Fascism and Nazism: A Comparative Analysis

Posted on Nov 12, 2024 in History

Italian Fascism: The Socio-Political Crisis in Italy After the Great War, Italy was plunged into a deep social and political crisis that led to the rise of fascism. Key factors in this crisis were:

  • The unrest after the First World War: The peace accords left Italy’s territorial claims unsatisfied.
  • The crisis of the democratic system in Italy: The failure to create stable governments allowed fascism to erode the system.
  • Economic crisis: The war effort had exhausted the Italian economy.
  • Labor unrest: The labor movement’s organization and protests.
  • Fear of revolution: The Bolshevik victory increased fear and stalled key economic sectors.

The Seizure of Power The growing presence of communism on the streets alarmed traditional and right-wing nationalist sectors. They feared Bolshevism’s arrival due to weak centrist parties and the economic crisis. In this context, Mussolini offered strong government and an iron fist against the communists. In 1921, he created the National Fascist Party, whose younger members violently opposed communists and socialists. Violence erupted in cities and the countryside, with fascist Blackshirts increasing social unrest through attacks on labor leaders. In 1922, Mussolini organized the March on Rome, a national rally to demonstrate fascist power. King Victor Emmanuel II, under pressure and due to the passivity of other social forces, appointed Mussolini as Prime Minister.Mussolini’s Fascist Regime Fascist groups took control of the streets and implemented an authoritarian regime through:

  • Political violence: Eliminating opposition. The assassination of socialist leader Matteotti in 1924 marked a peak, threatening all opposition.
  • Parliament’s closure in 1925: Beginning a dictatorship lasting until 1943.
  • The OVRA political police: Arresting and prosecuting opponents.
  • The Lateran Treaties: Agreements with the Holy See ending the dispute between the Papacy and the government since 1870.

The socio-economic model was based on Italian corporatism, inspired by medieval guilds. This compulsory, state-protected system regulated the economy and society. Protectionist economic policies centered on industry and large farms, encouraging heavy industry and armaments production, while controlling key economic sectors.Origins of National Socialism Germany suffered a great defeat in World War I and was humiliated by the Treaty of Versailles. The Weimar Republic faced serious difficulties from the start, with progressive wear and instability leading to the Nazi party’s rise to power.The Postwar Crisis Two key factors marked the early postwar years:

  • The harshness of the Treaty of Versailles: Germany was treated as solely responsible for World War I, leading to heavy financial reparations and territorial losses.
  • Weimar Republic politicians: Viewed as traitors for accepting the Treaty’s terms.

Economic improvement since 1924, particularly after the Dawes Plan, was abruptly halted by the 1929 economic crisis.The Creation of Nazism In 1920, Hitler joined the German Workers’ Party, the embryo of the Nazi party. His 25-point program included:

  • Rejection of the Treaty of Versailles.
  • Military expansionism and the creation of a Greater Germany.
  • Racism, xenophobia, anti-parliamentarianism, and anti-Marxism.

In August 1921, Hitler led the Nazi party, shifting strategy to gain power through street violence using the SA (Sturmabteilung or Stormtroopers) to suppress communists and socialists. A 1923 coup attempt in Munich failed, leading to Hitler’s imprisonment. In prison, he concluded that power must be gained through democratic means, focusing on electoral victories. When the 1929 crash hit Germany, the NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers’ Party) was a minor force; three years later, Hitler was ready for office.Hitler’s Rise to Power Unlike the Conservatives and the divided left, Nazi political maneuvering hastened the Weimar Republic’s collapse. In a divided society with a strong labor movement, the 1929 economic crisis revived memories of postwar chaos. The nationalist right and the undemocratic Communist Party (KPD) aimed to end the democratic regime. Fueled by anti-Jewish sentiment, revenge for military defeat, and the economic crisis, the Nazi party’s support grew, winning 230 Reichstag seats in 1932. Simultaneously, the SA increased street violence to intimidate and kill political opponents. The political crisis culminated in Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor on January 30, 1933.Nazism in Power: The National Socialist State Once Chancellor, Hitler destroyed democracy. His assumption of full powers involved:

  • The Reichstag fire in 1933: Blamed on a communist, it was used to declare a state of emergency and suspend democratic rights. New elections gave the Nazis absolute control to pass the Enabling Act.
  • Outlawing all parties: Leading to the persecution and imprisonment of political opponents, mainly from the left.
  • Creation of the Gestapo: The political police, along with the Hitler Youth, SA, and SS (Hitler’s personal guard led by Himmler), imposed control and repression.

The swastika became the symbol. Propaganda and terror were used to conquer the German people’s will, following Goebbels’ strategy. The Night of the Long Knives (June 30–July 1) saw the SS kill or arrest SA leaders, consolidating Hitler’s power. After President von Hindenburg’s death in 1934, Hitler assumed presidential powers under the Führerprinzip, becoming the sole authority representing the German people and their destiny. Nazism pursued:

  • Autarky: Self-sufficiency to guarantee national independence.
  • Aggressive foreign policy: Germany, as a chosen people, needed Lebensraum (living space), to be achieved by any means.

Racism and Anti-Semitism Were key ideological differentiators and vehicles for Nazi expansion. While anti-Jewish sentiment wasn’t new, the Nazis’ use of 19th-century racist thought was. Hitler, in Mein Kampf, defined Jews as enemies of the German nation, blaming them for World War I’s defeat. The Nazis implemented racial segregation:

  • The Nuremberg Laws of 1935: Excluding Jews from society, prohibiting marriages with Aryans, and imposing harsh economic and social restrictions.
  • Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) in 1938: Thousands of Jewish shops were attacked.
  • World War II: Anti-Semitism escalated to genocide, the Final Solution.

Germany’s defeat led to the Nuremberg trials, condemning Nazi leaders. However, Nazi anti-Semitism must also be understood as an extreme response to minority issues inherited from the Hapsburg Empire, justifying the Aryan superiority theory and Lebensraum doctrine through pseudo-scientific arguments.