A Comparison of Italian and German Fascism w/ Bibliography(Primary and Secondary Sources) Essay

“A political movement of the right, characterized by the use of systematic violence against political opponents and by the presence of a dominant charismatic leader, that emerged after World War I in a number of European countries primarily Italy and Germany.” (The West and the World, page 476.)

Before you can attempt to differentiate the fascist forms of government in Germany and Italy, it is important to recognize how they were similar.   Both had similar viewpoints in the sense that they believed their respective countries were special and needed the global respect that they deserved.   Germany felt isolated because they had to admit they were wrong in World War I and had to pay retributions for their actions.   Italy felt that they wanted to regain the glory they possessed during ancient Rome and wished to create a 20th century Italian Empire in the Mediterranean.   Although both Germany and Italy’s ideas of domination were similar they did not necessarily mean that they achieved their success in the same way.   Although the textual definition of Italian and German fascism is essentially equivalent, the ways in which Mussolini and Hitler implemented their fascist policies were completely different.   The primary differences between Hitler and Mussolini were: how they were elected into power and how they used their powers to achieve their goals, their abilities to justify their cause and win support of their citizens, and their abilities in preparing global domination.


After the end of the First World War Mussolini had come to the conclusion that, a socialist government as a doctrine had been a complete failure and if Italy was to continue to needed a much more fitting form of government.   Mussolini believed that a new form of government that relied on a single man "ruthless and energetic enough to make a clean sweep".(http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/ww2timeline/Prelude05.html)

One of the most important factors of fascism is the need to end discrimination...