Fascist Italy to Nazi Germany, Essay Example

When we think of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany, we often think of two of the most powerful totalitarian regimes in world history. Fascist Italy is associated with the National Fascist Party which is the political party that Benito Mussolini headed as legal dictator of the Kingdom of Italy between 1922 and 1943 (Griffin, 1991). The implementation of Nazi Germany began after Mussolini had gained political power, which led to fascist rule of Adolf Hitler between 1933 and 1945. Interestingly, the total power of these two individuals ended around the same period of time, which coincided with the Allied Forces defeat of Axis Forces, culminating with the final defeat of Germany in 1945.

The fascist party came to power in Italy by supporting the wish of the people by working towards restoration of the glory of the area that was once ancient Rome. Ultimately, Mussolini was able to gain office due to a sense of Italian nationalism that he invoked in addition to wide support for his wish to restore ownership of territories that had been lost. Adolf Hitler came to power for a similar reason. In the wake of World War I, there was a need for Germany to restore itself to its former greatness, and Hitler was able to come to power by invoking the emotions of the German people.

The ultimate goal of Fascist Italy was to achieve greatness by conquering territories and improving the economic situation of the country as a whole (Paxton, 2004). The ultimate goal of Nazi Germany was similar; it wished to forcibly implement its ideals upon neighboring nations, which involved taking political control of territories and purging them of individuals that did not fit in with Hitler’s Aryan ideals (Tooze, 2006). It is important to consider that both Mussolini and Hitler participated in mass genocides to achieve their goals. While Hitler is best known for murdering millions of Jews, Mussolini is known for killings hundreds of thousands of individuals from Ethiopia, Libya, and Yugoslavia.

The main differences between Nazi Germany and Italian Fascism were related to the fact that Italy was still considered a monarchy, while this was not the case for Germany. Therefore, Adolf Hitler was in direct control of the country, with no one that could modify his actions. On the other hand, Mussolini’s actions had the potential to be controlled by the king, which ultimately led to his downfall. An additional difference is that the Italian Fascist regime wasn’t particularly racist or anti-Semitic. While Mussolini killed many individuals, it was not on the basis of race, but rather due to the wish to take over territories and engage in warfare. These populations weren’t selected on any basis other than the desirability of land. On the other hand, Hitler specifically targeted groups to destroy on this basis.

In Fascist Italy, Mussolini dictated that women should behave primarily as child bearers, while men should be warriors, which reflected the ideals of ancient Roman society. In fact, women were given financial incentives to have families and laws were put in place to reduce the number of females that could be employed. In Nazi Germany, Hitler reduced the educational and occupational opportunities that had been available for women. However, many participated as auxiliary members or nurses in the armed forces.

In conclusion, while Italian Fascism and Nazi Germany were implemented for the same reasons and principles, there were many ideological differences between the two. The extent to which women were able to participate in society differed in addition to the degree to which beliefs concerning religion and culture played in government. Despite this, both governments committed mass atrocities, which demonstrates the dangers of totalitarian systems.

References

Griffin, Roger. (1991). The Nature of Fascism. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Paxton, Robert O. (2004). The Anatomy of Fascism. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.

Tooze, Adam. (2006). The Wages of Destruction: The Making and Breaking of the Nazi Economy. London; New York: Allen Lane.