How Did Benito Mussolini Influence Hitler

World War 2 started on 3 September 1939. Although there were many cause for the war, like the failure of the Treaty of Versailles, threat of communism, and appeasement. Hitler and the Nazi party were the main cause, they were linked with all other causes, making them stand out as the ‘main cause’. Everything that had happened after World War 1; the Treaty of Versailles, the Great Depression, Communism and Fascism, all helped Hitler gain trust from the Germans, as he said he would ‘make Germany great again’. Starting another world war within 20 years of the ‘war that was meant to end all wars’.

In October 1922 at the fascist party convention in Naples, 39-year-old Benito Mussolini began mounting a campaign to overthrow the government. Mussolini vowed to take by the throat the miserable political class that governed. He would march on Rome, force the King to dismiss the government, and make him prime minister. Frightened, King Vittorio Emanuele II decided there was no point in resisting and made Mussolini Italy's 27th Prime Minister. Mussolini had told the nation he'd come to power through a violent takeover though, so he ordered his irregular troops to converge on Rome and had all his photographers waiting to show them waving sticks and guns to convince people that he won power by force.

They turned to a problem that allowed a flood of Japanese conquests and victories that had raised in the Pacific. General George C. Marshall was the United States Army’s chief of staff. His views of the strategic problem put into a perspective of ample terms: He said that the United States should concentrate its military power on trying to make a successful lodgment on the European continent as soon as they could. During the summer of 1942 the Soviet Army seemed very desperate as Adolf Hitler’s panzer divisions were pushing on toward Stalingrad and the Caucasus. The American military believed that it would be necessary for them to invade northwestern Europe in 1942 so they could take the heat off of the Soviets.But they had a preferred date in mind it was the spring of 1943, the American ground forces would more ready for anything that would come their way, they trained and equipped to fight the Wehrmacht on the European continent.

In a political cartoon, Hitler is crawling out of the Treaty of Versailles (Fitzpatrick). This could be interpreted as Nazism rising from the inception of the treaty; essentially, Hitler and his movement rose from the ashes because of the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler even said within speeches that the Treaty of Versailles was meant to harm Germany, and many people believed it since it was so damaging towards Gremany. For example, in a speech Hitler gave in Salzburg while running for leader, he said “This is the first demand we must raise and do [reversal of the Versailles Treaty provisions]: that our people be set free, that these chains be burst asunder, that Germany be once again captain of her soul and master of her destinies, together with all those who want to join Germany over” (Salzburg). In this quotation, Hitler is saying that he believes Germany should rebel against the treaty and all of its provisions that were forced upon the people.

By 1938, negative publicity, a continuing sluggish economy, and Republican victories in midterm elections virtually ended Roosevelt 's ability to pass more reform legislation.In the early years of 1941, with war raging in Europe, Franklin Roosevelt pushed to have the United States ' factories become an "arsenal of democracy" for the Allies; France, Britain, and Russia. As Americans learned more about the war 's atrocities, isolationist sentiment diminished. Roosevelt took advantage, standing firm against the Axis Powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan. During World War II, Franklin Roosevelt was a commander in chief who worked with and sometimes around his military advisors. He helped develop a strategy for defeating Germany in Europe through a series of invasions, first in North Africa in November 1942, then Sicily and Italy in 1943, followed by the D-Day invasion of Europe in 1944.

From here Hitler slowly expanded his power in the government while his supporters formed paramilitary groups like the Schutzstaffel who fought protesters in the streets and helped raise hatred toward Communism and only Hitler could save the country. In 1933 a worker set fire to the parliament building and hitler convinced them to grant him emergency powers. Within a matter of months the freedom of the press was abolished. Hitler's close associates like Joseph Goebbels were in charge of propaganda which was used to paint Hitler as a great Samaritan who was helping Germany back on its feet. Which Hitler did do, lowering the unemployment from nearly 6 million to 1 million.

Joseph Stalin, a dictator of Russia, admitted that Russia would fall if and only if socialism in the country went from national to international. In attempts to help the country Stalin ordered a five-year plan, the plan was to help Russia transfer from an agricultural country into an industrial power. But when the five-year plan failed to work Stalin captured anyone who was “suspected of opposition” (page 804) and then sent them to long- term labor camps. Because Stalin was sending over eight million soviet people to camps and had killed over three million people, countries all over the world were beginning to fear Russia. The next dictator, Benito Mussolini, was a socialist from Italy, and wholeheartedly believed that Great War was the turning point his country needed.

To demonstrate, in the article “Axis Alliance in World War II” the author conveyed, “On May 22, 1939, Germany and Italy signed the so-called Pact of Steel, formalizing the Axis alliance with military provisions. Finally, on September 27, 1940, Germany, Italy, and Japan signed the Tripartite Pact, which became known as the Axis alliance”(Axis Alliance in World War II). This shows that that the alliance between the three countries made it clear that Italy and Japan would join the war and help Nazi Germany. This also shows that each country would provide each other resources and provisions which helped the dominance of the Axis powers during the Holocaust. Additionally, in the article “Axis Powers” the author declares,“During the war a number of other countries joined the Axis, induced by coercion or promises of territory or protection by the Axis powers….connections among the Axis powers were strengthened by a full military and political alliance”(Axis Powers).

One of the greatest weaknesses that lead to the fall of the Western Roman Empire are the barbarian invasions. When the Roman soldiers were moved from the Rhine-Dhanube frontier to fight on civil wars in Italy, the Roman borders were left open to attacks. Not so long after Constantine moved Rome’s capitol, Germanic barbarians-people Romans considered uncivilized- began to raid and take over Roman lands in Greece and Gaul. Historians believe that the tribes actually started settling along the borders around 200s. Odavacer (a barbarian leader) takes over by overthrowing the last of the Roman emperors and made himself the ruler of Italy.

In September of 1939, World War II had officially begun. Before the war started, Germany, lead by Adolf Hitler had begun to take over many other countries around Europe including Austria and Czechoslovakia while also allying themselves with other countries such as Russia and Japan(Sharpe 6). When Germany sought after Poland, Britain gave them un ultimatum to pull out of the country and when they did not do so Britain was at war. In December the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor which is when the United States declared war against the Japanese. Due to our close relations with the U.S at this time, it also created a huge hatred for the Japanese in Canada(Sharpe 8).