Essay Sample on Fascism in World War II

Fascism was a popular political ideal throughout World War II, but it did not unexpectedly spring out of a hidden place to run its course. It had a long and intricate history before it made a turn and became one of the main causes for what many argue to be the most detrimental war this world has ever seen. Traditionally, fascism is the notion that an autocratic, inflexible authority should govern a nation. The history of this political ideal is dense, and it dates back several years into the past. The way fascism assembled itself in the past caused World War II. This issue includes numerous matters that relate to the rise of fascism. These matters include the persuasion and influence of those who contributed to the rise of fascism, the rise by itself, how it all led to World War II, and what happened in other countries when this came about.

To begin, there were several leaders who popularized fascism and made it even more of a primary issue during the Second World War. There were some leaders who made fascism a more significant matter than it was before. Benito Mussolini was one of these leaders who significantly influenced the rise of fascism. Mussolini was a master at persuading people to side with him. For example, “Mussolini’s fascist movement quickly gained the support of anti-communist business people, property owners, and middle-class professionals like teachers and doctors” (Constitutional Rights Foundation 12). Mussolini led Italy and made many people believe that fascism was the most effective form of government. The popularization of fascism caused people to quickly conclude that fascism was key to a victorious country. According to the Constitutional Rights Foundation, Europe grew fascist after World War I as people looked for powerful leadership. In Italy, Mussolini's mystique allowed him to create an authoritative government when the population desired to feel powerful within their country (1). Fascism’s power continued to expand many years after Mussolini first took charge in Italy. Then, a new leader began his ascent. Germany's Führer, Adolf Hitler, played a significant role in popularizing fascism and boosting its influence during World War II. Hitler assumed power and caused fascism to grow even more. According to Kennedy Hickman, Adolf Hitler and the Nazis attempted to create racial purity while observing the principles of fascism (4). Hitler heightened the expansion of fascism with this movement. With all of that, it is conclusive that Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler were both leaders who influenced the rise of fascism - which shaped so much of what World War II turned out to be.

Furthermore, the rise of fascism is a very long topic that is key to understanding what happened to it in World War II. The rise of fascism all by itself has a complex history that contributed greatly to the outcome of WWII (World War II). Before WWII, people had begun exploring fascism and political ideas similar to that of fascism. The website Lumen said, “The historian Zeev Sternhell has traced the ideological roots of fascism back to the 1880s … ” (22). It is safe to say that fascism did come from somewhere when World War II hit. The rise of fascism commenced long before most people realized it had done so. However, it spread swiftly after its inception. Its origin was a central cause of the Second World War. Following WWI (World War One), fascism increased in popularity. Lumen says on their website that during the post-World War I era, fascism became more recognized globally. Italy, Germany, and Japan were the main countries gaining this recognition and growth (27). The recognition these countries received was a direct cause of World War II. The fascism that rose in World War I found its way to World War II. The rise of fascism, all by itself, has an abundant source of information and has made a lasting mark on history.

Moreover, the rise of fascism was one of the main causes of the Second World War. For example, Hitler’s belief in fascism influenced the Nazis, and Hitler grew to the top and caused the Second World War. For instance, “On January 30, 1933, Hitler was placed in a position to take power when he was appointed Reich Chancellor by President Paul von Hindenburg” (Hickman 4). Hitler was fascist, and his ideas influenced much of what WWII turned out to be. The Nazis and Hitler were able to seize power as things worsened, and their influence quickly made World War II’s fate inevitable. Additionally, fascism became even more popular after this, and Hitler began taking more action. According to Kennedy Hickman, Adolf Hitler began taking away Jewish people’s marriage and citizenship rights. Later, he led a pogrom that killed and arrested thousands of Jews (5). His constant desire to bring about harsh changes to the lives of thousands led him to construct racist ideals and war. All of this stemmed from the fact that his policies were fascist. Some saw this as an acceptable ideal to believe in because influential people had popularized it. Inevitably, the severity of all of this increased. Hitler took advantage of this. Therefore, it is unlikely that World War II would have been what it panned out to be without fascism's growth under its leaders.

Finally, fascism existed in many other countries besides Germany. For example, fascism was very prevalent outside of Europe even though Europe hosted a lot of fascist followers. One website spoke on this stating, “In China, Wang Jingwei’s Kai-tsu p’ai (Reorganization) faction of the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party of China) supported Nazism in the late 1930s” (Lumen 62). Leaders in China believed in the same ideals that Germany did. Some of these leaders even took a more aggressive approach than German commanders did. The only difference was that other countries were not able to make the same impact that people in Germany did during World War II. Furthermore, another country that believed in fascism was Italy. Many Italians worked together with Mussolini to institute fascism. According to Lumen, Italy originally had very few members of the fascist party. However, by 1921, it had about 250,000 members (8). Italy began taking the idea of fascism more seriously. This was because Benito Mussolini took over Italy for several years. With that, fascism was not just a German ideal, and it did not only exist in Germany during World War II.

In summary, the rise of fascism is what many consider to be a tremendously detailed piece of World War II history. It is so compounded because many people followed its central tenets both inside and outside of Germany. However, people did not follow fascism the instant it came about. It took many years, but fascism did end up spreading throughout numerous countries. Fascism created what many consider one of the most tragic and catastrophic events history has to offer. Fascism reaches far into many issues. These topics include the leaders that influenced fascism, how the rise of fascism came about, why fascism created World War II, and the countries that dealt with the same political behavior and beliefs Germany did.