As pointed out by Umberto Eco in his essay Ur-Fascism, fascism has become a catch-all word for any form of government that features a very strong central government. In his essay, Eco lists fourteen different characteristics that are features in a fascist government. However, despite their obvious similarities there are shades of difference between them. This is due to the fact that fascism typically preaches an extreme form of nationalism, and is therefore shaped uniquely by individual states it arrives in. To illustrate this point, one needs only to look at two different forms of fascism that arose in Europe in the early Twentieth Century, Italian Fascism and Nazi Germany.
The original form of fascism was born in Italy by Benito Mussolini. Mussolini was a physically imposing man who was considered attractive. This pleasing appearance was combined with his charismatic leadership and powerful oration, and he quickly rose in power as a result.
In Italian Fascism, there was very clear emphasis on war and the reclamation of the Roman empire. Mussolini didn't hide his imperialistic ambitions. He was very media savvy and used this to get people whipped into a radical fervor in support of the state. Mussolini stated that people needed a state to survive, and that the state should focus on being strong, as opposed to promoting equality. The motto that was common espoused was "nothing without the state" to emphasis the devotion Italians were supposed to have towards the fascist regime. Furthermore the "Duce" or leader was supposed to have the unquestioning and unwavering support of all Italians. Mussolini demanded the people's faith that he was their leader of destiny and would lead Italians to the glory they had two...
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... them what they truly needed. He was his role as leader of the Aryan people, as a shepherd, guiding them beyond their weak ideas of satisfaction. he said that he alone knew what would lead the people to their ultimate happiness. This, he claimed, was the unification of the Aryans peoples, and the elimination of weak ideas of sentimentality.
Both of these regimes had a lot in common, but were clearly shaped by their own unique leaders. With Italian Fascism there was an emphasis on the state, while in Nazi Germany, blood-line and race dominated every aspect of society. Both of these regimes however were highly influential at the time and spawned several other interpretations of fascist style government, such as Francisco Franco's regime in Spain. Each while sharing common elements, such as a totalitarian government, was as unique as the nation it arose in.
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
Multiple historians have touched on the change in government during Fascist Italy’s reign in World War II. In Italian Fascism: Its Origins and Development, Alexander De Grand clarifies the many promises Benito Mussolini fabricated for the Italian people in order to get them to join his cause such as the improvement on poverty with the rise of a new Roman Empire. De Grand also gives an opposite view, with some citizens seeing Fascism as a “model of efficiency.” In Melton S. Davis’ Who Defends Rome?, t...
Both were accountable for the outbreak of World War Two. In a nutshell, we may say that both Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany were totalitarian states though there were some differences.
At the end of World War One, the Central Powers (which included Italy, Germany, and Austria-Hungary) were forced to submit to the Treaty of Versailles, which left the Central Powers with citizens who had a mounting disdain for government and organized power. In this chaos, Italy struggled to find a definitive government. As a result, from the end of WWI in 1919 to 1922 Italy, struggling in the ruins of WWI, found itself under the rule of five different governments. Following the infamous ‘March on Rome’, Benito Mussolini was chosen to be Italy’s head of government; however, Mussolini’s nascent fascist party (which was officially founded in 1919) toiled to rally around a set ideology. Though Mussolini had founded the Fascist party in 1919, the party had no set platform or ideology to organize itself around. James Whisker, a professor of Political Science at West Virginia University states, “Italian fascism had at least four principal phases.” Through these phases Italian fascism would come to fruition. The first...
Fascism is one of the great political ideology in the 20th century. It is a kind of authoritarian government that, according to Wikipedia, “considers the individual subordinate to the interests of the state, party or society as a whole.” Two of the most successful and to be in the vanguard of fascism government is Italian fascism – led by Benito Mussolini, and Nazi Germany – led by Adolf Hitler. Fascism in Italy and Germany, though in many regards very similar - have the same political ideologies, still have many aspects to them that make them different from each other. Before analysing the similarities and differences between the fascism that emerged in Italy and Germany since the very first of 20th century, it is better to discover - what is fascism.
The government of Nazi Germany greatly resembled the Party, the government in 1984. Both operated similarly and had similar aims. Anything either government did was an action for maintaining power. Both the Nazis and the Party maintained similar ideologies, controlled mass media, educated children in their beliefs, had a secret police force, and had forced labor camps. Both governments used each of these methods maintain power and control over the people.
In the book written by Adolf Hitler, while he was in prison, Mein Kampf, Hitler states that the Aryan race is the dominate race. While Benito Mussolini’s book The Doctrine of Fascism, shows the views of man in a fascist state. While both the essay by Mussolini and the book by Hitler both show what a person should be like in their country either it is their religion, race or political ideas. Only one shows a more convincing philosophies, because it clearly states what the person wants to get across the world.
Fascism is defined as, “an authoritarian and nationalistic right-wing system of government and social organization.” Peter Hyland reports that throughout the 1920s and the 1930s, an economic depression was growing and becoming widespread throughout the world. People were losing faith in their democracies and in capitalism. Leaders who gained power supported powerful militarism, nationalism, and initiated the return of an authoritarian rule. J.R. Oppenheimer says that the rise of fascism and totalitarianism in Europe and Russia instigated a “critical step on the path to war.” 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.
Italy after the war was filled with an assortment of embittered veterans, republicans (anti-monarchists), anarchists, syndicalists and restless socialist revolutionaries. Many socialists and working people were impressed by the "worker 's revolution" in Russia, and they were ready to support revolution in Italy.” This explains some of the many reasons why Fascism was so attractive to Italian Citizens. Even though this way of governing went against citizens’ self-interests, they accepted it because they were angry with certain problems regarding the government in Italy. Despite the strong Italian nationalism, these citizens still desired a strong leader for stability. Because of the nationalism, citizens wanted to feel superior in their country. Of course there were still opposes to this fascist movement, but many people agreed with Benito Mussolini in an abundance of areas. They accepted Fascism for the military part of the deal; they believe that Italy can only survive by proving its military superiority. These people also had a strong desire to expand the territories, and Mussolini made it seem like he would be able to make that happen. There were many people who disagreed with Communist and socialist ways, so they seemed to like this “third-way” that Mussolini created. Due to the fact that it is a combination of ideas from other social groups, many people were able to relate and agree with
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...
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.
Mussolini came into power in 1922 and sought to make Fascism the only party in Italy, because he believed it was superior to all other parties. Both Mussolini and Hitler wanted to create a better economy for their countries, and had big plans to change the way their countries viewed things. Mussolini abolished democracy, and would not listen and shunned any ideas or citizens who opposed his political views. Although the men were quite similar in the ways they set goals for their countries, Hitler was extreme in his plans for future Germany. According to the lecture, Hitler’s plans were to make it known the Germans were the superior race, Jews and Gypsies were subhuman, Hitler promised to take back the land taken from the after the war, and Lebensraum. Both men had their countries became a part of the Axis powers, and along with Japan became Fascist nations. Mussolini’s rise to power came through his influence on the fascists people. According to the lecture it was fascists that marched to Rome in October 1922, and the people demanded that the king put Mussolini in charge of the government. It was through fear that Mussolini gained his power. Hitler on the other hand was
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.
He observed and admired Benito Mussolini’s rise to power, Hitler used many of Mussolini’s strategies for his political career. Germany was in bad shape after World War I, the country was in debt due to the cost of war and the great depression, which was worst in Germany because of the Versailles Treaty. The National Socialist (Nazi) party in Germany was popular because of the similar reason to fascism party in Italy, fear of a communist regime (Biography.com