Italy in World War II Essay -- Essays Papers

Italy in World War II World War II, which only lasted about five years, changed the course of history forever, and affected millions of lives. Among the major nations that were involved in the war, Benito Mussolini and his Italian army sought to settle their differences with many nations. Benito’s fascist views, his idea of a nation built by one race, and his relationship with Adolf Hitler ultimately led to his involvement in the war. His responsibility, in essence, was to ally himself with the superpowers of the world, and lead his people into a war that they could not fight. "Il Duce", (the leader), was the name that Benito Mussolini gave himself as his rise to power in Italy continued. He led the people of Italy with the mind set and many of the same ideas that Hitler used in Germany. "†¦ a tendency had been developing in Italy in favor of closer relations with Germany, both politically and economically." (1) Mussolini, along with Hitler, pushed towards a nation that was free of Jews, and would consist solely of the "perfect man". Mussolini’s goal was to create an ultimate Italian empire, in alliance with Hitler’s Germany. (2) "The manner in which Mussolini and the Fascist Party gained possession of the government was regarded in most foreign circles as an illegal act of violence." (3) As the nation of Italy began to suffer great debts, Mussolini had been summoned by the King to form a government to aid in the economic needs. This marked the birth of the Fascist Party in Italy. In the beginning of his rise to the top, Mussolini was popular amongst his people. His popularity was high, and people began to trust in his judgment and ideas. (4) He was, in essence, saving the people from the turmoil that had ensued the nat... ...hat they controlled, but affected the history of the world from then on. End Notes 1. Villari, Luigi. Italian Foreign Policy Under Mussolini. New York: The Devin-Adair Company, 1956 2. "Benito Mussolini in Pictures". 3 March 2000. Factual information on Mussolini. http://www.gvn.net/~lowe/mussolini/1.htm 3. See Villari 4. "World War II" (1939-1945) http://infoplease.lycos.com/ipa/A0001288.html 2000 Lycos, Inc. (March 2, 2000) 5. See Villari 6. Deakin, F.W. The Brutal Friendship. New York: Harper and Row, Publishers, 1962. 7. See Deakin 8. See Villari 9. Smith, Denis Mack. "Benito Mussolini" http://gi.grolier.com/wwii.wwii_mussolini.html Grolier Online Publishing (March 3, 2000) 10. See Villari 11. See Villari