History of Europe

Greece on the eve of World War II

The second half of the 30's is the final stretch for the start of the second world war. The rise of fascism mainly in Europe is obvious. Mussolini in Italy, Hitler in Germany, but also other smaller or less extreme movements develop, as for example the Romanian Legion of the Archangel Michael, an anti-Semitic fascist violent party of Cornelius Condrea, the Rexist movement in Belgium, the Nazis in Austria who go so far as to assassinate the Chancellor.

The Fascist movement in Italy was very well established. The fascists, the political organizations of the fascist party, from 108 in July 1920 reached 2,200 with 350,000 active members in November 1921, when it was formed into a national fascist party.

Fascist ideology rejected peace from the start. As early as 1919, Mussolini wrote in his manifesto that "fascism... it repels pacifism, which hides renunciation of struggle and cowardice before sacrifice... Only war brings to the highest degree of intensity all human energy and bears the stamp of nobility on the peoples who have the virtue to face it."

But also in fact in the political incidents between 1920-22 2500 people lost their lives and dozens of offices of newspapers or political associations were destroyed, while in 1920 a group of fascists invaded the multi-ethnic Trieste, intimidated the Slovenes, demanded to acquire Italian colonies and a large army was created. Mussolini was coming to power in October 1922. Read the interesting sequel at the source