| World War I. Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated by Gavril Prineip. Entente Powers (France, Russia and United Kingdom joined by Italy and US declared war on the Central Powers (Austria-Hungry, Germany and the Ottoman Empire). Economic instability, caused in part by debts incurred in WW I and ‘loans’ to Germany played havoc in Europe in late 20’s and 30’s. This and the Wall Street Crash of ’29 brought on the worldwide Great Depression. The war had left 40 million civilians and military dead. Russia was plunged into revolution which brought down the Tsarist Monarchy and replaced it with the communist Soviet-Union regime. Helped by the crisis, Fascist movements developed throughout Europe lifting Adolf Hitler of Nazi Germany, Francisco Franco of Spain and Benito Mussolini of Italy into power. With internal political division and an economy devastated by war, the new kingdom of Italy was no empire. In 1919, frustrated that Italy had received few benefits despite having been a victor in WW I, a politician named Benito Mussolini led a movement that called for the restoration of Italy as a great power. In 1922, Mussolini led his Fascist supporters, in a march on Rome to seize power through a coup. The Italian King did not resist and allowed Mussolini to become the Supreme Ruler of Italy. Mussolini spent the next 20 years consolidating power and building up the Italian economy. He dreamed of a new Roman Empire.
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