Mussolini Leading a Parade in Rome Benito Mussolini was a master showman who drew on Rome’s ancient heritage to promote Italian fascism. He wanted a grand avenue to stage triumphal marches with thousands of troops, so he had the Way of the Imperial Forums built through the old city. Here Mussolini rides at the head of a grand parade in 1932 to inaugurate the new road, passing the Roman Coliseum, one of the focal points along the route. (© Stefano Bianchetti/Corbis)