Italy and Germany Unification of Term Paper

S.A., France and Great Britain). Collapse of empire, revolution, which resulted in creation of Weimar republic and adoption of new Weimar constitution only turned the situation from bad to worse in some few years. Hyperinflation, unemployment and poverty supplemented by the sense of humiliation and frustration of a former strong and proud nation, led to the spread of radical leftist political ideas of ultra-nationalism. This ideology was mainly propagandized by German national socialist party of Adolph Hitler, which received wide support among former soldiers, officers and oligarchy, who were interested in stabilization of economy and state control over prices and protectionism.

Italy participated in WWI on the side of Allies, but outcomes of war were not victorious for the country. It had an outstanding debt to France, the U.S.A. And Great Britain. Militarisation of industry was followed by after war economical stagnation and recession, which turned into high unemployment and crisis. Immigration rate during after war years was very slow, which only deepened unemployment situation. Government's measures to improve economical situation were unsuccessful, which resulted in the raising of socialist and nationalist ideas among working class. Ideas of socialism were very close for the majority of Italian workers, but after war crisis also deepened the feeling of revenge and nationalism. Fascist party of Benito Mussolini gained high popularity among workers, it was also subsidized by oligarchy, who wanted a country with strong government which would guarantee economical stability and which would protect national monopolies.

Fascism in Italy and Nazism in Germany were different totalitarian regimes. The idea of corporate state was realized in different ways due to national and historical particularities. Italian fascists built a strong national state, with certain social guarantees for lower classes, they didn't use mass terror against their political opponents, which was very common for Nazis. Italian fascists did not persecute Jews, it's important to note that one parliamentarian in fascist Italy was a Italian Jew. In addition, Italian militarism didn't have such territorial ambitions as Nazis had. Such differences can be explained by the wide participation of common people in unification of Italy, by strong political organization and consciousness of Italian working and middle class. Italy didn't have a burden of glorious militarist part, unlike Germany, where positions of imperial government and Prussian oligarchy were always strong and popular nationwide.

Italy and Germany