Totalitarianism in Italy

Jessica WittigSamantha Baldwin

Matthew MartinCatharine Messner

Benito Mussolini

Benito Mussolini is a strong and powerful dictator. With no mercy just violent actions. He rejected socialism for intense nationalism. In 1919 he brought together the angry discontent Italians into the Fascist party. He pledged to turn the Mediterranean into  "Roman Lake" once again.

The Black Shirts

The Black Shirts were a group of Mussolini's combat squads. Fearless and daring. They wore a black shirt to emulate an earlier nationalist revolt.

March on Rome

The March on Rome was ten thousands of Fascists swarming to the capital. King Emanuel III feared civil war, so he asked Mussolini to form a government with a prime minister.

State control of Economy

To spur economic growth and to stop conflicts between owners and workers, Mussolini brought economic in state control. Mussolini favored the upper class. Production increased but success came with a price. Workers were forbidden to strike, and their wages were kept low.

Individual and State

With Mussolini's new state the state was all important while individuals were unimportant.  Mussolini wasn't correcting the government for the people he corrected it for himself and higher classes.

Totalitarianism State

The first totalitarian state was built by Mussolini. A  one party dictatorship tries to regulate all aspects of the lives of it's citizens in this form of government. Stalin and Hitler followed Mussolini's lead.

Fascism

All forms of fascism were rooted in extreme nationalism, and glorified action, violence, discipline, and blind loyalty to the state. Fascist leaders glorified warfare as a noble struggle for survival as well. They were antidemocratic and emphasized emotion and the supremacy of the state.

Fascism's Appeal

Fascism appealed to so many Italians because Mussolini showed a sense of power and confidence when Italy had disorder and despair. He also revived the nations pride through his intense nationalism.

Fascism vs. Communism

Fascists pursued nationalist goals, and a society with defined classes, whereas communists worked for international change, and supported a classless society. Both had a party elite who said they ruled for national interest, flourished during economic hardships, got power through a blind devotion to the state, and used terror to guard their power.