Duce

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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 eighth 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 1923 and, more famously, by Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. The term is not frequent in contemporary use other than in reference to 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."

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Last updated on Wednesday March 12, 2008 at 10:09:33 PDT (GMT -0700)
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