Compare the factors of the rise of Mussolini to those of Hitler.

led to frequent collapses of the coalition governments. There were 5 cabinets in 1921-22. No postwar political and economic problems were solved. People wanted a strong man.The Reichstag of the Weimar Republic also carried out the system of proportional representation. It faced the problems similar to those of Italy. There were 9 cabinets in 1920-28. Moreover, Germany was unified by Bismarck. It inherited from Prussia the tradition of authoritarianism and contempt for democracy. German people were dissatisfied with the inefficient administration of the Weimar government. In addition, the Weimar Constitution vested too much power in the hands of the President, which increased the chance for Hitler to become a dictator.Postwar Economic DifficultiesProduction came to a halt in Italy after the war. Over one million people became unemployed. Besides, 2.5 million soldiers had returned and waited for jobs. Italy also owed a huge amount of war debts. There was hyper-inflation. Enterprises and factories closed down. The economy was going to collapse. People longed for a saviour.Other than war debts, Germany was also burdened with the huge indemnity imposed by the Treaty of Versailles. No money was available for reconstruction. The mark dropped in value horribly when the French troops occupied the Ruhr district in 1923. Although Stresemann could overcome the economic hardship for the time being with American aid, the Great Depression of 1929 put Germany in an economic crisis again. By 1932 6 million people were unemployed. People had no hope for the Weimar Republic.Threat of CommunismSome Italians were encouraged by the success of Russia’s October Revolution. Workers occupied factories in the north, while peasants seized lands in the south. Mussolini gave up his socialist ideas and changed to a protector of private property. He got the support of the propertied class at once. Also, Pope Pius XI showed goodwill to Mussolini since he opposed the ideas of atheism of the Communist Party.There was the Spartakist Rising in Germany in 1919, which frightened the capitalists and landowners. The situation improved in 1924-29. Yet in 1929-32 the Communist Party got widespread support during the Great Depression. The German capitalists and landowners supported Hitler who was anti-communist.Social UnrestUnemployed demobilized soldiers used to disrupt the social order. Also, there was street violence between the leftists and rightists. People wanted a strong man to restore the law and order.Though the Freikorps had been disbanded in 1920, yet the demobilized soldiers continued to disrupt the social order. Street violence between the leftists and rightists revived in 1929-32 when the Great Depression hit Germany. People wanted a strong man to restore the law and order.Individual AbilitiesAs an opportunist, Mussolini used to change his policy platforms to meet the current trends. He gave up socialist ideas and thus got the support of capitalists. Likewise, he got the goodwill of Victor Emmanuel III by dropping the idea of republicanism. Mussolini also organized the well-disciplined Fascist Party. It lit up people’s hope.Hitler was an orator and able to stir up people’s sentiments. His anti-communist attitude got the support of capitalists and landowners; they provided the Nazi Party with sufficient funds. The Party enlisted a lot of unemployed demobilized soldiers. It had widespread support. The Nazi SA and SS helped Hitler attack the opponents, which facilitated his rise to power.Personal MistakesIn October 1922 Mussolini staged a coup, i.e. “March on Rome”. Victor Emmanuel III rejected Premier Facta’s advice. He refused to suppress the Fascists but made the army and police neutral. Worst still, the king invited Mussolini to become the new premier, which destroyed the democratic foundation of the constitution.The extent of popular support for the Nazi Party declined gradually when the German economy improved in 1932. However, in January 1933 President Hindenburg still accepted the proposals of ex-Chancellor Papen and General Schleicher, and appointed Hitler Chancellor. They under-estimated the ambitions and abilities of Hitler. Differences: Ways to get access to powerMussolini had tried to obtain power by joining elections. However, in 1921 his Fascist Party could get only 35 seats in the Parliament. In 1922 he succeeded in getting power illegally with a coup.In 1923 Hitler staged in vain the Munich Beer Hall Putsch. Then he was put in jail. He decided to approach to power constitutionally by joining elections. The arrival of the Great Depression and the death of Stresemann in 1929 helped clear the final obstacles to his rise to power. By 1932 the Nazi Party became the largest party in the Reichstag. So Hitler’s rise to power was constitutional, but the road was more difficult and longer than Mussolini’s.Army SupportMussolini owed little support to the Italian army.Hitler had won two medals of Iron Cross for his bravery in the First World War. General Ludendroff had been his supporter. Indeed, the Nazi Party enlisted a lot of ex-soldiers. In 1933 Hitler became Chancellor partly owing to the nomination of General Schleicher.Peasant SupportMussolini showed apathy to the Italian peasants.In elections Hitler tried best to appeal for the peasants’ support. He promised to protect their hereditary tenures and reject imported foreign grains. The German peasants supported him enthusiastically.Great DepressionMussolini had come to power before the Great Depression.Hitler’s rise to power was largely due to the Great Depression.International CircumstancesMussolini had come to power in 1922. At that time, collective security had not collapsed yet.In the late 1920s the U.S. had been crippled by the Great Depression. The Soviet Union was busy with internal reforms. Both Britain and France suffered from economic hardship. The League of Nations was unable to stop the aggression of Mussolini. All these encouraged the revival of German ultra-nationalism. Hitler found it easy to spread his Nazi ideas.Becoming DictatorMussolini was never a complete dictator. Above him there was the king. Even the Pope could check his behaviour.In 1934 Hindenburg died. Hitler concentrated all power into his own hands. He became a complete dictator.