The Blackshirts were not a conquering army but a tool of political intimidation

Countries & Cities · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: The Blackshirts, Benito Mussolini’s paramilitary squads, are often remembered for their dramatic March on Rome. Yet, this event was less a military conquest than a calculated transfer of power, enabled by a government that surrendered to the threat of violence rather than standing its ground against the fascist insurrection.

Formed in March 1919, the Blackshirts—or Squadre d’Azione—began as armed squads designed to dismantle socialist and liberal organizations. Their rise was fueled by post-World War I social unrest and middle-class anxieties regarding a potential revolution. By the time of the October 1922 March on Rome, these paramilitary bands had grown to an estimated 200,000 members, creating an atmosphere of instability that Mussolini masterfully exploited to demand control of the Italian government.

The pivotal moment occurred on October 28, 1922, when Prime Minister Luigi Facta requested a state of siege to counter the gathering fascist forces. King Victor Emmanuel III refused to sign the order, effectively neutralizing the army’s ability to intervene. While historians debate the King’s motivations—ranging from fear of civil war to a desire to co-opt the fascists into the national government—the result was clear. Mussolini, who had waited in Milan, traveled to Rome by train to be appointed prime minister, transforming a threat of insurrection into a constitutional transfer of power.

Following his ascent, Mussolini institutionalized the squads, formally establishing the Voluntary Militia for National Security (MVSN) in 1923. The organization was structured to mimic the ancient Roman army, utilizing terms like 'legion' and 'cohort.' Over the following decades, these units evolved from domestic political enforcers into military divisions that participated in the Second Italo-Ethiopian War and the Spanish Civil War. Despite their elaborate structure and Roman-inspired branding, the Blackshirts remained fundamentally tied to the Duce, to whom every member swore a personal oath of loyalty until the regime's collapse in 1943.

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