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Why Mussolini's preferred book was Plato's ''Republic''?

< What did Friedrich Schiller think of Aristotle? | PLATO V. ARISTOTLE

Answer: Plato's political project, his "Republic" (more explicit in his "Laws") was a totalitarian Utopia. This has inspired many fascist intellectuals, to this day.

Dr. Georg Zachariae, a celebrated German physician, wrote Mussolini si confessa (Mussolini Confesses , Milan, Garzanti, 1948)
Zachariae reported that each day before Mussolini began his work he sat at his desk at home reading Italian history or the poetry of Goethe. He always kept at his hand a copy of Plato’s Republic, which he consulted from time to time.
As quoted in "Mussolini: the last 600 days of il Duce" by Ray Moseley (p 39)

The similarities between LaRouche and Mussolini are striking:

• Before turning towards "nationalism", they both had a "radical left/Marxist" past (Lenin even congratulated Mussolini),
• They both were influenced by "Hegelian philosophy": Giovanni Gentile who was described by Benito Mussolini, and by himself, as 'the philosopher of Fascism', ghostwrote "A Doctrine of Fascism" (1932) for Mussolini. Gentile was a "neo-Hegelian".

"MUSSOLINI HA SEMPRE RAGIONE" (Mussolini is always right) was one of the most famous slogans of fascist Italy, and was plastered on walls and buildings everywhere in the country. This slogan also appeared as part of the "Fascist Decalogue," or "Ten Commandments", issued by Mussolini.
When Orwell wrote "Animal Farm" he clearly portrayed "Napoleon" after Mussolini. Could have applied to LaRouche, had he known him.

More here.

Other references:

Nazi ideologue A. Rosenberg's defense of Plato/Socrates

"Plato and Platonism" By H. P. Blavatsky (founder of Theosophy and author of "Isis unveiled"), an incarnation of the "Evil/Feminine Principle" according to LaRouche. Yet she defended Plato against Aristotle... and the Aryan race!

LaRouche's 'Neo-Platonism' Is Recycled Nazi Occultism Unpublished report (circa 1981) by a former member of LaRouche's intelligence staff at lyndonlarouche.org (D. King)

Plato's Dialectic v. Hegel and Marx: An Evaluation of Five Revolutions by (revisionist) David L. Hoggan (Spring 1986) at ihr.org