Similarities Between Mussolini And Hitler

Source E:
A historical picture taken of Mussolini and Hitler, emphasising their alliance and similarities in state. The picture was taken at a march where both leaders are seen to be leading the military forces.

ORIGINS: Source E is a primary source, a historical picture found in a book called The History of World War II, Volume 1. The purpose of this photograph is to record a historical event. To show the two dictators joining forces as allies and leading their countries forward. This photograph could be used as propaganda, to try show the strength each leader held and to try create support for the countries becoming allies. The military uniforms would appeal to patriotism in individuals and allow Mussolini and Hitler to show their strength
by wearing a military uniform.

VALIDITY: this picture is valid for the purpose of trying to rally support from the civilians. Being published in a historical book, which would be published for international usage, proves the validity of the picture. The picture would therefor be authentic and useful.

USEFULNESS/VALUE: this photograph is useful as a primary source and original picture. It does a good job is portraying what life would have been like at time period, especially since these two dictators made good use of marches and rallies as a propaganda technique in making their people follow them. This photograph is very useful as a primary source as it shows what propaganda was used at that time, as opposed to a secondary source which may only explain or describe the types of propaganda used, thus not allowing the historians or reader to see for themselves and analyse the source correctly and objectively.

RELIABILITY: the photograph is reliable for illustrating the propaganda at that time, as it portrays what the two dictators would have been like. It also is reliable for the investigation of the happenings of that time period and how people’s lives may have been. It is reliable, as no biased view has been made, it is a complete objective photograph that has been taken. It allows for the reader to draw his or her own conclusion without being persuaded.

LIMITATIONS: by looking at this photograph we are not aware of the atrocities made by these two leaders. This photograph could have been altered by means of cutting out surroundings to make it look a certain way, offering no contextualization or other information about the people in this photograph. It does, however, only give one look at to that time period so a viewer would have to make up their own interpretation of the time period without having relevant accounts to what it was like during that time or a wider based knowledge about that time. Primary evidence reflects only on immediate responses from the time.
Source F:
ORIGINS: Source F is a secondary source, based on research done then analysed forming a general conclusion about the time period. Irma Husić wrote it to discuss the similarities and differences between the totalitarian societies of Germany and Italy. The purpose of this article is to highlight the similarities the two dictators and their countries shared as well as what they differed in.

VALIDITY: This article is valid for the purpose of giving an overview of some of the main components to the two countries, Italy and Germany, by means of supplying facts and not the writers’ opinion. The source is valid that no subjective views have been stated or hinted at. Therefore this source would not be sensationalized.

USEFULNESS/VALUE: The source is a secondary source that has a purpose of providing a factual overview of the time period. It is of value as it does not give a personal or first hand account of a witness, which means no sensationalism would have been added. The source is useful as it gives the understanding of how in depth fascist Italy was run, with the country’s priorities being mainly looked after. The source also gives a good account to the basis of both country’s policies and how they differ or promote the same ideas. This would give the reader a good understanding of the overall time period as both sides have been represented and explained objectively. As a secondary source it gives broad trends and since the writer was not directly involved he has had to consult many primary sources on that event to draw to this objective view.

RELIABILITY: This source is reliable to the degree that it is not subjective or in favour of a certain side. It is reliable for showing the purpose of the propaganda, laws and policies set in Italy and Germany. Some of the detailed facts may be missing as it is a short article which does not go in depth of the regimes but rather gives a basic understanding to how each country was run and why. No emotive language is used therefore the reader can arrive at his or her own conclusion about the time, making it a reliable source.

LIMITATIONS: The source being a secondary source does not give the feelings or look to really tell what life was like during that time period. It therefore makes it a bit harder to come to a conclusion about the regimes and countries if no first hand accounts have been read. For this purpose it may be suggested that further research be done to determine to what degree the reader feels about the topic, not because the article is not detailed enough, it just does not explain what life was like for people living during that time. It does not show the emotional impact of the events on people’s lives.

The foreign policies held both by Hitler and Mussolini were very similar. Both were nationalistic, promoted an idea of expansionism and relied heavily on helping their countries recover from the Treaty of Versailles. However, the difference came in by how these policies were implemented and to what extent the leaders were successful in achieving their aims and to what extent they were willing to go to become more powerful and the brutality Hitler to achieve this.

Hitler’s aims were to revise the treaty of Versailles, which he felt embarrassed Germany after World War One. He wanted to make Germany great and create more living space, lebensraum, which in turn meant being independent (A). Mussolini wanted to restore Italy to a modern Roman Empire. Mussolini also wished for more influence in the Mediterranean, Balkans and North Africa(C). Mussolini also urged for the German-Italian Alliance to allow Italy the chance to meet its goals after France and Britain insisted on the legal-moral aspects of the Versailles system(C).

Since the two countries were linked through their anti-communist policies (C), Germany with its enemy Russia and Mussolini having the ability to pose as the “saviour of the nation from the communism” (C) it was easy for the country to collaborate and form a combined force.
This can be easily seen in the rally Hitler and Mussolini had behind them (E). Italy still had a goal to make sure Germany would not overpower them (D) but having not the same size of force it was in Mussolini’s best interests to join Hitler to achieve his goal of expanding his influence into the Balkans, North Africa and building up his navy in order to support the presence he wanted in the Mediterranean (C). The support of each other’s expansionism came due to their alliance in the Spanish Civil War
(D).

As Hitler annexed Austria it showed the weakness of the League of Nations for not stopping Germany and it also showed how Hitler could manipulate the Treaty of Versailles, this became a major victory for Hitler (D). The Abyssinia Crisis became a major victory for Mussolini, as they were able to not only invade Abyssinia successfully but also outmeneuver the League of Nations, which strongly opposed the Italian occupation of Ethiopia (D). These two events prove they were both opportunists, whose main goal was expanding their empires (D).

However, Hitler ran a totalitarian state and Mussolini ran a fascist state and through this it can be seen by the difference in foreign policies. The aims were different in that Mussolini wished to restore Italy to a modern Roman Empire (C), while Hitler wished to unite everyone under German control and thereby creating a “greater Germany” (A). Mussolini also aimed to maintain a large navy to support Mediterranean influence, however the lack of oil proved to be a problem since it is needed to run such a navy (C). Hitler had no aim to try maintain a navy as he already had a plan to expand into other countries that spoke German such as Austria, the Polish Corridor and Sudetenland, which will in turn help keep his navy strong(A). Mussolini wished to work with Britain and France through the League of Nations (C) and by doing this he hoped create a greater sphere of influence. But even thou it was Mussolini, who attempted to stop the rise of Nazi Germany in the early 1930’s (D), turned to Hitler (E) as Hitler already has such a powerful following and had the means that would allow Mussolini to achieve the expansionist hopes he had in place.

Hitler had no plans of working with the Western Powers (A) but realised later it would be beneficial to become allies with Britain in order to revise parts of the embarrassing Treaty (D).
Since the two countries were enemies in WW1, Mussolini capitalized on Britain’s fear of the resurgence of powerful Germany by joining Britain and America in imposing the Treaty of Versailles on Germany. Hitler’s policy was to manipulate Britain in order to revise parts of the Treaty by relying on its distrust with the Soviet Union (D). Hitler’s foreign policy was to create more space for Germany and create a bigger German state (A) at all costs, using the brutal force of his SS and SA (B). Italy proposed the idea of creating a bigger influence in the Mediterranean countries (C) and not by gaining control over them with the brutality Hitler
used.

Up until the mid 1930’s Italy was the lone nation in Europe to stand up to the Nazi-power (D) and it was only after the Spanish Civil War in 1935 that both nations started to cooperate and share similar foreign policies. One of Mussolini’s aims was to block the German ability to invade Austria and protect the Brenner Pass, the historical invasion route into Italy (C). Hitler was Austrian and felt by occupying Austria it would make Germany strong (A).

Both men failed to achieve all their foreign policy aims. Hitler was more successful in achieving his expansionist policies then Mussolini as well as his aim to rearm the Rhineland (A). However, both countries did achieve to make their countries economies better, it was Mussolini who has better luck with his religious policies and the love of the nation behind him (F) mainly because of his lesser brutality and racism (B). The two leaders failed in implementing their foreign policies successfully even with strong nationalism behind them. They did manage to revise the Treaty of Versailles and expand into other countries, as Hitler used brutality to expand he can be seen as more successful in expanding his control over other countries but Mussolini was more successful in helping his country become