Mussolini And The Tyranny Of Fascism

· May 1924: Matteotti Crisis ? the murder of Matteotti led to the Aventine Secession and Mussolini setting up his dictatorship. · Can see it was a very significant reason.

There is no doubt that Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini shared many similar characteristics. They shared movements that were typical of National Socialism: they adopted a radical nationalism, militaristic hierarchies, violence, the cult of charismatic leadership, contempt for individual liberties and civil rights, an anti-democratic and anti-socialist orientation, and a refusal to socialize industries.

Mussolini says that this was on purpose as the “surprise was important and he meant to claim that he was acting in self-defense”. A couple of years, in 1939, Italy invaded Albania, after Albania rejected the ultimatum that demanded that Italy’s occupation be acceded. As a result, Fascists slogans indicated that Albania should became an Italian protectorate. June 10, 1940, Italy declared war on Britain and France when it seemed as if Germany was winning the war.

Throughout all the worlds significant and powerful leaders, Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini were two men that similarly abused their powers in ways never seen before.

The Italian Campaign put Allied troops in Europe. Lesser objectives of the invasion included a chance to capitalize on the collapse of Italian resistance; to immediately use Allied forces; to engage German forces that could be sent to Russia and northern France; to take control of airfields that could be used for bombing missions; and to gain control of the Mediterranean.

-Italy gave the most assistance of all foreign powers. Mussolini wanted to be involved for a number of reasons. First, involvement would be in line with his anti-communist/socialist/democratic outlook and his pro-fascist stance. Second, he wished to enhance his influence as the key power in the Mediterranean and thereby demonstrate Italy’s

War is inevitable, as it is simply the manifestation of the strength and vigour of the Italian people that wishes to expand itself, never looking back. Peace was considered as merely a “mask to surrender and cowardice.” Mussolini stressed that Italians required “forces, duty, and sacrifice” in order to rise again to their former greatness, that of the Roman Empire. This is also Mussolini’s rationale for harsh and severe actions against any who would resist or try and undermine fascism.

World War I began in August of 1914, after the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand at Sarajevo, in what is now Yugoslavia. Following this period Italy was in a state of civil war, with the parliament incapable of providing effective leadership. There was a rise in social tension, as well as economic problems. This resulted in a new, more aggressive breed of Italian politicians. They followed a violent anarchic political credo, also known as fascism. Although Italy’s economy was weak, following World War I, it was effected more by political factors, such as the rise of fascism, and social factors as seen through the newspaper, Il Popolo d’Italia.

The Fascists’ social and economic policies up to 1939 significantly aided their control over Italy yet may not be cited as the sole cause. The Fascist party’s social and economic policies along with other factors attributed to the overall control of Italy. Through such policies it was a certainty that the Fascist party would hold complete power over the population of Italy in each aspect of an individual’s life whether it was their leisure time through the Dopolavoro or at work under the corporate state system which was formally introduced in 1934. This complete domination of the Italian peoples’ lives could be argued to have been the instrumental factor behind the Fascists’ control over Italy up to 1939. Other factors which assisted the

Generalissimo Francisco Franco came into power after his victory in the Civil war in 1939 and ruled over Spain till his death in 1975. In this 40-year period Spain was massive changed that causes much debate as to the political nature of Franco’s regime whether it is fascist or something different, Francoism. To understand if Franco’s regime was fascist, fascism must first be defined. There are many working definitions of a fascist regime, Stanley Payne’s states that the dictator must alien his regime to the idea of anti-isms, them being aintiliberalism, antidemocratic, anticonservatism, anticommunism and antidemocratic. Payne states these are fundamental in the description of a fascist regime. Another useful definition is Robert Griffin, stating that a fascist regime will use symbolism, violence to pursue its political aims, with the importance aimed at expansionism. Finally Griffin also states the need of the dictator to implement an authoritarian and totalitarian government. All these help to create a fascist regime and more importantly a truly fascist dictator. There is little doubt Franco holds to some of these definitions yet in later year the idea of Francosim becomes more viable however to understand if Franco was a truly fascist dictator we must look to the similarities and differences and determine by examining Franco’s rise politically his general style of government and finally his foreign policies it will determined whether Franco was a truly fascist dictator.

In the early days of Mussolini’s regime (he came to power in 1922), Italian foreign policy seemed rather confused: Mussolini knew what he wanted, which was ‘to make Italy great, respected and feared.’ But he was not sure how to achieve this, apart from agitating for a revision of the 1919 peace settlement in Italy’s favour. At first he seemed to think an adventurous foreign policy was his best line of action, hence the Corfu Incident and the occupation of Fiume in 1923. By an agreement signed at Rapallo in 1920, Fiume was to be a ‘free city’, used jointly by Italy and Yugoslavia; after Italian troops moved in, Yugoslavia agreed that it should belong to Italy. After these early successes, Mussolini became

The First World War had started reinforcing nationalism, and a desire of great achievements and glory for the nation. These sudden nationalist beliefs created among the Italians of the Risorgimento were made stronger by the fear of a possible socialist revolution. The conditions of growing industry of the Risorgimento had caused the growth of the socialist movement, which then helped Mussolini gain power due to his anti communist beliefs.

Ignorance is bliss they say, at least until you die from something completely preventable. The initial coming of the redstones in 1928 was met with a fearful curiosity at first but ultimately something potentially harmful across the seas, Italy had far more important matters at hand such as forging an alliance with the Vatican, recognizing it as a sovereign state and Mussolini with his family receiving an official blessing from the Pope. It officially declared itself a totalitarian state in 1935 and using propaganda to depose the king through plebiscite thus making Benito Mussolini the sole leader. Wanting to increase its prestige on the national stage it successfully and swiftly invaded Ethiopia in 1935 making it a subservient colony. Other nations viewed this as quite irresponsible as the redstone crisis was a far greater concerns that needed the cooperation of all Great Powers. Of course Italy didn't care.

1930’s Europe saw a rise in radical nationalism, which led to the rise of Adolf Hitler in Germany, and Benito Mussolini, in Italy. Back then, minorities like Jews, homosexuals, and to some extent women, had little to no rights, or were simply threatened to be sent to concentration camps. Most of this outcome was due to the mentality and perhaps the political makeup of that time, where “Women and homosexuals had to contend with a left culture increasingly infused with putatively masculine standards of behavior -realpolitik, emotional toughness; direct action, and freewheeling personal mobility” (Franck).

1870 is a year to remember in Italian history: indeed, on 20 September 1870, the Italian army marched into Rome and captured the city, completing the unification process begun by Garibaldi and his Thousand in Sicily ten years earlier, in 1860.