Adolf Hitler And Mussolini
At the close of World War One tensions
still rode high between countries, trade
slowed and unemployment rose. A new
form of government was also used,
totalitarianism. This form of government
means there is only one leader to make
decisions and thus they killed or
jailed all opponents. Mussolini and Hitler
used this form of government after
World War One to make their countries world
powers. Although Hitler’s Germany
and Mussolini’s Italy were both fascist
their lives were extremely different.
This is evident in their early life,
wartime experiences, aims, how the came
to power and how they ruled their
respective nations. There was very little
similarity between Hitler and
Mussolini’s early lives. Schooling was not
compulsory in Germany but Hitler
accepted the privilege of education and
became an exceptional art student. It is
quite a different story for
Mussolini who very rarely attended school but
educated himself. Hitler and
Mussolini were different in their original career
choices as much as they
later realised they wanted to be supreme leaders. After
Hitler’s mother
died in 1907 and he failed school, he moved to Vienna to gain
entrance to the
Academy of Fine Arts. He was rejected and the next 6 years he
spent in Vienna
shaped him into the Jew and Aryan hater he is seen as today.
After being
forced to do military service Mussolini moved regularly joining
many
socialist newspapers before settling in Italy. In Italy he joined the
Avanti and
soon became the editor in 1912. Both Hitler and Mussolini’s early
lives were
totally different but it still shaped them as leaders of much the
same political
parties. There is very little similar in the achievements made
by Hitler and
Mussolini whilst in power. Prior to Hitler and Mussolini’s
instatement a
leader of their respective nations there was a large employment
problem in both
countries. In Germany, 1933, the unemployment rate was almost
26%, after just
six years of Nazi rule over Germany the rate had dropped
dramatically to just
0.5% (Wilmat, Eric: 1977 pg 42). Mussolini also
rectified Italy’s unemployment
problem but over a longer period of time. Both
Hitler and Mussolini built up
their armies while in power however, it was
Hitler that really loaded his army
in fact he conscripted five times the
legal number. Hitler made better use of
his army seizing Poland in 19 days,
Denmark and Norway in two months, Holland,
Belgium, Luxembourg and France
in six weeks. Whereas it took Mussolini many
months just to take Ethiopia.
Hitler achieved more than Mussolini did whilst in
power and what gave him the
advantage over his opponents was the experience he
gained from World War 1.
The similarities between Hitler and Mussolini’s
wartime experiences are very
limited. At the outbreak of World War 1 Mussolini
aroused anger by suggesting
to the socialist party leaders that Italy enter the
war against Germany. In
1914 Mussolini was expelled from the socialist party. At
the same time Hitler
was being found unfit after a physical examination to join
the Austrain army.
Hitler later moved to Munich to join the German army where he
was enlisted as
a front line soldier. Mussolini entered the war some months
later also in the
front line. During Hitler’s time in the war he was quoted as
saying "Conquest
is not only a right, but a duty". Hitler also won the Iron
Cross, one of
the most prestigious medals of the German army before being
wounded in 1916.
Mussolini was likewise forced out of the war because of wounds
in 1917. The
military experience gained by both later helped them conquer
nations. Hitler
and Mussolini’s goals are surprisingly different for both
being based on
fascism. The basic aims of both parties were similar with the
leaders wanting
the citizens to believe in their superior culture and to exist
for the good
of the state. Hitler also expressed very right wing goals where
as
Mussolini’s were more confined. Some of the more right wing goals
expressed by
Hitler were to conquer and colonise Eastern Europe, prevent
non-German
immigration and eradicate Jews. This statement from Wilmat backs
up that Hitler
loathed Jews, "was there any form of filth or crime ...
without at least one
Jew involved" (page 54:1997). These extreme aims
from Hitler made the
difference between Hitler and Mussolini’s aims. These
aims were expressed in
the way the leaders ruled their respective nations.
The most similar section in
both Hitler and Mussolini’s totalitarian regime
was the path they took to
power. Whilst in parliament Hiltler and Mussolini
gathered small groups of
followers they would use to bully voters, Hitler’ SS
and SA and Mussolini’s
Brown Shirts. These gangs did influence the
parliament because voters feared for
their lives so their parties did benefit
from this. The real driving point
behind their parties was they both
expressed what voters wanted to hear. They
spoke of greater job prospects and
rejuvenation of their country, which was
essential in Germany with 4.2
billion marks equalling $1 (1923) (Wilma: 1997 pg
14). Both were finally
given the opportunity to form a government and carried
out their election
promises. The way in which the similarities were shown in
both of their roads
to power helped make their way of ruling so alike. Their
goals were also made
alike by their fascist ideas. The ruling of Germany and
Italy were done
very differently by the two leaders. Hitler’s rule was cold
and calculating,
his only joys were the tramping of military boots in Nazi
parades and the
huge applause at Nazi rallies. On the other hand Mussolini tried
to appear to
his people as a "superman" wrestling bear cubs, skiing the Alps
an piloting
his own single engine plane. Mussolini’s rule was very dramatic in
uning
extremely exaggerated hand gestures during his speeches, some even refer
to
his speeches as a performance from a talented actor. It is these
determining
factors that make Hitler and Mussolini extremely different
leaders. Apart from
both being fascist and being the leader of a totalitarian
regime, Hitler and
Mussolini were very different people. Hitler’s early
life, wartime
experiences, aims, how he came to power and how he ruled
Germany were all
different to Mussolini’s rule over Italy. Hitler’s dour and
colourless view
of life contrasted greatly with Mussolini’s larger than life
approach to his
leadership. Both leaders left their countries with a economic
and social debt to
the Allies which is still strong in the minds of many
older members of the
community.
Bibliography
Brooman, Josh.
Germany 1918-45. 1996. Addison Wesley Longman. England. -
Crystal, David.
Biographical Dictionary. 1996. Cambridge University - Douglas,
Roy. The
World War 1939-1945. 1990 Routledge London - Geary, Dick. Hitler
Nazism.
1993. Lancaster. New York. - Greg, Thie. Nazi Power in Germany.
1989.
Hutchinson Education England -
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