In Italy, Mussolini’s Fascist regime may be attributed to the significant role football played in government manipulation and intervention towards its citizens. As football was known as “the sport for the masses”, its rise in popularity was the perfect opportunity for the Italian government to gain the nation’s public support. This scheme resulted to Mussolini’s relentlessness in terms of controlling certain aspects the sport had to go by, especially in the 1934 FIFA World Cup which was held in Italy. People believed that Mussolini orchestrated Italy’s victory to show the world their capabilities, and I quote Josef Bican, an Austrian player who played against Italy in the semi-finals, “Before we played Italy, Mussolini had a meeting… with the Swedish referee… and according to our coach, Hugo Meisl, he knew that the referee had been bribed… and would referee in favor of the Italians.” Its manifestation includes the influence football had not only on the Italian government, but towards the kind of system Mussolini wanted to impart to his people as well. With that, dominance on the field also meant power and superiority over other European nations such as France, Spain, and England. Thus, triumphant results did not only mean supremacy in race, but also in terms of governing principles and political structure.
Mussolini was considered one of the first modern dictators and he essentially paved the way for Hitler and others to follow. Italy was still in chaos after World War I and showed no signs of recovery. When Mussolini attempted his rise to power, he did it through the political channels being voted in by the people. However, rather than seeking to improve Italy, “Mussolini's new cause became personal power; he sought to place himself in the position of dictator” (Gale). The way in which Mussolini spoke captivated crowds and made Italy fall in love with him. What Mussolini lacked in height he made up for in public speaking, as one of his critics describes, “Yet by the power of his public speaking, by his gestures and tone of voice, he was capable of inspiring tremendous enthusiasm in the crowds who gathered to hear him” (Gale). Italy felt as if Mussolini’s cult of personality was never going to leave, like it seemed as if Big Brother was never going to
7 May 2010 “Fascism in Germany and Italy.” Online Essays. 10 July 2007. 7 May 2010 “Italian Fascism.” Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia.
Mussolini, Benito. “The Political and Social Doctrine of Fascism.” The Human Record . By Alfred J. Andrea and James H. Overfield. Vol. 2. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2011. 2 vols. 399-400.
In 1922, Benito Mussolini held leadership in Italy, promising a proficient and militaristic nationalistic state. During his control as prime minister, he gained a large group of followers, banned the disparagement of government, and used extreme violence against his enemies within the parliament. According to Oppenheimer, Adolf Hitler idolized Mussolini’s rise and respected his tactics to gain power. Hitler was a violent leader who brought For example, “corporatism” largely contributed to later policies that we still practice today.
Theme: Many events of The Nazi Olympics surround this sporting festival to make it one of the controversial events in sport history. Not only does Mandell cover the 1936 Olympic Games themselves but he gives insight to the history of the modern games, participation by the United States, the role of the games in the Nazi propaganda efforts and portrays heroes and key figures. Mandell wrote about the intersection of sport and politics and how world leaders set the agenda, not the athletes. The Nazi’s used the 1936 Olympic Games as a way to reinforce their political and racial goals. Although they were founded as part of a vision of world peace, the 1936 games became a stage for political disputes. The Nazi Olympics takes an in depth look at the efforts the Germans made to show the rest of the world that they had again become a powerful nation under the leader of Adolf Hitler. The events that followed the games in Germany, mainly the Holocaust and World War II overshadowed the Berlin games. However, it is very important to note that a world gathering like the Olympics took place in a country that was in the process of eliminating an entire race of people. The games were a huge success in regards to the Nazi regime, they were able to fool the world and prove to Germany that they were a peaceful and stable nation.
Mussolini’s population policy was a clear effort to exercise his authoritarian control over the people of Italy, regulating the most personal and private details of their lives. In his bid for complete control, he used new laws, propaganda, and sometimes brutal tactics in order for his wishes to be recognized. It is during the 1920’s to the 1940’s that totalitarian control over the state escalated into full dictatorships, with the wills of the people being manipulated into a set of beliefs that would promote the fascist state and “doctrines.”
"The manner in which Mussolini and the Fascist Party gained possession of the government was regarded in most foreign circles as an illegal act of violence." (3) As the nation of Italy began to suffer great debts, Mussolini had been summoned by the King to form a government to aid in the economic needs. This marked the birth of the Fascist Party in Italy. In the beginning of his rise to the top, Mussolini was popular amongst his people. His popularity was high, and people began to trust in his judgment and ideas. (4) He was, in essence, saving the people from the turmoil that had ensued the nat...
Exploring the Similarities and Differences Between the Foreign Policies of Mussolini and Hitler Similarities - Both foreign policies geared to achieving great power status o Hitler: lebensraum, wanted to have living space for the expansion of the German race and control over other groups o Mussolini: wanted control over Mara nostrum, Abyssinia, …an empire - fascist states o had anti communist feelings; o both signed anti comintern pact 1937 against USSR o Spanish civil war against communism helping Franco secure power o Signed pact of steel in may 1939, a full military alliance - unhappy with status quo, wanted international prestige o national grievances on Versailles, people wanted to change Versailles o Hitler, product of WW1 who was angry at Versailles and wanted to see Germany achieve great power status o Mussolini; felt that Italy had been treated unfairly at Versailles and also waned to change the status quo o Because of this both built up armies, navies and air forces.. Italian air force to block out the sun + German luftwaffe… - both Hitler and Mussolini, used diplomacy and force as well as aggression to get what they wanted o Mussolini over Greece where it undermined the LofN, used force to take Abyssinia 1935 o Hitler used the threat of force to take Austria and diplomacy as well as force to take Czech and Saarland in 193… - by 1939 both had a common enemy; Britain and France - both were aggressive nationalists and glorified warw - both wanted empires; abysinnia and lebenstraum to distract from problems at home.. Differences - Hitler was more clear in his aims and ideals whereas Mussolini was more vague and opportunistic o Although Hitler did take advantage of opportunities such as Abyssinia crises to remilitarise Rhineland he was more structured in his aims for Lebensraum, unification of all Germans, building up the army and recovering lost territories § Illustrated by Hitler’s success after success ; Rhineland in 36,
Large questions still remain about the role of soccer in today’s world. Why do people in Europe and abroad become so dedicated to their teams, over all other cultural factors like politics, clubs, and organizations? How does soccer affect Italian and Roman political allegiances, and how does the commitment of each team’s fans affect the Roman urban space, the policies and reactions of the Italian government, and each other? By uncovering and defining the importance of soccer in Rome, I am arguing that Roman soccer fans are not only divided by team colors and name, but also by geography within the city, political allegiances, and social differences. I am also arguing that the importance of soccer represents far more than an interest in a game, but a representation of all that a Roman citizen, as well as the majority of all Europeans, live for and love.
It is true that the Italian dictatorship was more conservative in its application than that of Hitler’s reign of terror. But, both the fascist ideas and rulings of these two leaders proved to have some similarities worth mentioning. Both leaders left their countries with an economic and social debt to the Allies, which is still strong in the minds of many older members of the community.
the power of the Roman Catholic Church in Italy or to work with it. He
The positive effects of Benito Mussolini’s reign in Italy benefitted the country greatly. By putting Cesare Mori in charge of eliminating the mafia, he caused 11,000 of Italy’s criminals to be arrested, which caused the country’s crime rates to plummet. The nearly absolute end of the mafia brought peace and order to Italy, which the country’s citizens desperately needed. He also defended his country’s interests by going against the allies for not giving Italy the land that was promised to them if they joined them in the first world war. Mussolini also upgraded infrastructure in Italy and improved the Italian economy.
After World War I, there were two men that rose up to control their government in their countries. One was Adolf Hitler who was put in charge of the German government, and the other was Benito Mussolini who was put in charge of the Italian government. Adolf Hitler was born in 1889, and according to the lecture was known as a failure for not finishing high school, or becoming an accomplished artist. While Mussolini was born in 1883, and was unknown until he came home a wounded soldier from the war. Mussolini would rise up and form the Fascist government focusing on being loyal to the state, and Hitler will rise up and control the Socialist German Workers Party, the Nazis. Both men are known for the change in history, and their change on the
Looking back in history to the 19th century Europe, colonization and global expansion created a sense of competition amongst European nations. This sparked global rivalries over territories and was a catalyst to the age of nationalism in Europe. The competition between countries venture of manifest destiny was the leading catalyst in the rise of nationalism. It is no surprise that the nationalism and competitive nature of 19th century expansionism, created a platform for the rivalry and competition in modern sports (Bottenburg). Global rivalries in sports are played out in, major events such as the world cup and the Olympics. These events bring out the die-hard and the casual fan together in a global celebration of sporting and national pride. The World Cup of soccer is a great place to begin looking at the impact modern sports have on nationalism and national identity. Every four years 32 teams from across the globe come together in celebration of the worlds most popular game, in hopes their country wins the worlds most coveted trophy. Nationalism in this tournament comes in an array of positivity and negativity. The atmosphere, colors, flags, fans cheering and chanting songs shows the role of symbolism. On the other hand, hooliganism and violence amongst fans show us the negative aspect of attaching such strong nationalistic ties to a
In the early years of the twentieth century, Italy has created a new system of government, however suffered social and economic conditions. Improvements were made however, poverty and literacy were still problems that have not been solved well. While entering World War I, the nation was neutral up until joining the British and French in exchange for certain advantages. However, it was unsuccessful as Italy failed to take control of the territories that it claimed at the Versailles Peace Conference,and suffered significant losses. The ideology of fascism occurred when the power of Italy was shrinking and the idea of being a pacifist became weak. Benito Mussolini created a group of fascists to represent a means to stop the socialists and the communists coming into his nation.