What political ideology brought Hitler and Mussolini together?

Answer 1

It wasn't an ideology that brought them together, it was world events.

Hitler's Nazism and Mussolini's Fascism were somewhat related ideologies, but were rather different when you get into the details- until late in World War II when Italy was losing badly and practically became part of Germany. It's common to lump Fascism and Nazism together because they seem similar and are both quirky, extremist right-wing ideologies, but the reality is they are not the same.

Nazism is entirely rooted in brutal racism, and doesn't emphasize much else. Fascism on the other hand, generally was not too concerned with racism (at first), but its followers regarded it as an alternative to both liberal democracy and communist Dictatorship, and they had grand designs for forming a non-capitalist, non-communist economy. Nazis weren't really concerned much with economics, and their system wound up being basically what we'd today call "crony capitalism".

Additionally, Mussolini initially had no respect for Hitler, despite Hitler's admiration for him. Mussolini, who in his early adult life had been a committed socialist, considered himself a great political philosopher and intellectual. He viewed Hitler as a buffoon and a charlatan, and criticized Hitler's "pointless racism". Mussolini also formed a close friendship with the "Austro-fascist" dictator of Austria, Engelbert Dollfuss, and nearly went to war with Hitler's Germany when Dollfuss was murdered by Nazis in 1934. Italy even formed a loose alliance with Britain and France in early 1935 called the Stresa Front, which agreed to fight Germany if Germany tried to conquer Austria.

However, something both ideologies shared was a strong desire to conquer territory, and to bring military victory and pride to their respective country. When Italy began doing so- when they invaded Ethiopia shortly after the Stresa Front formed- Italy became a bit of an international pariah. Only Germany was uncritical of the invasion.

With the Stresa Front shattered after the Ethiopian war, and France/Britain waffling on allowing or condemning the invasion, Mussolini finally warmed up to Hitler. Additionally, both Hitler and Mussolini supported the Fascist-like Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War, and sent troops and weapons to assist them. Early in 1936, Mussolini gave Hitler permission to take control of Austria, and by the end of the end of that same year, Germany and Italy formed the Axis alliance. The two dictators would remain close friends until Mussolini's death in April 1945.

Answer 2

Hitler and Mussolini were both aligned with fascist ideology, which emphasized authoritarianism, extreme nationalism, and the suppression of individual liberties. They sought to create authoritarian regimes with centralized power, militarism, and a strong emphasis on racial superiority (in the case of Hitler). These shared ideological beliefs led them to form an alliance and collaborate during the interwar period.