Fascism and Nazism Italy 1912 manifesto of futurism

Fascism and Nazism • Italy 1912 – “manifesto of futurism” “Beauty only exists in struggle” and war is the only cure for the modern world” • Post-war Germany: a) economic discontent b) fear of socialism and communism c) advocated nationalism • The answer in both countries – dictators • Germany had no history of democratic rule Italy was only superficial • Both relatively new countries • Fascism and Nazism were mass movements

Fascism in Italy • Post-war social and economic tensions • Rising inflation and unemployment, lost saving, agricultural depression • Dissatisfaction with the Versailles Treaty • A lack of a stable government • Workers organized unions (also in Britain, France, and Germany)

Mussolini • Average family, but he was a bully and a loner with no friends • Read Marx and Nietzsche – believed in the will of the people • Initially a socialist and against the war • Like Hitler he was wounded • 1919 founded the National Fascist Party • Fascists (black shirts) supported the wealthy landowners and businessmen

• Mussolini boasted of an army of fascists • 1921 Mussolini was elected to parliament to work with the Liberals who held a majority • Fascist Party had rich powerful allies and access to the media • Mussolini became Duce (leader) and he advocated violent confrontation to maintain authority • Fascism = strong nationalism, strong military, historic destiny • 1992 King Victor Emmanuel III named Mussolini to the Cabinet

• Mussolini promised stability; political opposition believed he could be used and then discarded • Mussolini was the first political leader to make full use of modern communication, books, newspapers, films etc • He was portrayed (falsely) as energetic, dynamic, virile, and hard-working He was lazy and unable to focus for long times • Very little was done to improve the military • Advisors only told him what he wanted to hear

• Fascism was a product of class conflict, capitalist crisis, and post war upheaval a) Very nationalistic b) Very Militaristic c) Very anti-Marxist – anti-Communist d) Anti-Semitic • Pro-business, anti-union (opposite of Communism) • Male dominated, very masculine • Rejected Parliamentary rule – nothing democratic about Fascism • But Mussolini, like most successful leaders was very charismatic

Hitler and Nazism • Very charismatic leader • Average childhood • Was wounded in the war, promoted, but not seen as leadership material • He was fanatically nationalistic • 1919 joined the right-wing German Worker’s Party, later renamed National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazi)

• He took the title Führer – leader • Created a paramilitary unit – the Stormtroopers (S. A. ) which attracted disillusioned war veterans • Propaganda portrayed Hitler as energetic, tough, nationalistic, and uncompromising • Weimar republic was seen as weak and ineffective • Hitler (like Mussolini) appealed to the lower middle classes • He criticized: a) the Versailles treaty (Dictated Peace) b) Weimar Republic c) Jews

• Germany suffered from hyperinflation and a fear of the Bolsheviks – Hitler promised solutions

Dictators • Only Britain and France retained parliamentary governments • Other states remained democracies but had fascist elements • 1922 Mussolini in Italy • 1926 General Pilsudski in Portugal – shared power with the Church, the elites, and the army. But was anti. Bolshevik. Not a mass movement and not expansionist. • 1929 Stalin in the Soviet Union • 1933 Hitler in Germany • 1939 General Franco in Spain – military dictatorship similar to Portugal. Not a mass movement and not expansionist.

Why? • Failure of government • The need for a scapegoat – Jews, socialists Communists, foreigners • Great Depression • Rising unemployment • Red Scare in Europe • A lack of trust Germans blamed British and French Americans blamed British and French blamed Germans

Totalitarianism • There is little difference between the old dictatorships and totalitarianism • Dictatorships were believed to be expedient and temporary – a theory of government • Modern totalitarianism started during WWI when everything was subordinate to victory – it was a permanent theory of life and nature • Centralized control of political apparatus • Deviation became a crime, use of secret police, no freedom of press or assembly, elimination of opposition • Liberalism was seen as sentimental slop

• Stalin, Hitler and Mussolini all used terror to enforce their will • All 3 denied civil liberties • Nazi and Communist philosophies definitely totalitarian – fascist probably diet totalitarian