The Rise and Fall Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy

After the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, the peace agreement between the allies and central powers of the Great War, new republics and Constitutional Monarchies arose from the ashes of the empires of Europe. Within a few years, some governments of Europe stood on the verge of collapse based on unfair treaties, weak governmental institutions, poor economic conditions, and despair of its citizens. Amidst the situation, began the rise of Ultra-Nationalist political movements in many European countries, but only in Italy and Germany would the power of governments have radical transformations. Based on similar ideology, the political parties are known in Italy as the Fasci Italiani di Combattimento (later to be transformed to the Partito Nazionale Fascista), or the Fascists under the leadership of Benito Mussolini ,and in Germany, the National Socialist German Workers Party, commonly referred to as the Nazis under the leadership of Adolf Hitler. Throughout their growth, both parties would attain great successes in the political systems of their countries, economic achievements, and military conquests; the latter would be the fatal demise of both countries.

Both the Fascist and Nazi parties conducted comparative growths in strength and power during the 1920’s. Starting with Italy, the Fascist Party formed in 1919 by former Socialist Benito Mussolini, expounded strong nationalistic sentiment, believed in the suppression of left-wing socialist movements, and the philosophy of a politically resilient Head of State. The Fascist party would appeal to people of the middle class backgrounds, which feared the rise in Socialist and Communist parties, who were pressing for equality among social and economic classes. With the convictions of e...

... middle of paper ...

...any would ultimately control most of Europe. Their invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 would be the turning point of the war in Europe and lead to the subsequent downfall of the Third Reich.

What would eventually lead to the fall of the Axis powers would be the entrance of the United States and the Soviet Union into war. In 1943, the United States invaded and controlled Italy. Mussolini would be caught and executed by Italian Partisans while trying to escape into Switzerland. The Germans would retreat as they began to lose territory to the Soviets. The Soviets would eventually control most of Eastern Europe including East Germany by the spring of 1945. After the Allied invasion of France on June 6th, 1944, Germany would fight an impossible to win, two-front war leading to the suicide of Adolf Hitler on April 30th and the surrender of Germany on May 8th, 1945.