A Comparison Between Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini

A comparison between Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini

There is no doubt that Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini shared many similar characteristics. They shared movements that were typical of National Socialism: they adopted a radical nationalism, militaristic hierarchies, violence, the cult of charismatic leadership, contempt for individual liberties and civil rights, an anti-democratic and anti-socialist orientation, and a refusal to socialize industries.

Hitler and Mussolini looked upon the new form of government, which was 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 into world powers.

Perhaps the most obvious similarity would be the path they took to power. In parliament Hitler and Mussolini gathered small groups of followers they would use to bully voters, Hitler's SS and SA and Mussolini's Brown Shirts. The point of these behind these parties was that they both expressed what voters wanted to hear. They spoke of greater job opportunities and rejuvenation of their countries. Hitler and Mussolini used violent propaganda to increase social struggle everywhere in their countries. The polarization of the society produced by this violent behavior benefited the fascist parties. Both leaders used their political strength to impose conditions on their people. Both Hitler and Mussolini were finally given the opportunity to form a government and carried out their election promises. Their ruling of power came about to be so similar because of their similar roads to power.

Here we see some differences in the way Hitler and Mussolini actually came to power. Mussolini encountered many forms of resistance and had to co-exist with other competitors for power, such as the Italian monarchy and rivals even inside his own party. Hitler proved very strong right from the beginning and he brought his plans very nearly to completion, controlling the party and the country much more thoroughly than Mussolini could.

The goals of these two leaders were also very alike because of their fascist ideas. The keystone of the fascist political system was the leader: every person and every group, every lobby, lay beneath him on the same level. The Italian and German fascist movements tried to build a different kind of national unity, based not on the "common good" but on other principles knowing that their countries were internally fragmented.

The rulings of these two leaders had many similarities yet still had some differences. Their beliefs in running the country came to be very alike. Hitler and Mussolini both had negation of parliamentary and democratic political order, the use of violence and of physical strength, and the "revolutionary project" of a new society. Hitler and Mussolini feared any kind of strong and permanent power other than their own. This system of government where many institutions clashed with one another was extremely chaotic, and only the one leader could keep it working.

One of the most relevant differences between the two fascist regimes lied in their differing attitudes towards culture and religion. In Germany there was no uniform agreement on religion. In Italy the Catholic Church exercised a strong influence on the people.

In Italy the strong presence of Catholic religion and organizations influenced Mussolini's policies concerning women. Although the fascist ideology intended to abolish class struggle by establishing a new corporative society, its ideas about the role of women in such a society remained very conservative. Hitler had similar beliefs about the role of women in a Nazi society but he never tried to force them to stay home, indeed, he supported their participation in industrial production.

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 o his people as a "superman".

It is true that the Italian dictatorship was more conservative in its application than that of Hitler's reign of terror. But, both the fascist ideas and rulings of these two leaders proved to have some similarities worth mentioning. Both leaders left their countries with an economic and social debt to the Allies, which is still strong in the minds of many older members of the community.

A comparison between Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini

There is no doubt that Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini shared many similar characteristics. They shared movements that were typical of National Socialism: they adopted a radical nationalism, militaristic hierarchies, violence,