The March on Rome Seen from the United States

The candidacy in 2015 and subsequent election in 2016 of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States have led many to debate the nature of his political identity. Is he merely a populist? An authoritarian leader? Or even a fascist, drawing comparisons to the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini? Most scholars believe that Trump and Trumpism do not align with the fascism that developed between the two world wars. However, some argue that an analogy is possible, with some even labelling Trump a “wannabe fascist” or “creep fascist”. This ongoing discussion includes Richard B. Jensen’s attempt to compare Mussolini’s March on Rome on 28 October 1922 with the 6 January 2021 Capitol Hill attack by Trump’s followers. This chapter explores the March on Rome and how it was perceived at the time in the United States. The analysis extends to 1932, the tenth anniversary of the march, marked by the organisation in Rome of the Mostra della Rivoluzione Fascista (Exhibition of the Fascist Revolution in Rome), and to 1942, the twentieth anniversary, when Italy and the United States were already at war on opposing fronts. Finally, it provides a brief reflection on the post-war American memory of Mussolini’s regime.