Account for the responses of the European democracies to the military aggression by Italy and Germany during the 1930s.

The names Hitler and Mussolini strike a chord with anyone who has taken a world history class. These two names bring to mind great social changes. The political ideals and movements associated with these two historical figures attributed to their different lasting legacies. Images of a dictator controlling his army come to mind when either name is used. These two names have become synonymous with Europe’s history. Hitler and Mussolini attained complete social and political control through manipulation of the people of their countries. They succeeded in doing so by using unparalleled tactics and techniques.

The policy of appeasement was widely pursued by Britain and France in the 1930s, when it referred to attempting to satisfy Germany's demands by negotiation and compromise, which would avoid war. However due to its failure the policy of appeasement, to a large extent was responsible for the outbreak of war in 1939. It is clear that if the Western Powers had retaliated against Hitler, war could have been avoided, it encouraged Hitler, Hitler could never be appeased, and that it prompted the Nazi-Soviet Pact. Despite large extent the policy of appeasement in the outbreak of war it is superseded by other factors such as the Treaty of Versailles.

During the Second World War, Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was the leader of the Italian Nationalist Fascist government. He was head of the Italian government from 1922 till 1943. The significance of Mussolini is that he played a key role acting as the Italian Prime Minister and established a totalitarian regime, during this time, as the unchallenged supreme leader, known as ‘Il Duce’. Fascism consisted of many contributors of which Mussolini with all his quirks was the key to most of its failures and successes, making him the most significant player that is worthy of being investigated. This topic is worthy of being investigated as Mussolini made a lot of decisions that lead to the death of many, but the question as to

Millions of people were extremely frustrated with the fallout of World War I, they wanted change and a strong leader to guide them through their times of trouble. The answer to the people's’ prayers had been given to them with the new political idea of fascism. Not only did fascism rise, Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler also rose to power during these times of crisis. Fascism, Mussolini, and Hitler were all able to rise to power because the people had called for change, and they found themselves gravitating towards the ideas of these two intelligent men. Both men were able to persuade many people over to their side. Millions of people quickly adopted the new ideas of fascism, Benito Mussolini, and Adolf Hitler, the people saw them as the light at the end of their long dark tunnels they seemed to be lost

Along with the Fascist Party, came the idea of a "perfect" race of man, and persecution. Hitler’s idea of a non-Jewish race appealed to Mussolini. Before the war began, Benito Mussolini and his army started their persecution of the Jews in Italy. This did not last long, however, because Mussolini’s popularity began to fall. As his popularity among his people began to decline, so did his relations with many European nations. Much of Italy’s foreign relations depended solely on treaties and pacts. (5) As Germany and Italy moved together towards a uniform society, the strength and honor of the treaties were in jeopardy.

Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini are two of the most well-known leaders of the totalitarian movement which began in the 20th century. The early 1900’s was a very brutal time in history, as it commenced the beginning of the first world war. As young men, they both served as soldiers in World War One. Their involvement in the war both left them with violent views of socialism and communism. In the summer of 1919, the Treaty of Versailles was signed, marking the end of the war. The treaty forced Germany to accept sole responsibility for the war, resulting in global German humiliation. The consequences left Germany liable for harsh reparations and the reassignment of boundaries. Hitler's

The consolidation of fascist power in Italy in the years 1922-1929 was mainly due to the use of force and intimidation, because from all his steps to

The appeasement policy was not ideal for Europe. It proved to allow Hitler opportunities to gain control over most of Europe. Winston Churchill, a politician and army leader, stated that, “I have always held the view that the maintenance of peace depends upon the accumulation of deterrents against the aggressor, coupled with a sincere effort to redress grievances.”(Document B). Churchill believed that if France or Britain put in an effort to strategize and stop Germany, they would have prevented Germany from invading Czechoslovakia. Churchill also further states that, “... I ventured to … pledge that in conjunction with France and other powers they would guarantee the security of Czechoslovakia … and I still believe that if that course had been followed events would not have fallen to this disastrous state…”(Document B). This shows how Europe had many chance to stop Hitler by working together.

One of the most controversial documents of World War 2 was the appeasement signed on September 30, 1938 in Munich, Germany. The document known as the Munich Pact gave Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland to Adolf Hitler in hopes he would not seek additional territory. Before the appeasement was signed, Nazi Germany had previously taken multiple aggressive actions. In 1937, it had attacked a small city in Spain and in 1938 (before the appeasement was signed) it had invaded Austria. The Prime Minister of Britain began negotiations with Hitler in pursuit of achieving another war, which resulted in appeasement. This appeasement encouraged Hitler’s aggression as he gained confidence to attack and attempt to gain more territory. Ultimately, this was the wrong policy for England to pursue in 1938. The Munich Pact, as it was known, was unnecessary, gave Germany time to rearm, and 7f.

In my opinion, appeasement was a huge mistake on the part of the Allied nations. It allowed Nazi Germany to gain an enormous amount of power, consequently posing a threat to all of Europe. Appeasement encouraged Hitler’s aggression as he gained increased confidence after capturing each new piece of land without any intervention by the League of Nations. The policy of appeasement is what allowed Hitler to successfully transfer troops to the Rhineland in 1936 which led to further military actions (e.g. the annexation of Austria). The occupation of new lands by Germany also contributed to the increase in German strength. For example, the Rhineland provided Germany with stronger defense of its borders against France and Belgium. Austria provided

Benito Mussolini and his creation of Fascism was the glue that held Italy together. Fascism promised national unity and condemned the Socialist party. To understand how Fascism became powerful within Italy, it is imperative to acknowledge the driving force behind this regime. To put it bluntly, violence played an essential role in the development of the Fascist party. Mussolini’s practice of fierceness was able to create a formidable system of government that did not tolerate weakness. In 1919, Benito Mussolini give an Afternoon speech, where he stressed the difference between Socialism and Fascism. Here, he states, “We declare war, against socialism, not because it is socialism, but because it opposes nationalism” (Stone 2013, 38).

Once the Nazis were in power, the fear of communism and outbreak of another world war affected European diplomacy which gave way to appeasement: a major factor contributing the causes of WWII. Hitler was carrying out his 4 aims in foreign policy which included: lebensraum, racial purity, an end to the treaty of Versailles, and the unification of the German peoples; threatening his neighboring countries. Britain resorted to appeasement which was meant to put off war and grant Germany its wishes as in reality the country had been undergoing a constant struggle for the past decades and Britain felt partly responsible. Allowing Germany to do

The economic instability of Europe developed totalitarian goverments that began rising during the depression in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s. Germany, Italy, and Japan all became countries subjected to the rule of dictated military rule leaving no room for opposition. Benito Mussolini came to power in Italy in 1922 (Calvocoressi, Wint, p 777, 1999). Mussolini had his own philosophy that his destiny was to rule over Italy as Caesar in a more modern version while re-creating the Roman Empire. In his attempts in

People were drawn to vote for those who are in favor of creating a better life for their country. Mussolini’s leadership demonstrated use of clever methods of gaining support. Others could also be blamed for his rise of power; Giovanni Giolitti, King Victor Emmanuel III, and Pope Pius XI all whom anticipated in the growth of Mussolini. The Fascist Party had some power, but not enough to control the government. The Socialists was open to more. This didn't sit well with Mussolini, so he gathered his followers, dressed in black shirts, and threatened to march on Rome if he wasn't given control of the government. At first, the government ignored him, and then he marched through Rome with his people and forced the King to name him the leader of the government. The Fascist movement he started could have easily been prevented if the government had intervened early. They failed to utilize their forces that were all at their disposal. However, Mussolini took this to his advantage and seized control of Italy. It was a perfect storm; Italy was going through tough times economically, socially and politically and Mussolini seemed like the only hope to millions of Italians. He told the people what they wanted to

As it began, our century drew to a close, with Germany once again the economic powerhouse and political hub of Europe. What is remarkable is how quickly this happened, how unbidden and unanticipated: the toppling of the Berlin Wall in November 1989; the reunification a year later; the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War in late December 1991; a resurgent impetus to West European integration in 1992; and NATO enlargement, which was consecrated in April 1999. Unquestionably, this chain of events has profoundly affected Germany’s situation over the past decades. For the first time since the establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) in 1949 and the painstaking process of