Following the end of World War I in 1918, Italy and Germany experienced many problems within their country. Poor economic conditions, was a major issue these two nations faced after the war. The struggles both countries faced along with extreme nationalism, led to the rise of dictatorship. In Italy, extreme nationalist Benito Mussolini held absolute power as dictator. Nazi party leader Adolf Hitler emerged as the dictator of Germany.
People turned to dictators during this time because they thought that they could lead them out of the Depression. In document 1 the text reads, “...many saw in him in him already another christ, who predicted the end of their suffering and had the power to lead them into the promised land of they were only prepared to follow him.” This was written about the people listening to Hitler speak. While in document 4 it states, “ Mussolini seemed to them the one man capable of bringing order out of the chaos.” Both of these sources show that the people believed what with a dictator ruling, their country could be led out of the Depression.
In Europe after WWI, many borders changed, nations broke apart and new governments rose. Many changes occurred, however, different countries handled these changes in different ways. Some European countries turned toward fascism while other European countries stayed democratic. Following the war, the economies of some countries remained strong enough for democracy to persist, however, countries such as Germany and Italy turned to fascism as a result of the poor economic state that WWI left these nations in and, as a result of the rise of extreme nationalism.
In Germany,the citizens had a common interest to get out of this economic depression and fascism seemed to of given them the option too, so everyone agreed with it (Fest 402). The rise of fascism helped Hitler come to power and turn Germany from a broken nation, into a whole one with a common goal: Turn Germany into the super power it once was, or die
In summary, the major principles and values of fascism, such as the rejection of democracy, glorification of war, promise of national resurgence, and emphasis on community and discipline, were appealing to Europeans in the inter-war years. These principles tapped into the discontent and desire for a sense of purpose and belonging that characterized the post-World War I era, making fascism attractive for many during this
Socially, Fascism was mainly supported by the middle class, industrialists, and the military. With fascism quickly on the rise, it would become somewhat of an unstoppable force. Take into consideration the Axis Powers during this time, along with fascism they would be unstoppable forces at work. The Axis Powers consisted
In the times of substantial death, political rivalries and staggered economies, World War I and the Great depression created long-lasting and influential effects on the world. While these repercussions affected all the countries, some suffered more than others. Moreover, the consequences led to the rise of new political governments throughout the world. After World War I and the Great Depression, some European countries turned to fascism while others stayed democratic because of strong leadership, economic standings and unemployment, and disillusionment with democracy. World War I and the Great Depression fractured many countries into separate pieces.
1918-1939 was known as the Age of Anxiety. During this time, many things in the world showed anxiety. Things like paintings, music, and literature showed examples of restlessness during this period. Some treaties were signed like the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of 5 powers. Multiple disasters happened during this period of economics like the Great Depression and the uttermost nationalism and militarism in countries.
Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany were similar in that both were dictatorships. Both Mussolini and Hitler came to power through legal means and believed that people were divided into either inferior or superior races. For example, Hitler was obsessed with the Aryan race and called for the genocide of Jews during WWII. In addition, both Mussolini and Hitler favored the wealthy, believed that an individual was meaningless and must submit to the decisions of their leaders, and aimed at self-sufficiency so that each could survive entirely without international trade. Furthermore, Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy “had aimed for prestige and power for their countries, and brought instead humiliation and destruction” (Tarr, R.,
Communism believed in a classless society, while Fascism followed a dictatorship, but maintaining a dictatorship required the suppression of the people. Fascist ideology believed that “war alone brings up to their highest tension all human energies and puts the stamp of nobility upon the peoples who have the courage to meet it,” which requires constant violence to prove power (Lualdi 236). By 1924, Mussolini was able to gain 65% of the vote for fascism, but in 1933, the Nazi party only gained 44% of the vote, and even with a minority ruling party was able to gain control of the government. Both Mussolini and Hitler came into power through legal means, but Mussolini was named Prime Minister in the hopes of avoiding war but after gaining control. Yet after their legal rise into power, they used coercion and violence to further their fascist rulings.
In 1919, Benito Mussolini described fascism as “A movement that would strike against the backwardness of the right and the destructiveness of the left.” That “Fascism sitting on the right, could also have sat on the mountain of the center… These words in any case do not have a fixed and unchanged: they do have a variable subject to location, time and spirit. We don’t give a damn about these empty terminologies and we despise those who are terrorized by these words.” Fascism came into prominence in the early 20th-century Europe. It originated in Italy during World War I.
Fascism is ideology which often uses totalitarianism and nationalism methods. The fascist leaders made people are the subject to the government, and limit the independency of the people, in order to gain the better for the nation. This is somehow similar to absolutism of western Europe during 17th and 18th century. Absolutism had given the monarch absolute power to rule over people, while fascism had given the leader and the nation the power to rule over the people of the state. Moreover, fascism had denied the democratic parliament system, and had only allowed the “elite” to rule over the country.
Have you ever heard the saying that Fascism and Communism are two sides of the same coin? These ideologies flourished during the first half of the 20th century and influenced several European states which followed the two ideologies. Fascism was imposed in order to promote powerful and permanent nationalism within a totalitarian state led by a dictator which is ready to engage in conflict internally and with its neighbors. The doctrine of Fascism was drafted in 1919 by Giovanni Gentile and adopted by Mussolini (Mussolini is considered the founder of fascism). Gentile stated, “Everything for the state; nothing against the state” (Heywood, Politics 48).
John Locke and John Stuart Mill’s dilemma in swimming to the islands of Fatherland and Bourgeouseville demand them to consider several key elements of each civilization. Each societies attitudes towards A fundamental element for Locke and Mill to consider in their decision, is the core purpose of government on each island, and the impact these different goals have on each civilization. The role of government in Fatherland, which is a Fascist regime, reflects the Fascist emphasis on government involvement in the lives of its people. In Benito Mussolini’s “The Doctrine of Fascism”, he describes the Fascist state as “the highest and most powerful form of personality, is a force, but a spiritual force, which takes over all the forms of moral and intellectual life of a man.” (pg.
During the inter-war period (1920-1939), totalitarian ideas, Fascism and Nazism developed rapidly in Italy and Germany respectively. Fascism comes from an ancient Latin word fasces, which is referred to an axe tied with rods. It represents a symbol of authority in ancient Rome and became the symbol of Fascist party which rose in power in Italy in 1922. While Nazism rose in Germany in 1933, whose name came from the Nazi party, National Socialist German Worker’s Party (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei). They threatened world peace and became an important factor of the outbreak of the WW2.
