World History II Standards Of Learning (SOL) Practice Test

The idea being tested is who founded the Italian Fascist regime and commanded the Blackshirts. Benito Mussolini is the figure who organized and led the Blackshirts, the fascist militia that used violence to suppress opposition and push his rise to power. He founded the regime in Italy in the early 1920s, then, after the 1922 March on Rome, became prime minister and gradually dismantled democratic institutions to establish a one-party dictatorship. The Blackshirts were instrumental in enforcing his authority and in promoting a nationalistic, militaristic vision. In contrast, Adolf Hitler led the Nazi regime in Germany, Hirohito was the Emperor of Japan, and Hideki Tojo led Japan's wartime government. They played similar roles in their own countries but not in Italy, which is why Benito Mussolini is the correct figure for this question.