Mussolini: The Untold Story Mussolini: The Untold Story Mussolini: The Untold Story is a television biographical miniseries drama that aired in November 1985. The series followed the rise, rule, and downfall of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini played by US actor George C. Scott. Similar to "", the miniseries is spoken in English instead of the titular character's native language. Mussolini's private life features prominently in the series, including his long-term romance with his mistress Clara Petacci (played by Virginia Madsen). The series begins in 1922, as Mussolini gathers his power through the use of his Black Shirt militia. Promoting himself as Julius Caesar reincarnate,
Benito Mussolini secret police and outlawing labor strikes, Mussolini and his followers consolidated their power through a series of laws that transformed the nation into a one-party dictatorship. Within five years, Mussolini had established dictatorial authority by both legal and extraordinary means and aspired to create a totalitarian state. In 1929, Mussolini signed the Lateran Treaty with the Vatican, ending decades of struggle between the Italian state and the Papacy, and recognized the independence of Vatican City. After the Abyssinia Crisis of 1935–1936, Mussolini invaded Ethiopia in the Second Italo–Ethiopian War. The invasion was condemned by the Western powers and was answered