Comparing Primary Sources of European Fascism - Essay Example

Section/# A Comparison and Contrast Between Two Primary Sources of European Fascism Whereas fascism is all too often times defined and understood by the exhibition of fascism that adult Hitler’s Germany posited, the fact of the matter is that the political ideology of fascism was as nuanced and differentiated as the many levels of democracy that currently exists within the current world model. Although it should not be understood by the reader that this author is attempting in any way to gloss over the horrors, racism, violence, brutality, and aggression that fascism necessarily leads to, the following analysis will seek to differentiate and define some of the key differentials that existed within European fascism. Although a more full and complete analysis of fascism would necessarily require a comparison of fascism around the globe, this particular analysis will merely be concentric upon European fascism and the means by which it was defined in elaborated on by its most visible proponents; Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini. According to this level of analysis, the research will investigate Benito Mussolini’s “The Political and Social Doctrine of Fascism” and compare and contrast it to Adolph Hitler’s Mein Kampf. Further, the analysis will seek to consider what Hitler viewed as the primary and core weakness of democracy, his thoughts and beliefs with regards to individualism, and the underlying reason why Marxists and fascists must necessarily hate one another under the definitions of fascism that will be presented. Moreover, an analysis of bigotry and anti-Semitism will be discussed as a core and fundamental compound that fascism, regardless of its form, seeks to engage. Most importantly of all, a fundamental level of comparison and contrast between these two characters and the means by which fascism evolved within their respective states will be engaged. One of the clearest levels of comparison exists between the writings of Benito Mussolini and Adolph Hitler is with respect to the degree of contempt that they both shared towards democracy and the idea and/or understanding that people or groups of people should have the determinant right to decide what the future of their nation/state might look like. As a means of understanding this, one should consider the following quote from Mussolini which is as follows: “The Fascist conception of the State is all-embracing; outside of it no human or spiritual values can exist, much less have value. Thus understood, Fascism is totalitarian, and the Fascist State—a synthesis and a unit inclusive of all values—interprets, develops, and potentiates the whole life of a people” (Mussolini 14). Likewise, from a careful analysis of Mein Kampf it can be concluded that some of the primary reasons for Hitler detesting the concept and practice of democracy was due to the fact that he considered it to be socialist inspired, week, ineffective, inefficient, effeminate, and patently un-German. Due to such a strong distaste for the concept, it comes as little to no surprise that Hitler, although democratically elected, sought immediately to garner power to himself and his henchman as a means of rapidly turning the German Republic into the Third Reich. An important concept for the reader to grasp is the fact that although Hitler and Mussolini necessarily defined the epiphany of fascism within their respective systems as well as helped to pen some of fascism’s most memorable and defining texts, they were nonetheless merely the figureheads and dictators of these respective peoples. As such, the ills of fascism and the means by which it grew, if all, and was exhibited within both Germany and Italy necessarily engages the reader with the understanding that the people of these respective systems also identified heavily with the series and approaches that their leaders put forward. At multiple times throughout Mein Kampf particular refers to what key defines as Jewish Bolshevism/Jewish Marxism. Due to the fact that Mein Kampf was heavily influenced by a racial interpretation of history, and a mystical understanding of what racial purity and the German race could present the world, it is not surprising that Hitler chose to develop a strongly anti-somatic tone that extended into politics as well. Due to the fact that Karl Marx himself was of Jewish ancestry, this made something of an easy target for adult Hitler to rail against. Ultimately, it is the belief of this author that one of the greatest reasons why Hitler most severely despised Marxism and any ancillary interpretation thereof were primarily due to the fact that it was a way of differentiating National Socialism from this particular belief system. All in all, Marxism and National Socialism engendered many of the same basic premises. As such, due to the fact that Hitler was the progenitor of a new committee movement, it was necessary for him to attempt each and every means possible to seek to set his movement apart from something that had already been defined and set up within various nations of Europe for the past several decades. Moreover, within the same basic unit of understanding, Mussolini had the following to say concerning Marxism and its exhibition with the world: “Fascism [is] the precise negation of that doctrine which formed the basis of the so-called Scientific or Marxian Socialism” (Mussolini 30). However, the reader should not understand that these two primary sources are in agreement on each and every issue. Most importantly, German fascism, under the direction of Adolph Hitler necessarily engendered a racial definition of society and the means by which the ideal fascist state should define itself. Although it would take a dissertation length analysis to discuss each and every anti-Semitic remark that was made within Mein Kampf, the following quotes help to briefly illustrate the level and extent to which anti-Semitism and a hatred and bigotry of Jews was prevalent throughout the work: “First, therefore, [the Jew] goes about making up to the people for his previous sins against them. He begins his career as the 'benefactor' of mankind. Since his new benevolence has a practical foundation, that the left hand should not know what the right hand giveth; no, whether he likes it or not, he must reconcile himself to letting as many people as possible know how deeply he feels the sufferings of the masses and all the sacrifices that he himself is making to combat them” (Hitler 17). Continuing on at a later point, Hitler says, “If we consider how greatly he has sinned against the masses in the course of the centuries, how he has squeezed and sucked the blood again and again; if furthermore, we consider how the people gradually learned to hate him for this, and ended up by regarding his existence as nothing but punishment of Heaven for the other peoples, we can understand how hard this shift must be for the Jew” (Hitler 86). Referencing the supposed guilt that this people group necessarily represented, Hitler said, “The black-haired Jewish youth lies in wait for hours on end, satanically glaring at and spying on the unsuspicious girl whom he plans to seduce, adulterating her blood and removing her from the bosom of her own people. The Jew uses every possible means to undermine the racial foundations of a subjugated people” (Hitler 177).  Yet, the fact of the matter is that within Celebes essay, no such reference to racial bigotry or the means by which anti-citizen should be engaged as a state policy is ever discussed. This does not release Italian fascism from the dark shroud of racism; however, it does help to provide a level of differentiation with regards to the way in which Hitler’s specific German definition of fascism differentiated itself strongly from Mussolini’s. Within such an understanding, the reader can and should appreciate the fact that Fascism throughout Europe was not uniform and did not ascribe to any base eerie or approach. Although a great level of similarities existed between the two, it is impossible to provide a blanket statement with regards to the fact that Mussolini‘s definition and understanding of fascism was somehow able to be equated to Adolf Hitler’s. Works Cited Hitler, Adolf, and Ralph Manheim. Mein Kampf. London (3 Fitzroy Sq., W.1: Hutchinson, 1972. Print. Mussolini, Benito. The doctrine of fascism. New York: H. Fertig, 2006. Print. Read More