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Recruited by MI6

The name's Mussolini, Benito Mussolini

fRe4k

14.Oct.2009 09:30 hrs

I was just flicking through the news sources and was surprised/shocked to see this news that Benito Mussolini 'was MI5's agent in Italy'.

Here's the source of that news: Benito Mussolini Was An MI5 Agent In Italy

History remembers Benito Mussolini as a founder member of the original Axis of Evil, the Italian dictator who ruled his country with fear and forged a disastrous alliance with Nazi Germany. But a previously unknown area of Il Duce's CV has come to light: his brief career as a British agent.

RainKing

14.Oct.2009 09:50 hrs

Apart from the fact that MI5 only operate in Britain, and MI6 abroad, what's shocking? The article says he was recruited in 1917 and run during the first world war. Are they supposed to time travel to vet their agents to make sure they don't form a fascist party years into the future?

Lorelei

14.Oct.2009 10:20 hrs

He was apparently quite popular abroad when he became a facist dictator, at least in the early years:
"Mussolini was hailed as a genius and a superman by public figures worldwide"
"in 1933, [Churchill] pronounced him 'the greatest lawgiver among living men'"). So perhaps he was a charmer earlier too.

On the other hand, maybe he just couldn't resist the bowler hat, stripey trousers and umbrella!

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