Post World War I Italy and Germany fell on hard times economically as did everyone else. The problems that arose within their governments helped Fascist gain power. The idea of everyone coming together under one ruler, one party, and as one nation appealed most to people because of its sense of nationalism. After being ousted from the socialists party, Benito Mussolini formed his own Fascist party called League of Combat but it received little attention until workers went on strike and violence broke out amongst the classes and conservatives who were fearful. As a result the Fascists formed armed squads to attack socialists offices and newspapers(Duiker, p.122). Mussolini would soon extend to the Catholic church and request full autonomy .
Italy was frustrated by the Treaty of Versailles. Italy believed that they contributed to the allied force victory of World war One was not fairly rewarded in the treaty. They felt that Britain, France and Russia got the best deal instead, three years following the end of the war were marked by economic and political instability. Massive unemployment and debts crippled the once effective government. Because of the economic and political instability a new ruler was able to come in. Italy was under the rule of of the ruthless and violent dictator Benito Mussolini. He rose to power in the wake of World War I as a leading proponent of Fascism. Fascism is a political philosophy, movement, or regime (as that of the Fascisti) that exalts nation and often race above the individual and that stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial
While both Italian and German fascism in the interwar years were very similar, they were ultimately more different due to their political ideologies, foreign policies and the structure of their respective parties. Fascism, while not having a concrete definition can be defined by multiple attributes. Fascism usually consist of a ultra right wing, oppressive and authoritarian government that places a heavy emphasis on national identity. As such, fascist governments promote violence and the expansion through wars with the intent of imperialism.
Hitler and Mussolini both came in to power in the early days when their countries, Germany and Italy were facing problems after the Great War. Even then, both Hitler and Mussolini successfully gain and maintain power and control the country.
Within Italy, The Great War caused many problems and a great amount of distress. As a result of this, hundreds of new fascist groups started to emerge. In October 1922, Benito Mussolini became the Prime Minister of Italy and contributed a lot to the nation. He developed his power by forming the Fascist National Party in 1923 and eliminating political opposition. Mussolini and his followers ruled Italy through an authoritarian dictatorship. He made it clear that the war was a turning point for Italy and the returning of combat soldiers would form a new elite and bring about a new type of state to transform Italian politics and society. Mussolini set many
Are there “checks and balances?” Is there a separation of power? What role do citizens have in the political process?
After WW II, Fascism, “Instituted in Germany by Hitler” (America a Concise History 695) created an authoritative government. Hitler was controlling the government and making people do what he said and wanted. They believed that they were the superior race. Fascism came about in Italy in the years of 1920, but developed in the countries Germany, Spain, and France (America a Concise History 695). WW I caused the rise of fascism because Italy was destroyed and took an economic downfall so Mussolini decided to take it upon himself along with Adolf Hitler to get their countries back again. As stated in Chapter 24, “fascists leaders worldwide disparaged parliamentary
The goals of these two leaders were also very alike because of their fascist ideas. The keystone of the fascist political system was the leader: every person and every group, every lobby, lay beneath him on the same level. The Italian and German fascist movements tried to build a different kind of national unity, based not on the "common good" but on other principles knowing that their countries were internally fragmented.
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
The rise of Fascism in Italy contributed to World War II because of it’s militaristic and nationalistic
The Common Factors that Led to the Establishment of Totalitarian Regimes in Italy and Germany in the Inter-War Period
After the war, Mussolini resumed his political activities, criticizing the Italian government for weakness at the Treaty of Versailles. He organized several right-wing groups into a single force and, in March 1919, formed the Fascist Party—the movement proclaimed opposition to social class discrimination and supported nationalist sentiments, hoping to raise Italy to levels of its great Roman
Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, and Imperial Japan all shared a global concept of fascism where the willingness to create a collective conscious of nationhood was justified through imperialism. Indeed, the importance of nationalism within Fascist culture would greatly affect the foreign policies of Italy, Germany, and Japan during the 1930s and 1940s. World War one had brought about revolutionary changes in the nature of war, society, and technology, where the advent of total war and mass mobilization showed the potential of a unified community run by the state. Fascists saw World War One as symbolizing the beginning of a new era where totalitarian governments sought to unify their nations by mobilizing the national community. In Italy, Benito Mussolini and his Fascist regime created one national community by eliminating the boundaries between the public and private sphere where the Nation would come before the Individual. In Germany, Hitler used nationalism to call for the unification of all German speaking peoples into a single empire known as the Volk. In Japan, the success of imperialism and the emphasis on collective belonging and shared past led to a nationalistic movement known as Pan Asianism where the Japanese aimed to unify all Asians. The respect of the state, a devotion to a strong leader, and the emphasis on militarism were all common features of the totalitarian states of Italy, Japan, and Germany but nationalism served as a pivotal feature in creating a
He was also the leader of the National Fascist Party making him the youngest prime minister of Italy. At the beginning, Mussolini had a lot of the nation’s support. He passed laws and changes that pleased the people, gaining more of their trust. Those who weren’t supporters of him tried proving he was dishonest. He took control of the Italian schools to tach his beliefs in order to have generations of citizens who believed as he did. By 1936, he took over Ethiopia and two-thirds of the businesses in Italy. During his conquest of Ethiopia, Adolf Hitler offered support. Mussolini did not like him at first, but he was convinced later on with Hitler’s constant support for an alliance with the Nazi Germany. He became strongly influenced by him. Therefore, in WWII in 1940, Italy sided with Germany. The Italians became unhappy with Benito until they fired him from his supreme leader rule at last in 1942. In 1943, Mussolini became the head of the Italian Social Republic in Northern Italy by Hitler’s order. Unfortunately, for him, the Allied Powers captured him that same year after his first escape and was shot and
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
It became the foundation of the fascist movement in Italy following World War I. Mussolini used the newspaper to spread his ideas of fascism. On June 6, 1919, an issue of Il Popolo d’Italia listed and described the goals of fascism. However, fascism did not begin to take off until October of 1922.