WI: Mussolini and the Fascists side with the Communists during the Bienno Rosso?

What if Mussolini and the Fascists decide to side with the Communists during the Biennio Rosso. OTL they took the opportunity to sidle up to the conservative and landed interests and toned down a lot of their socialist and radical elements and embraced a lot of traditional values, to the chagrin of its Futurist elements.

Before then they were a fairly fringe urban middle-class movement but with the support of the establishment, and the threat of Communist revolution, they grew into a mass movement which went on to take power. What would be the impact of them siding with the left and in the event of a Communist victory would they be influential and what would that influence look like?
 
What if Mussolini and the Fascists decide to side with the Communists during the Biennio Rosso. OTL they took the opportunity to sidle up to the conservative and landed interests and toned down a lot of their socialist and radical elements and embraced a lot of traditional values, to the chagrin of its Futurist elements.

Before then they were a fairly fringe urban middle-class movement but with the support of the establishment, and the threat of Communist revolution, they grew into a mass movement which went on to take power. What would be the impact of them siding with the left and in the event of a Communist victory would they be influential and what would that influence look like?

The big problem with this is an ideology. Fascism is a far-right movement born out of militarism, autocracy and absolute devotion to the state (which contrast against Communism, which is a far-left movement that would be the resulting of doign away with the state, or rather, the fusing of the state with the people so the idea of a nation doesn't really exist.)

Mussolini siding with the conservatives makes sense from an ideological standpoint since fascism is just a hyper version of conservatism (or rather reactionaryism).

If they did side with the left for pragmatic reasons, it would basically cause divisions as the most likely event. Though if they must stick together, I reckon that nationalism would fuse with the communist elements. Namely in creatign a workers paradise within a new Roman Empire or something like that. Basically, spread the revolution under the banner of the Empire. A Red Roman Empire.

For influence, Mussolini may not last that long if he upsets the wrong people.
 
It won't amount to much. Mussolini et al got influence because they became useful to the landowning elites and were a magnet for right wing goon squads looking to crack Communist skulls. If he sides with the Left his crew would be a historical footnote at best.
 
Well, it will not be the OTL Fascist Party in term of numbers and influences...if stick with the socialist/communist many local groups will defect or not join him; plus as stated by LHB, siding with the communist will mean no support by the ecomic elites or by the goverment (or at least them looking away on fascist crimes).
Finally, Benny decision to break up totally on the left was also due to the fact that as socialist leader he was just one among many while on the right we was the only one.
 
I think VE3 would have signed the Facta decree, declared a state of siege and the army would have crushed the blackshirts.

Plus, I doubt Musso had many friends left among the reds after agitating for WW1 and being expelled from the socialist party for moral indignity.

So, no credible platform, no allies and no strength.
 
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