The Common Factors that Led to the Establishment of Totalitarian Regimes in Italy and Germany in the Inter-War Period

The Common Factors that Led to the Establishment of Totalitarian Regimes in Italy and Germany in the Inter-War Period

Totalitarian regimes refer to the type of government in which the

State has total control over all aspects of people's life. Main

features include an infallible leader, planned economy, strict party

discipline, strong armament, an official doctrine that everyone has to

believe, and absolute obedience of individuals to the State, etc.

During the period 1919-39 there saw the rise of totalitarian regimes

in some European countries. The most important ones in Western Europe

were Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Their respective rise to power

shared many similarities but there were some differences.

The leaders of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany were Benito Mussolini

and Adolf Hitler respectively. The aftermath of the First World War

provided both men with a hotbed to come to power. Both Italians and

Germans were dismayed and annoyed with the Paris Peace Settlement.

Italy joined the First World War in 1915 because the Allied Powers had

promised her territorial gains. Premier Orlando joined the Paris Peace

Conference as one of the "Big Four". Yet by the Settlement Italy did

not get all she wanted. Especially Fiume was given to Yugoslavia, the

Italian rival in Adriatic. Italians thought that their tremendous

losses and contribution during the war were not rewarded. In 1920 the

Italian government tried unsuccessfully to occupy Fiume. This was a

blow to the national pride. As the major defeated country, on the

other hand, Germany was heavily punished with the Treaty of

Versailles. She was never invited to join the Paris Peace Con...

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...romised a massive

rearmament programme could get the Reichswehr goodwill. Germans who

did not believe democracy supported Hitler's "action without thought"

(A.J.P. Taylor) and "return to barbarism". (A. Lyttanson) Second,

Mussolini came to power quickly after the First World War, whereas

Hitler could not do so. His Munich Putsch failed in 1923. He could not

realize his dream until Stresemann's death in 1929 and the occurrence

of the Great Depression in 1929-33. Third, Mussolini rose to power

with a coup d'etat by his March on Rome, while Hitler's Nazi Party had

won almost absolute majority in the Reichstag with popular support and

came to power constitutionally.

In a nutshell, the various circumstances during the inter-war period

did pave the way for the establishment of totalitarian regimes in

Italy and Germany.