Mussolini originally was a socialist and had fled Italy to live in Switzerland and avoid army enlistment. However, Mussolini soon saw World War I as an opportunity for Italy to emerge as a world leader and abandoned the socialist disapproval of the war. He eventually joined the Italian army in 1915, serving for two years, and soon after had continued his political ambitions. In 1919 Mussolini united several right wing parties to form the Fascist Party supporting nationalist ideals and aiming to raise Italy back to its Roman Glory and performed the March on Rome demanding leadership and power. After obtaining control, Mussolini organized a para- military unit called the “Black Shirts” to intimidate and terrorize political opponents. By 1925 …show more content…
Trotsky and Stalin had different agendas. Following Lenin’s ill health and death there was a political vacuum left, with several leaders striving for power. Though Trotsky was the presumed next in line and was a popular Bolshevik leader, Stalin, Zinoviev, and Lev Kamenev formed an alliance or troika to ensure that Trotsky didn’t obtain power. Many leaders wanted to go return to normal now that the crisis of the Civil War was over and Trotsky represented more revolutionary ideas. Eventually the troika broke up and the United Opposition formed against Stalin’s Communist party. The two were divided regarding the Chinese revolution as Trotksy opposed the KMT. Trotsky was eventually expelled from the Communist Party. 3- The Great Purge, also known as Great Terror or Stalin’s Terror or the Reign of Yeshov, formed from Stalin’s desire to be a complete autocrat and build a strong unified under his leadership. The purges were conducted by the Communist Secret Police, the NKVD and during the late 1930’s Communist leadership, peasants, and the Red Army were purged in Stalin’s demand for power. Furthermore, Stalin was paranoid that the Soviet Union only had a decade to build up their industry in comparison to the western war before Germany would