Essay Sample: The Rise of Fascism

“Fascism arose in Europe after World War I when many people yearned for national unity and strong leadership” (Constitutional Rights Foundation 1). 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 became one of the main causes for what many argue is 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 many years ago. Historically, the way fascism gathered itself caused the Second World War. This issue includes numerous topics relating 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 ideal 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. For instance, 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 fascism was the most effective form of government. Therefore, 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 post-World War I at a time when people looked for authoritative direction. In Italy, Mussolini's mystique allowed him to create an authoritative government when the population desired to feel powerful within their country (1). The power of fascism continued to expand many years after Mussolini first took charge in Italy. Afterward, 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's assumption of power accelerated the rise of fascism. 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. 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.

Moreover, the rise of fascism is a very long topic that is key to understanding what this political ideal did as a whole. The rise of fascism, all by itself, has a complex history that contributed greatly to the outcome of WWII (World War Two). Before WWII, people had begun exploring fascism and political ideas similar to fascism. The website Lumen states, “The historian Zeev Sternhell has traced the ideological roots of fascism back to the 1880s … ” (22). Clearly, fascism came from this place when World War II hit. Additionally, 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 speaks about this on their website. They say fascism became more globally recognized during the post-World War I era. Italy, Germany, and Japan were the main countries gaining this recognition and growth (27). These countries received recognition which was a direct cause of World War II. In other words, fascism that rose in World War I found its way to World War II. That being the case, the rise of fascism is a very complex topic that has made a lasting mark on history on its own.

Furthermore, the rise of fascism was one of the main causes of World War Two. For example, Hitler’s belief in fascism influenced the Nazis, and Hitler grew to the top and caused the Second World War. Kennedy Hickman notes Hitler took power in 1933 when President Paul Von gave Hitler his German title (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 conflicts worsened, and their influence quickly made World War II’s fate inevitable. Accordingly, 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. His fascist policies were to blame for this. Many people saw this as an acceptable ideal to believe in because influential people had popularized it. As a result, all these factors intensified. Hitler took advantage of it. 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. Even though Europe hosted many fascist followers, fascism was prevalent outside of Europe as well. One website spoke about this. It wrote, “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 as Germany during World War II. Furthermore, Italy believed in fascism as well. Many Italians worked 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 solely exist in Germany during World War II.

In summary, the rise of fascism is what many consider a tremendously detailed piece of World War II history. Many people used to follow fascism’s central tenets both inside and outside of Germany, which created a lot of this history. However, most people did not follow fascist ideals the instant they came about. It took many years, but fascism spread throughout numerous countries. Fascism created what many consider one of the most tragic and catastrophic events history has to offer. Fascism reaches 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 that Germany did.