ABSTRACT
In the case of the fascists, the question of the interplay between military and ideological factors in the genesis of totalitarianism scarcely arises because they presented their programs as the best method of enhancing their nation's military strength. Hitler and Mussolini, as well as their imitators in other countries, extolled war as the noblest activity and proposed to lead their nation to greatness through conquests. Totalitarian reorganization was presented as necessary for victory. This was backed by their assessment of what went wrong on the previous occasion, although there was a big difference between the two on this point.
