Notes for World History
HOW TOTALITARIAN WAS MUSSOLINI’S SYSTEM?
- Mussolini did not succeed in creating a completely totalitarian system in the Fascist sense of there being ‘ no individuals or groups not controlled by the state’.
- Nor was it as all-pervasive as the Nazi state in Germany.
- He never completely eliminated the influence of the king or the pope.
- In spite of Mussolini being a dictator, the king remained the head of the state and was able to dismiss Mussolini in 1943.
- The Roman Catholic Church remained an extremely powerful institution and it provided the Italian people with an alternative focus of loyalty.
- The pope became highly critical of Mussolini when he began to persecute Jews.
- Critics of fascism survived such as Croce because Mussolini was afraid of hostile foreign reaction if he had them arrested.
- It was the workers who had to make all the concessions while the big employers enjoyed considerable freedom.
- Most of the important decisions on the economy were taken by the govt in consultation with business leaders.
- Masses were prepared to tolerate fascism while it appeared to bring benefits, but soon grew tired of it when its inadequacies were revealed during second world war.
- Thus, a more accurate description of Mussolini’s system would be authoritarian rather than totalitarian.
