Premillennial dispensationalism became immensely influential among American Protestants who saw themselves as defenders of orthodoxy. As theological conflict heated up in the early 20 th century, dispensationalism's unique eschatology became one of the characteristic features of the various strands of "fundamentalists" who fought against modernism and the perceived compromises of mainline Protestantism. Their embrace of the dispensationalist view of history and Biblical prophecy had a

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... t effect on how they interpreted world events and how they lived out their faith. These fundamentalists established patterns of interpretation that in the second half of the 20 th century would fuel the emergence of a politically influential form of Christian Zionism. Improving the understanding of dispensationalist views on international affairs during the interwar period will help explain Christian Zionist development. This study will contribute to that understanding by addressing how premillennial dispensationalists viewed Italian dictator Benito Mussolini during the interwar period and explaining why he received so much attention.