As early as 1923, Italian prime minister Benito Mussolini adopted the name Il Duce as his de facto title in an attempt to elevate himself to a position as the nation's unquestioned supreme leader. It was similar to German Chancellor Adolf Hitler's title as "Führer" of Germany, although unlike Mussolini, Hitler actually made Führer a post in the German government.
Other Italian 'leaders' whose names derive from dux are the Doges of Venice and Genoa, and the title of nobility duca\ ('duke').