Fasces of Revolutionary Action

In 1915, members of the Fascio began to officially refer to themselves as "Fascists."[3]^:52 They denounced Marxism, but asserted that they supported socialism, using the famous quote by French socialist Louis Auguste Blanqui: "He who has iron has bread" on the title page of its newspaper, Il Popolo d'Italia.[3]^:42

Mussolini spoke of his desire that the war would "perhaps see a few more crowns fall to pieces." In April 1915, he accused Italy's King Victor Emmanuel III of being a pro-German "Philistine," charging him of being "foreign" and allegedly a "neutralist."[3]^:52–3

Due to Mussolini's support of Italian intervention in the then-ongoing World War I, he received financial support from Ansaldo (an armaments firm) and other companies.[4]^:284 In 1917, Mussolini was allegedly supported by the British Directorate of Military Intelligence, with Mussolini supposedly being paid a £100 weekly wage; this help is said to have been authorised by Sir Samuel Hoare.[5] However, regardless of the financial support he accepted for his pro-interventionist stance, Mussolini's socialist critics noted that Mussolini was free to write whatever he wished in his newspaper Il Popolo d'Italia, without prior sanctioning by his financial backers.[3]^:37

The first meeting of the Fascio d'Azione Rivoluzionaria was held on 24 January 1915.[3]^:41 At the meeting Mussolini declared that it was necessary for Europe to resolve its national problems - including national borders - of Italy and elsewhere "for the ideals of justice and liberty for which oppressed peoples must acquire the right to belong to those national communities from which they descended."[3]^:41 Amidst discussion on the question of irredentism, Mussolini noted from the proceedings of the members that "the difficult question of irredentism was posed and resolved in the ambit of ideals of socialism and liberty which do not however exclude the safeguarding of a positive national interest."[3]^:41

In March 1915, Mussolini declared the movement's irredentist stance towards Trieste, in which he stated that Trieste "must be, and will be Italian through war against the Austrians and, if necessary, against the Slavs."[3]^:42 In an article on 6 April 1915, Mussolini addressed the movement's irredentist stance towards Dalmatia, arguing that Italy should not annex all of Dalmatia because claims that it had a majority of Italian speakers was "not a good enough reason to claim exclusive possession of all of Dalmatia"[3]^:42 It did support Italy annexing a vast section of Dalmatia including its entire archipelago.[3]^:42

The Fasci received ideological influence from other members than Mussolini, such as Giuseppe Prezzolini, who had previously been a member of the Italian Nationalist Association.[3]^:49 Prezzolini was impressed by Mussolini, and in late 1914 joined Il Popolo d'Italia to write for it.[3]^:49

On 11 April 1915 during an interventionist demonstration that was confronted by neutralist PSI members, Italian state police killed one man, an electrician named Innocente Marcora.[3]^:52 Both interventionists and neutralists were outraged by the man's death.[3]^:49 The Fascio d'Azione Rivoluzionaria, who by then referred to themselves as "Fascists", took part in a joint neutralist-interventionist work stoppage.[3]^:52