During the 1920s and 1930s, one European country after another rejected democracy in favour of one or another form of dictatorship whether of the right or the left. In general, the dictators combined the populist appeal and rhetoric of the left with policies that appeared to favour the social and economic elite, although sometimes the appearance was quite different from the reality. One of the least photogenic of the dictators was the Italian duce (leader), Benito Mussolini, a former socialist, who attempted to inspire in the Italian people the military and imperial qualities of ancient Rome. Since the Romans had made their name by conquest, Mussolini was soon looking around for someone to conquer. In this photograph, Mussolini is striding out of the University of Rome after denouncing efforts by the League of Nations to halt the Italian attack on the African nation of Ethiopia.
