Composition 1101
Professor Albert Farr
27 October 2008
An Ambivalent Administration:
An Analysis of Differences and Similarities of Between
Benito Mussolini and Adolph Hitler’s Approach to Domestic Policy
In 1933, Adolph Hitler came to power as dictator of Germany and began to rearm the country in contravention of the provisions of the Treaty of Versailles. (TWW) In 1943, nearly 10 years later, axis Germany and Italy had officially controlled nearly 2/3 of Europe and 1/3 of Africa. This axis power seemed as impenetrable as steel itself. The historians who cover these days of infamy tend to focus on a leaders ability to lead troops into battle by comparing and contrasting them from one another. However, there is one thing that tends to be omniscient to them: the comparison and contrast of their ability to lead the one thing most important to them, the people. Fundamentally, both Benito Mussolini and Adolph Hitler had the same ardent desire to make their nation respected both economically and socially; however, their approach to this idealism was varied, most notably through domestic policy. Mussolini wanted a rebirth or renaissance if you will of Italy to the days of an ancient imperial Greco-Rome, a domestic policy amongst others that was used as propaganda to ultimately consolidate his power. Hitler, however, wanted to implement his ideological aims of German re-armament, racial purity, and a consolidation of his powers, which were reflected in his own numerous domestic policies. This essay will evaluate these similitaries and dissimilarities in domestic policy by both Hitler and Mussolini, and to what extent one leader was more successful than the other in his own policy within the axis alliance. To begin with, Hitler and Mussolini, in economic terms, had a policy of being autarkies. This means they limited trade with external nations and tried to rely on their own resources to achieve a self-sufficient industry. Mussolini, aware