began as a simple ideology in Italy, by a former socialist and war veteran, who was seen as a joke internationally. From the March on Rome until the final days of the great Cold War of which Italy played a star role in, it was time for Italy to rise from its humiliation and instability, and for the Italian Empire to take the world by the throat, per l'onore d'Italia!

The Caesar's New Boots - 1933
The Italian Empire's history began its road to being the true heir to ancient Rome in 1933. It was a year of major developments. In January, Adolf Hitler and his National Socialist German Worker's Party took power in Germany with help from his National Conservative allies. This event, known as "Machtergreifung", or the "Seizure of Power", began the transformation of Wiemar Germany into a National Socialist state. Although at first impressed by the Nazis, themselves modeling their government after Mussolini's own Fascist ideology, their racial policies made Il Duce sick to the stomach, and saw Hitler as nothing more than a mere Austrian Corporal. What did worry Mussolini to some degree, is the German claims to its old 1914 borders, convincing him that the Germans will try to expand east, and took that time to modernize his military.

Mussolini met with the king and his military advisers to discuss military reform in April of 1933, and agreed on building shipyards in southern Italy and Sicily to build an aircraft carrier to defend Italy's Mediterranean interests, as well as possibly expand Italy's naval presence in the Atlantic. A private meeting between Mussolini and the King took place on April 24th to talk about Germany's new leader: Adolf Hitler. Both men detested his racial policies and agreed that he would be a danger to the Italian people in the future, and a change in military doctrine seemed reasonable. For that to become a reality, Italy would have to turn to its great war allies: Britain and France. Mussolini would land in the Great West Aerodrome on May 20th, 1933, and was greeted by Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald and Lord Mayor Charles Colette. They took Il Duce to a banquet nearby, and he would spend the rest of the day touring London. The next day, he and the British Prime Minister took a train to Westminster, where Il Duce was to meet the King.

Mussolini arrived at Westminster on the 21st, and taken to Buckingham Palace for a private meeting with King George V. Mussolini spoke in English, which he spoke quite well. MacDonald, King George and Mussolini spoke alone, where Mussolini requested that some of his military commanders come to Britain and train alongside the British military commanders. Officers were not excluded from the request, which Il Duce intended to train his soldiers with new doctrine. He stated that the same offer was to be extended to the French, and reinforced his fears that the Germans are looking for war in Europe. MacDonald and King George were skeptical about the idea, but assured Mussolini that he would get an answer by the 24th.

The Prime Minister and the King, after much debate, decided to accept the deal. Mussolini was informed and was ecstatic. Upon his return to Italy, Il Duce meet with his top military commanders again, this time to discuss the Air Force. Italo Balbo, who was present at the meeting and one of Il Duce's closest friends, explained that in order to combat the rising threat from Hitler, a modernization of the Air Force was needed. The request was granted, and Italo Balbo was named Minister of the Air Force of the Kingdom of Italy.

Mussolini poured money into aircraft research, and ordered for new fighters to be designed and built by the mid-late 1930's, with a new bomber and fighter already in development for that time period. New airfields were being constructed in Southern Italy and aircraft factories in Sicily to help with the unemployed.

Mussolini would plan a state visit to Paris in June to extend the proposal to the French, and Mussolini begins advocating for a Anglo-Italo-French summit to discuss improving relations, and the possibility of future war games and designs for tanks and aircraft, maybe even the possibility of an anti-German defense pact.

The First Martyr - 1934
The events of September 3, 1934 would be one of the darkest in modern Italian history. It was a peaceful day in Rome, the King was taking