Why did the ideology of fascism appel to many italians?

Answer 1

Italians supported fascism because it promoted Italian nationalism and the expansion of Italian territories. They wanted to restore Italy to the place of prominence it held during the time of ancient Rome.

Answer 2

Many Italians were attracted to this aggressive new style of activism. The ideology of fascism brought the people of the country together by combining strong nationalism with modern developmentalism.

Answer 3

Fascism became popular in Italy for a variety of reasons:

A. After WW1 the Italian economy was in bad shape. Taxes were high to pay for the war costs. Unemployment levels were high and inflation made the costs of buying goods difficult. This all led the Italian population open to changes that promised a better life. Fascists promised this to the people.

B. Fear of Communism; Some people believed that the way to improve Italy was with communism. Communists also promised a better life for Italians. Italian communists seized some factories, but his led to violence. Socialists and communists disagreed on many political & economic issues and began fighting each other. Other Italians saw the Communist Revolution in Russia in a bad light. To these people the violence and unchecked power of the communists were not welcomed among many people in Italy. The fascists promised a better alternative and fought against the socialists & the communists.

C. The ending of WW1 saw Italy gaining some territories as the result of Germany's loss in the war. Many Nationalistic Italians did not believe that Italy was given a fair share of the spoils of the war. They sought more prestige and territories. Fascists boasted to the nationalists that if given power, they would rebuild what the old Roman Empire had, in a smaller scale of course.

D. The government of Italy after the war was weak & disunited. The many numbers of political parties was a mix of confusion. The fascists promised to govern fairly and end the endless number of political parties.

E. Italy was a relatively new "State" in Europe. For centuries it was divided into small principalities. There was no democratic traditions to speak of. This left a vacuum in which a powerful party could take advantage of.

F. The leader of the fascists in Italy was Benito Mussolini. He happened to be a charismatic political figure that many Italians believed would fix all the problems that Italy faced.