ABSTRACT
The opening decades of the twentieth century witnessed the rise of totalitarian regimes in Russia (communism), Italy (fascism), and Germany (nazism). Although these regimes differ in many ways among themselves, Western scholars labeled them "totalitarian" because they have some features or attributes in common. After a discussion of the ideological foundations of fascism and nazism, the chapter examines these commonalities and differences. It looks at the two principal leaders of fascism and nazism and the historical and societal contexts in which they emerged. Given the sociohistorical contexts of Italy and Germany of the 1920s and 1930s, Mussolini and Hitler gained power for several identifiable reasons. Fascism and nazism systematically downgraded the role of reason, logic, and intelligence in human behavior, stressing instead its irrational and emotional components. Among the most prominent myths of fascism and nazism were those of nationalism, racism, and expansionism.
