strongman in Italy even without Benny the Moose?

Is it plausible to see some sort of strongman or dictator take power in Italy even if Benny had slipped on a banana peel and cracked his skull open in 1919?
 
Yes. Mussolini and his candre emerged as a reaction to the growing radicalism of the Left in Italy, and would be able to find another charismatic head. If nothing else, the government would have seized additional powers as the chaos grew and the communists continued to militarize which would eventually result in a military government rather than a paramilitary one.
 
Yeah, Italo Balbo.

I doubt Balbo would be able to take power in Italy with Mussolini dead at such an early stage, before the National Fascist Party was created. He had neither Mussolini's celebrity nor the influence, being an unknown figure until he joined the party.
 
Well, for starters he was very vocally against anti-Jewish laws and vehemently opposed the alliance with Germany, wanting to be oriented towards Britain instead. He was on the saner side as far as blackshirts go.

What does that have to do with being a good administer though? It makes him a better Head of State and Politician-Diplomat, certainly, but it means spit in terms of organizing domestic policy. That has far more to do with the ability to harmonize the different factions of government, establishing a sound economic policy, creating social stability, ect. For that, Mussolini was notably talented in all three (Though far more in the first and last than the second, due to excessive militarism)
 
Frankly, it's more probably that some general like Armando Diaz, with the blessing of the King (and the liberals) will take power for some time.
 

HJ Tulp

Donor
Let's face it. In most of Europe people were looking for a strongman (or at least change) in the 1930s.
 
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