Mussolini founded Italy's National Fascist Party in 1921

historyWikipedia1921 · Italy

Mussolini founded Italy's National Fascist Party in 1921

the gist

On 9 November 1921, Benito Mussolini founded the National Fascist Party, turning the paramilitary Fasci Italiani di Combattimento he had created in 1919 into a political party. The movement drew on the anger of veterans after the First World War, fear of socialist unrest and economic hardship. Its Blackshirts used violence against opponents, and the party gained support from landowners and industrialists. In October 1922, the Fascists staged a March on Rome, and King Victor Emmanuel III invited Mussolini to form a government rather than confront them. Within a few years Italy was a one-party dictatorship that lasted until Mussolini was deposed in 1943.

so what

Italy's was the first fascist regime in Europe, and it became a model for others. The speed of its rise shows how a violent minority can take power by mixing intimidation with legal routes.

the bigger pattern

Interwar Europe saw several democracies collapse into authoritarian rule, often after economic crisis and street violence; the Italian case was an early template.

fun fact

The word fascism comes from the Latin fasces, a bundle of rods around an axe carried by Roman officials.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

historyWikipediaclassic1336–1565 · Karnataka, India

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗