Post-WWI Europe: Fascism in Italy and Nazism in Germany
Post-World War I Europe: Rise of Totalitarianism
Italy After the Great War: Turmoil and Fascism
The end of the Great War left Italy with serious human and economic consequences. For many Italians, the cost of living increased while wages decreased. The idea began to spread that Italy's participation in the war was a hoax, and irredentism gained popularity. This situation led to extreme political instability, as governments could not secure a sufficient majority. The economic crisis generated significant social tension, with strikes developing in northern Italy.
The Rise of Fascism Under Mussolini
The rise of fascism began in 1919 when Benito Mussolini founded the Fasci di Combattimento (Blackshirts). In 1921, the Fasci were transformed into the National Fascist Party. The new party had the support of the petty bourgeoisie, financing from major agricultural landowners, and the tolerance of the Catholic Church and the monarchy. After failing to win the elections, Mussolini demanded the king hand over the government. To demonstrate his strength, he organized the March on Rome with his Blackshirts. In October, the king appointed him head of government.
Mussolini's Fascist Dictatorship
Between 1922 and 1925, Mussolini initiated a process of restricting freedoms and persecuting opponents. After the 1924 elections, won by Mussolini's coalition, he announced the establishment of an authoritarian regime and proclaimed himself Duce. Political parties were banned, and the parliament was replaced by a House of Fasces. Strikes and independent unions were banned, replaced by a corporatist system. The state exercised tight control over the party.
The Weimar Republic: Germany's Postwar Struggles
In 1918, Kaiser Wilhelm II abdicated, and a republic was declared with its capital at Weimar. Many Germans considered the Treaty of Versailles humiliating. The postwar years brought Germany economic crisis, poverty, and unemployment. In its early years, the Republic was threatened by revolutionary movements from the left and several coup attempts from the far right.
Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party
Adolf Hitler was a demobilized soldier from the First World War. In 1920, he founded the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP). Its ideology was outlined in the book Mein Kampf (My Struggle). Hitler did not hesitate to use demagoguery, promising jobs for all, reduced industrial profits, better wages, and progress towards a society based on solidarity. He accused the Jews, communists, and democrats of being responsible for the crisis. Nazi militias violently opposed the republic.
The Nazi Ascent to Power
The impact of the 1929 economic crisis in Germany was severe. Social unrest pushed much of the population towards the extremist proposals of the Nazi Party. The party began to gain the support of important figures in industry and finance, along with strong economic backing. In the 1932 elections, the Nazi Party's success led President Hindenburg to appoint Hitler as Chancellor. Shortly after, Nazi squads caused a fire in the Reichstag building and blamed the communists for it. In 1934, after Hindenburg's death, Hitler proclaimed himself Führer and Chancellor of the Third Reich.
The Nazi Dictatorship in Germany
In 1934, the Nazis transformed Germany into a dictatorship. Only the Nazi Party was authorized, monopolizing all power. Workers were compelled to join the German Labor Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront). The independent judiciary disappeared. The Nazi state aimed at total cohesion of German society, based on the superiority of the Aryan race and the ideology of nationalist Nazism. It granted women a very marginal social role, limiting their activity to the three 'K's: Kinder, Kirche, Küche (children, church, kitchen). Hitler Youth organizations were created.