add an ending sentence to this paper: Alia Abdellatif 
10IB
IB History 
11/11/2023
Causes and Effects of Fascism In Europe 
Introduction
Fascism is a political ideology. The backbone of this philosophy is nationalism, often radical nationalism. Fascism supported industrialization and the working class. It stressed the importance of a single party government and above all else obedience to the state. Men were encouraged to learn basic military skills i.e marching, shooting, etc. Women were encouraged-and praised-for having many children that would grow and lead the country. The fascist philosophy advocated imperialism, as it believed that the only way a country could become great was through expansion therefore warfare.  
People tend to confuse fascism and communism, though there are clear differences between them. Fascism allows private ownership, controls the economy, emphasizes a social hierarchy, encourages racism and xenophobia (prejudice towards people from other countries), and has an aggressive foreign policy; As seen in Nazi Germany. Hitler was often quoted as he talked about ‘the superior race’ and his dislike of Jews. At the time Germany adopted a more aggressive foreign policy as well. On the other hand, communism banned all private ownership, controlled all aspects of the citizens' lives, abolished social order, didn’t support nationalism, and encouraged cooperation with other countries. Communism was most apparent in the Soviet Union. 
There were many negative effects of fascism, especially in Mussolini’s Italy. Political freedom was curbed, this was done in many ways such as banning publications that opposed fascists. Labor unions were outlawed to decrease the possibility of anyone speaking out against the regime. Mussolini was willing to use violence to silence and overcome his enemies, that much was clear when he marched on Rome in 1922.  
The main examples of fascism which will be covered in this paper are: 1) Mussolini and Fascist Italy 1922-1943 (PNF). 2) Nazi Germany 1933-1945. These examples are chosen as they show the gradual progression of countries that were dependent on western states to them being strong independent countries, all the while becoming fascist. 
Causes of Fascism 
Italy was one of the victors of the first world war, yet there was a large internal conflict going on. There was violence between political parties and between the people, most of this was because of the Treaty of London 1915. Through said treaty Italy should’ve been granted Trieste, southern Tyrol, and northern Dalmatia. France and Britain simply ignored Italy, which created a national humiliation in the country. Italy had economical issues pre-war, they depended on the western countries for trade and quite literally their entire economy.
2 million soldiers were promised farmland ownership, but these promises were not fulfilled (because Britain and France were not willing to give Italy its territories). The government was deeply in debt because of borrowing money from banks during the war. Riots, strikes, and religious involvement by the Catholic church pushed communist ideology through the streets of Italy as they people felt they had been dealt empty promises. Mussolini formed a party funded by banks, called the Black Shirts. The party grew in numbers and popularity. All these factors helped propel fascist ideology. Mussloni threatened to march on Rome. In a last ditch effort to retain his position, the King appointed him as Prime Minister. 
Effects of Fascism in Italy 
Among the first acts taken by the National Fascist Party was making themselves the only political party allowed. This was one of the many things they did to suppress public difference of opinion, which at the time was the root of Italy’s internal issues (as addressed earlier). There were many other things done to help reach this goal; publications that opposed fascism were banned, labor unions were no longer allowed (They were instead replaced by government organizations), conflicts with the Catholic Church were resolved, youth groups were made to teach fascist ideology, and lastly violence against anyone who disagreed. Under Mussolini’s rule, which lasted until 1943,  there was no concept of free speech or expression. 
Italy’s foreign policy underwent many modifications during the fascist rule, especially considering it was during the Great Depression. In terms of economy and military, Italy was weak. It economically depended on the US and Britain for fuel and France for food. Mussolini feared that if he went to war with these countries or their allies that they would stop trade, which would cause a decrease in fuel and food would cause an increase in prices. A hungry and angry public would want a new leader, therefore Mussolini was very careful in conducting any form of foreign policy. 
Italian foreign policy depended on small meaningless victories such as an indemnity from Greece and the handover of Fiume in Yugoslavia. Both significantly weaker countries than the Great Powers. Italy exported goods to pay for food imports, raw materials, etc. When the Great Depression occurred countries such as Britain and the US erected trade barriers. Mussolini’s biggest fears had come true. He had to act quickly to prevent an economic collapse. Trades with Yugoslavia, Austria, Hungry, Bulgaria, and Romania were hurriedly established; all in an effort to prevent collapse and to build stronger eastern European connections. Italy exported to them manufactured goods and in return it got raw materials and food. 
The Great Depression allowed the Italian economy to no longer depend on the western countries, which in turn slowly began to solve their economic issues within the country. Industries were combined to eliminate competition, this led to major industries surviving the Depression. This allowed Italy to start manufacturing weapons such as rifles, tyres, shells, and engines. Manufacturing weapons aided in expanding the army. By 1935 the army and navy had 1 million new slots waiting to be filled, largely solving unemployment. All these factors turned Italy into a strong state which no longer depended on western countries. 
Causes and Effects of Fascism in Germany 
Fascism wasn’t only limited to Italy, it made its way to many other countries, most prominently to Germany. It’s safe to say that Germany collapsed after the first world war, especially since it held most of the financial burden. This collapse caused political and economical instability within the country. A new government emerged called the Weimar Republic, it attempted to make fragile peace in Germany. It was challenged by many other parties, namely fascist parties which made peace a fleeting dream. 
In 1933 Adolf Hitler was elected as Chancellor of Germany. It took Hitler many years to gain full control of Germany, namely because a few organizations opposed him. This made his power limited. He acted quickly to gain more power. Once elected, Hitler and the Nazi Party moved to stabilize and confirm their power. They did this through a number of methods, for starters they merged with the government. This allowed them to abolish all parties except the Nazi Party and abolish the labor union. Governors were replaced by Nazi Party members which caused little disagreement among the government. All police forces joined the Nazi Party’s paramilitary, otherwise known as the SS which acted like the state police. This meant that Germany’s military forces acted under a single leader, ultimately giving them full power over the country. 
Hitler was able to resolve exterior challenges, yet there were also challenges to be faced inside the Nazi Party itself. There were those in the Party who could’ve rivaled Hitler’s power. In 1934, he executed said members, all debate was gone after that. The only institution which was out of Hitler’s power was the army. At the time the army was led by the German nobility, they saw Hitler as an Austrian foreigner which could not be trusted. By 1938, Hitler had replaced all the military top commanders, leaving him in control of the army and therefore of all German institutions.
A new government meant new policies. This was evident when Germany would only trade with countries who would purchase goods of equal value to what Germany imported. By 1934, the government was able to control what was all imports and exports at a molecular level. Having complete control over trade gave the German government a lot of power over the population and over other countries. Germany only imported essential goods while exporting manufactured goods, this aided Germany in recovering from the Great Depression (Germany recovered faster than any European state from the Depression, mainly because of new trade policies). 
Conclusion 
Fascism in Europe (specifically in Germany and Italy) had many causes and effects. One of the main causes was always internal distress, this is shown in both cases (Mussolini and Hitler). These internal conflicts were often because of an economic crisis. They led to the idea of an absolute government being pushed, people wanted their countries to stabilize and be powerful. Fascism promised nationalism, stability, expansion, and power; all things appealing. Fascism caused the end of free speech, expression, and political opinion. On the other hand, fascist countries displayed fast recovery from the Great Depression, in Italy’s case it left the Depression with a better economy than before it started. Each country was characterized by the leader and their own ideology. This is more present in Germany where Hitler advocated his xenophobe thinking. Italy made youth groups to help make the idea more appealing to a younger public. Fascism certainly helped both countries flourish economically and strengthen away from the western population. Unfortunately, it used barbaric methods to force opposition to remain silent. 
Citations 
→ https://www.britannica.com/topic/fascism
→ https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/communism-vs-fascism/
→https://www.swansea.ac.uk/history/history-study-guides/what-was-the-impact-of-fascist-rule-upon-italy-from-1922-to-1945/#:~:text=For%20large%20numbers%20of%20Italians,was%20a%20price%20worth%20paying.
→https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/fascism-1#:~:text=Germany's%20collapse%20in%20World%20War,Republic%2C%20including%20several%20fascist%20organizations.