Cult of personality

===Fascist Italy===
{{Main article|Propaganda of Fascist Italy}}
[[File:1936-prima-classe-061.jpg|thumb|upright|"Kids, you have to love [[Benito Mussolini]]. He always works for the good of the Fatherland and the Italian people. You have heard this many times, from your dad, mom, or teacher: If Italy is now far more powerful than before, we owe it to Him." (1936 [[textbook]])]]

[[Benito Mussolini]] was portrayed as the embodiment of [[Italian Fascism]] and was keen to be seen as such.{{sfn|Hamilton|1973|p=73}} Mussolini was styled by other Italian fascists as [[Il Duce]] ("The Leader"). Since Mussolini was represented as an almost omniscient leader, a common saying in Italy during Mussolini's rule was "The Duce is always right" (Italian: ''Il Duce ha sempre ragione'').{{sfn|Bosworth|2006|p=3}} Mussolini became a unifying force in Italy in order for ordinary Italians to put their difference to one side with local officials. The personality cult surrounding Mussolini became a way for him to justify his personal rule and it acted as a way to enable social and political integration.

Mussolini's military service in [[World War I]] and survival of failed assassination attempts were used to convey a mysterious aura around him.{{sfn|Falasca-Zamponi|2000|pp=72–73}} Fascist propaganda stated that Mussolini's body had been pierced by shrapnel just like [[Saint Sebastian|St. Sebastian]] had been pierced by arrows, the difference being that Mussolini had survived this ordeal.{{sfn|Falasca-Zamponi|2000|pp=72–73}} Mussolini was also compared to [[Francis of Assisi|St. Francis of Assisi]], who had, like Mussolini, "suffered and sacrificed himself for others".{{sfn|Falasca-Zamponi|2000|pp=65–66}}

The press were given instructions on what and what not to write about Mussolini.{{sfn|Hamilton|1973|p=73}} Mussolini himself authorized which photographs of him were allowed to be published and rejected any photographs which made him appear weak or less prominent than he wanted to be portrayed as in a particular group.{{sfn|Gallo|1973|pp=206–207}}

[[Second Italo-Ethiopian War|Italy's war against Ethiopia]] (1935–37) was portrayed in propaganda as a revival of the [[Roman Empire]], with Mussolini as the first Roman emperor [[Augustus]].{{sfn|Brendon|2016|p=329}} To improve his own image, as well as the image of Fascism in the [[Arab world]], Mussolini declared himself to be the "Protector of [[Islam]]" during an official visit to [[Italian Libya|Libya]] in 1937.{{sfn|Williams|2006|p=112}}