Early on Hitler idolized Mussolini for this very reason. Later on, not so much.
Most of us, if we were so motivated, could be successful being deceitful self-absorbed a**h**es like Mussolini or Stalin. It’s not that hard to be a horrible person. But unlike them, we thankfully don’t have the ability to disregard the lives of others who may stand in our way. In my opinion, the common denominator of most (if not all) dictators is narcissism with concomitant lack of empathy and conscience. They are sad flawed individuals, and they are attracted to power - which is why we’ve had so many of them.
BTTT.
BTTT.
Would have been interesting if Mussolini was kept out of power, and instead the Communists took power.
Hard to see a happy ending either way, but one has to admire the Italians - the way they dealt with Mussolini in the middle of the war.
On the political scene today, it is clear that some power elites believe that they can use unscrupulous, amoral demagogues for their own ends.