alternatehistory.com

Only a few people know that, before turning fascist, Mussolini was one of the most extremist politicians of the italian socialist party, and that in 1912-13 had almost caused a red revolution in northern italy (the red week), exploiting general discontent for the government, for the war in Lybia, and general misery.
(the revolts were shut down after a week of bloody repression and he was put in jail as a revolutionary socialist)
What if he managed to do it?
my opinion is that europe would not felt threaten as per Russian bolshevick revolution (as nobody cared very much of italy), but the interesting point is another: this would be the first socialist revolution in europe, and would shape the way other european countries perceive the concept of "socialist country".
italian revolutionaries had not the stiffness of russian bolshevick, the horror of great war had not hardened the souls of half europe and a general trust on the goodness of mankind was quite diffused.
That, along with general lazy attitude (I'm italian so do not push me on it) would mitigate the harsh points of revolution, and europe would perceive "socialist revolution" in a whole different way, somehow more familar (influence of social-christian view) an a lot less threatening.
what the consequences?
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