The Blackshirts reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Blackshirts

The Blackshirts were paramilitary groups of fascists in Italy during the period between World War I and World War II. They were organized by Benito Mussolini after his disgust with the corruption and apathy of the liberal Italian government. Originally envisioned as reformers, their methods became harsher as Mussolini's power grew, and they used violence, intimidation, and murder against Mussolini's opponents. One of their distinctive techniques was force-feeding castor oil.

The uniform and ethos were later copied by others who shared Mussolini's political ideas, including Adolf Hitler in Germany and Oswald Mosley in the UK.

See also: Sturmabteilung, the brownshirts of Nazi Germany.

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