Compare and Contrast the Rise of Fascist Regimes in Italy, Germany and Japan

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The introduction of fascist regimes swiftly began after the First World War. Numerous countries were in very poor conditions after the Great Depression and the consequences of the First World War which lead to the rise of fascism across Europe. The rise of fascist regimes all stem from a similar set of circumstances that occurred during the 1920s-30s, long before the Great Depression. Many countries in Europe experienced economic difficulties such as high inflation and instability which spurred on unemployment. However, more specifically, they all take on a different form. This can be because of a more individual leader or a unique set of principles and attitudes that are in place e.g. racial hatred towards Jews in Hitler’s Germany. In this essay I am going to show that all regimes of fascism bear similarities especially after WW1 but considering that Japan is geographically outside Europe and Hitler’s incorporation of racial ideology, I will show that no one fascist regime is identical to the other. It is important to recognise what constitutes fascism especially when we consider the similarities and differences that belong to different fascist regimes in Italy, Japan and Germany and how they differ from authoritarian movements in Eastern Europe. “It is still no easy matter to pinpoint fascism precisely” (Laqueur 1976 p. 315) although, all three countries shared certain characteristics with each other before the Second World War began and have contributed to its rise. I would argue the basic principles of fascism are based on absolute power of the state, aggressive dictator rule, fierce nationalism, totalitarian ambition, militarism and arguably, are revolutionary. It can also be said that fascism is anti-socialist, anti-democratic, anti-liberal and anti-parliamentary. In a fascist state there is no power greater than the power of the state. Hyper-nationalism is
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