The March on Rome

            Italian society was in utter mayhem.  Mussolini threatened to march on the city of Rome in October of 1922, to force the government to restore order to Italy.  He had 26,000 armed troops at his command, and threatened to seize control of the government if he was ignored.  The Italian Parliament requested that King Emmanuel III sign emergency legislation to help the government deal with the problem.  The King, fearing a civl war, instead asked Mussolini to form a government.  Mussolini’s March on Rome was met with no resistance, and his troops arrived in the city immediately afterwards.