duce

Duce is an Italian word meaning leader, derived from Latin word dux of the same meaning, of which Duke is a derivation. Other Italian leaders whose names derive from dux are the Doges of Venice and Genoa, and the title of nobility duca ("duke").

History and usage

The title was used for the first time, by the king Vittorio Emanuele III in the 1915 , during World War I, the term was also used by Gabriele D'Annunzio as dictator of the self-proclaimed Italian Regency of Carnaro in 1920.

As early as 1923, Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini adopted the name Duce, as his de facto title in an attempt to elevate himself to a position as the nation's unquestioned supreme leader. German Chancellor Adolf Hitler's title of Führer in Nazi Germany was a direct translation of this term. The same made by Francisco Franco know as "El Caudillo" during his leadership in Spain since the 1938

The term is not commonly used, except in reference to Benito Mussolini. The term was also applied to Rudolph Giuliani during his term as mayor of New York City (1994-2002), in reference to his Italian heritage and allegedly dictatorial management style.

The character played by Billy Connolly in the 1999 film The Boondock Saints was named Il Duce.

The late rocker Eldon Hoke, drummer and lead singer of the heavy metal band The Mentors, used the stage name "El Duce."

Marco Santilli, mayor of Frascati is also known as "Duce" , everywhere across Italy, due to his political views.

See Also. Adam Keller

Donate to Wikimedia