What was Benito Mussolini's weakness and strengths?

Answer 1

As a journalist he had learned to become a very effective communicator. He also was very good at identifying and playing on popular sentiments, like the idea that Italy had been short-changed after WW 1 by the other Allies. He also had a forceful personality and he had a natural authority.

His weakness was mostly his dramatically bad choices in military affairs and his total misjudgement of Italy's military power and prowess. All his attempts at conquest and empire-building ended in disaster and defeat, even initially his war against the primitively armed warriors of Ethiopia. He decided - simply out of greed for the victor's spoils that he feared to miss out on - to side with Germany instead of remaining neutral which finally turned Italy into a bloody battleground and which cost him his leadership and his life.