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The Growing Support for Hitler and Mussolini

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The Growing Support for Hitler and Mussolini

HIST
December 15, 2012

After the First World War, both Italy and Germany was in an economic down turn. Both countries saw hardship with the addition of high unemployment rates. Workers in both counties were unhappy with how life was, which spurred riots and strikes. A leader emerged from each country, claiming radical ideology was the solution. Mussolini and his Party adopted trending ideology to better appeal in the political environment. Hitler on the other hand, stuck to his radical ideas of a racial cleansing which he expressed in his book Mien Kampf. Both leaders didn’t come into power on their own but with the support and loyalty from many followers, their needs to become dictator was successful. With such radical ideas, it would be less likely they would come to power during these present times, but of course we learn from the past so we may not repeat the mistakes from prior experiences. But why did so many Germans and Italians supported radical dictators that would eventually lead the world to another war?
The revolutionary movement after the First World War increasingly grew in Milan, where many far left-wing politicians expressed extreme socialist ideas in revolt of how the current state of Italy. Mussolini knew this movement was what he needed in order to win the public over. Unfortunately the 1919 election only captured two percent of the vote for Mussolini and his Fascist Party. By 1920, socialist revolts and uprising gave the Fascist party another opportunity to gain the public’s trust and support by showing Fascist willingness and cooperation in resolving socialist problems. Mussolini knew the method to gain power and support was to appeal to the public and assist them in dealing with the socialist. The attack on socialist workers attracted many conservatives. Eventually Mussolini’s left views

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