"Fascism is an authoritarian political ideology (generally tied to a mass movement) that considers individual and other societal interests subordinate to the interests of the state. Fascists seek to forge a type of national unity, usually based on (but not limited to) ethnic, cultural, racial, religious attributes. Various scholars attribute different characteristics to fascism, but the following elements are usually seen as its integral parts: nationalism, statism, militarism, totalitarianism, anti-communism, corporatism, populism, collectivism, and opposition to economic and political liberalism.
Some of the governments and parties most often considered to have been fascist include Fascist Italy under Mussolini, Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler, Spain's Falange, Portugal's Estado Novo, Hungary's Arrow Cross Party and Romania's Iron Guard. Some authors reject broad usage of the term or exclude certain of these parties and regimes."
Post- World War Two Facism (Source: Wikipedia.org):
"Following the defeat of the Axis powers in World War II, there have been few self-proclaimed fascist groups and individuals. In contemporary political discourse, fascist has become a slur, used by adherents of some ideologies to describe their opponents. Fascism attracted political support from diverse sectors of the population. In countries such as Romania and Hungary, fascism had a strong base of support among the working classes and extremely poor peasants. Other supporters have included representatives of big business, farmers, landowners, disaffected World War I veterans, small business owners, nationalists, reactionaries and extreme conservatives. Intellectuals who have supported fascism include: Giovanni Gentile (who ghostwrote the Doctrine of Fascism), Gabriele D'Annunzio, Curzio Malaparte, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, Carl Schmitt and Martin Heidegger."
The Functions of Facism (Source: http://www.radio4all.net/proginfo.php?id=15029):
"THE FUNCTIONS OF FASCISM, Parenti says that fascism is a new order and consciousness that served the same old power structure and promised to solve the ills of the many while protecting the interests of the few. He answers in detail who financed the Fascist parties and what services the fascists rendered in return. Many of the measures enacted by fascists were frighteningly similar to those enacted today: They include the privatization of state owned enterprises, reduction of corporate taxes and inheritance taxes, defeat of unions, and the suspension of civil liberties."
Benito Mussolini's Profile [Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini] (Source: Wikipedia.org):
"Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (July 29, 1883 – April 28, 1945) was the prime minister of Italy from 1922 until 1943, when he was overthrown. He established a fascist regime that valued nationalism, militarism and anti-communism combined with strict censorship and state propaganda. Mussolini became a close ally of German dictator Adolf Hitler, whom he influenced. Mussolini entered World War II in June 1940 on the side of Nazi Germany. Three years later, the Allies invaded Italy and occupied most of southern Italy. In April 1945, Mussolini attempted to escape to Switzerland, only to be captured and killed near Lake Como by partisans. His body was brought to Milan where it was hung upside down at a gas station for public viewing and confirmation of his demise." - A Short Paragraph on his life story.
Early Years (Source: Wikipedia.org):
"Mussolini was born in Dovia di Predappio in the province of Forlì in Emilia-Romagna, one of Alessandro Mussolini and Rosa Maltoni's three children. Despite having two incomes in the household, the Mussolinis were poor, as were many families in Italy at this time. He was named Benito after Mexican reformist President Benito Juárez; the names Andrea and Amilcare were from Italian socialists Andrea Costa and Amilcare Cipriani. His mother was a teacher. His father was a blacksmith and a socialist activist.
In 1891, Mussolini was banned from his local church for throwing stones at the congregation after Mass. Mussolini had never been baptized, and only would be in 1927. He was sent to boarding school later that year and at age 11 was expelled for stabbing a fellow student in the hand and throwing an inkpot at a teacher. He did, however, receive good grades, and qualified as an elementary schoolmaster in 1901."
The Creation of Facism (Source: Wikipedia.org):
"Once Mussolini returned from World War I he gave little credence to socialism (though for a time, his paper still called itself "a Socialist paper"). By February 1918, he was calling for the emergence of a leader "ruthless and energetic enough to make a clean sweep." In May, he hinted in a speech in Bologna that he was going to take that position. On February 23, 1919, Mussolini reformed the Milan fascio as the Fascio Italiani di Combattimento (Italian Fighting League), consisting of 200 members. Its first manifesto promised broad reforms. It became an organized political movement a month later. The Fascisti, led by one of Mussolini's close confidants, Dino Grandi, formed armed squads of war veterans called Blackshirts (or squadristi) to terrorise socialists, anarchists, and communists. The government rarely interfered. The Fascisti grew so rapidly that within two years, it transformed itself into the National Fascist Party at a congress in Rome. Also in 1921, Mussolini was elected to the Chamber of Deputies for the first time."