The last century was rich in ideologically driven and cruel dictators, with Hitler and Mussolini as the most infamous. Broadly and retrospectively, Hitler’s method of political rule can be considered fascist. According to experts, “fascism typically centers around extreme nationalism and an opposition to democracy and liberalism” (Nazi vs. fascist, 2020, para. 6). Both considered such punitive measures as political repression and state violence as legitimate methods of state governing.
Differing Ethnic Policies
The ideological and political differences between the ideas of Mussolini and Hitler are nuanced. They lie in such government branches as ethnic and military issues. For example, anti-Semitism was not an original element of Italian fascist ideology; it only became so right before World War II due to pressure from their Nazi ally (Italy, n.d.). It explains the historical paradox that many Jews could find a relatively safe haven in a country that was the main ally of Nazi Germany, both de jure and de facto (Italy, n.d.). It is also noteworthy that the Italian society had no anti-Semitic sentiment compared to the German one, even in prewar and wartime.
Differing Military Policies
Views on purpose and purpose for the coming World War II are another thing where Mussolini and Hitler’s views differed. For the creator of fascism, war was not just a method of forcible expansion of the state but a way of reviving the Roman Empire, both physically and ideologically. According to historians, “the Fascist regime hoped to establish a new “Roman” Empire” (Italy, n.d., para. 7). Hitler perceived the future war as a necessary and long-awaited rematch for the lost World War I, a way to unite the Germanic ethnic groups and increase their living space. Moreover, he saw it as an opportunity to purge Europe and the world of the religious, cultural, and ethnic ones that he and other Nazis considered inferior. One can say that Mussolini’s ideas were comparatively more egalitarian and less oppressive than Hitler’s ones.
References
Italy. (n.d.) Holocaust Encyclopedia. Web.
Nazi vs. fascist: Is there really a difference? (2020). Web.