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The Origins of Fascism
A very clear line can be drawn between the rise of fascism to the forefront of European politics during the 1920s and 1930s to the events of Word War I. Europe was in the midst of its biggest conflict since the Roman times, and this one was to surpass in both magnitude and casualties the previous conflicts of human civilization. Virtually every country in the continent was involved. The reasons themselves can be attributed on a number of ideals and events that took place over the previous centuries.
The class divisions that came to dominate European culture for most of its history came to a decisive confrontation. The war began in 1914, and for the next four years, the fate of the modern world was in the hands of their own ignorance. There were fanatics on both sides of the political spectrum, and each had their own reasons to fight. In no other country was this difference marked more than in one of the Allied Powers, Italy.
Throughout the conflict, Italy was very indecisive in concern to their interests. Their divisiveness proved to be a crucial factor in the development of the war, and even led to the surge of the intense radicalization of the country mid-way through it in 1916.
In the book To Hell and Back, it’s author Ian Kershaw briefly explains why the Italian citizens were not enthusiastic nor pleased with the results the war had yielded. Italy’s…
