Fascist regimes in the 20th century brought a lot of misery and suffering to humanity. It was they who launched the largest war in the history of mankind - the Second World War. This concept applies only to one country - Italy. The fascist regime in Germany is called "Nazism." However, this does not change the essence. In history, these concepts have become equivalent, they have become synonymous with inhumanity, cruelty, war and terror. Next, we will analyze these two modes in the article. We will also answer the question of how the fascist regime established in Italy differed from the German one.
The concept
The term "fascism" of Italian origin. Translated means “bundle”, “bundle”, “association”. This is a political trend that arose in capitalist countries during the era of the general crisis of the system. Mass unemployment, poverty, hunger - all this made us take a different look at the current political system.
Signs
Fascist regimes are characterized by the following features:
- Extreme forms of violence to combat dissent.
- Total control over all spheres of public life: culture, art, the media, education, upbringing, etc.
- Militaristic character. The foreign policy of the fascist regime is aimed at enslaving the new lands with a view to their inhuman exploitation.
Ideology
Fascist regimes are distinguished by a pronounced ideology based on:
- Screaming demagoguery. Fascist speakers speak, as a rule, loudly, without complex terms and concepts. Their speeches are understandable even to poorly educated citizens who begin to "understand" the sources of all the problems of the state, believe in the leader, and follow him into a bright future.
- Leaderism. The whole system is rallied around one leader, without which it does not function.
Mussolini's Fascist Regime
The development of the totalitarian regime in Italy is associated with the name of B. Mussolini. For the first time fascist organizations in this country began to appear in March 1919. They were called “Combat Unions” (“Fasci di Combattimento”). Most of their members are participants in World War II. These were people with extremely nationalist chauvinistic views. This organization was led by a skilled orator B. Mussolini.
Totalitarianism with democratic slogans
It is noteworthy that many parties and political forces that, having come to power, create authoritarian and totalitarian regimes, use the most liberal, democratic slogans. So it was with the party of B. Mussolini. To enlist the support of the masses, he promised a true paradise on Earth:
- Abolition of the Senate, police, privileges and titles.
- Universal suffrage.
- Civil rights and freedoms.
- Progressive tax scale, abolishing them for the poor.
- Eight hour work day.
- The endowment of peasants with land with ownership.
- General disarmament, renunciation of the arms race, war.
- Independence of the media, the judiciary, etc.
Mussolini promised the citizens everything they could only dream of. One would like to recall the communist slogan "Factories - to the workers, land - to the peasants."
The rise to power of the Nazis in Italy
The fascist regime in Italy began to form in 1921. It was then that the Union movement began an open struggle for power. By this time, support among the population was overwhelming. Propaganda with obviously false posters, open demagogy of promises that no one was going to fulfill, did their job.
Mussolini did not hide the fact that he would receive power at all costs. As he stated in one of the statements: “Now the question of power is becoming a question of power.”
On October 28, 1922, armed columns in black shirts made a "campaign against Rome." King Victor Emmanuel agreed to make Mussolini the prime minister. The government did not decide on an armed struggle against fascism. Already on October 30 a triumphal procession took place in the quarters of the workers of Rome. The new regime showed that no one was going to waste time. This procession was accompanied by pogroms and clashes with disgruntled socialists.
Keeping the Promises
The policy of fascist regimes is always based on demagogy and promises. We have listed above the slogans that the Italian speaker proclaimed before taking office as prime minister. After the appointment of the Duce (leader), he began to “carry out” his program, and reforms of the fascist regime began:
- The establishment of tight state control in all areas of society, including in the economy. A system of corporations was created, which included only its own people, verified by the fascist party.
- Establishment of a cult of the leader (duce). The whole ideology and political system was transformed under the direction of Mussolini.
- The dictator forgot that he was ever an atheist. He concluded a contract with the Vatican, supported him financially. For this, Pope Pius XI recognized Mussolini "sent down by heaven."
- The state began to actively militarize. The promise to disarm the army was not only not kept, but, on the contrary, was broken.
What was common between Italy and Germany was that both regimes relied on the power of the once Roman Empire.
Mussolini considered himself the successor of the Caesars. He saw his mission on earth in restoring the borders of the vast Roman Empire. However, he did not have the opportunity to seize the European lands. Therefore, as the first country I chose "Carthage" - the poorest Libya with primitive feudal weapons. All matched:
- The African country was part of the Roman Empire in ancient times.
- Libya did not have powerful weapons. Here it was possible to practice offensive operations.
- A small victory gave political privileges.
Fortunately, the Italian geologists did not find oil in this country, so Hitler had to work hard to find and mine it in Europe. He never reached the rich Baku deposits in Russia. He was stopped at Stalingrad. It is not known how history would have turned if geologists in Africa had not miscalculated, since Libya is the richest country in terms of “black gold” reserves.
Nazi (fascist) regime in Germany: reasons for the origin
In Germany, the movement of national socialist movements took place at the same time as in Italy. Their appearance, along with the Soviet republics, had the following prerequisites:
- The Germans did not feel defeated in the First World War. Their combat units stood a few kilometers from Paris. If it were not for the abdication of the German emperor, then Germany would most likely have been a winner in this war.
- After the defeat, the Allies overlaid the Germans with such reparations that for the first time in this country hunger, unemployment, poverty, an economic crisis with hyperinflation appeared. This created a feeling of injustice, bitterness. The Germans believed that they were deceived. They signed the world, and received the status of a colony of England and France.
National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP)
These reasons were used by the former corporal Adolf Hitler, who had a military iron cross in battles, the highest award of a soldier. He became the founder of the National Socialist Workers Party. Her 1920 program included the fight against "wrong capitalism":
- Withdrawal of unearned income, i.e. rejection of usury. This area was exclusively dealt with by Jews.
- Nationalization of large strategic enterprises.
- Transfer department stores to small German merchants.
- Land reform, prohibition of speculation.
Reasons for the success of the NSDAP
Hitler's party went to power slowly, through the political struggle in the elections. With each new vote, the National Socialists gained more and more rights until finally Adolf Hitler was recognized as Chancellor. There were several reasons for success:
- Active political propaganda. The ideas of the Führer, like the Duce, were primitive, populist, and a faith in a brighter future.
- Power methods. Specially created paramilitary units of the "assault squads" (SA) in brown uniform raided political opponents, smashed printing houses, newspaper stalls. Once there was even an attempt at a military coup, the so-called beer coup. However, the German authorities, unlike Italy, ventured to use weapons to suppress.
- Financial support. Hitler was supported by broad banking circles from the USA. Historians note that the NSDAP employees received wages in dollars, as German marks depreciated greatly. It was very prestigious to work for Hitler, almost the entire working population wanted to get to him.
Neofascism - a problem of our time
Unfortunately, the fascist regimes have not taught humanity anything. Constantly foci of neofascism flare up in one country or another. In the same Germany, after the Second World War, new neo-fascist organizations appear. In some countries, such forces even seized power. For example, this happened in Greece in 1967, as well as in Chile in 1973.
Today, the problems of fascism and nationalism are most relevant. The massive influx of migrants in Europe, their inhospitable behavior, their refusal to pass laws and charters of their owners generate discontent. Right-wing political forces take advantage of this. One of them is the Alternative for Germany party, which is gaining votes in the elections to local parliament.