234 ChaPter^5
restore traditional imperial power. In Asia, Japan was seeking domination of
the continent and removal of the western powers that had colonized the area
for so many centuries. And the United States, still dealing with the depression
and a policy of “isolationism” regarding foreign interventions, had to revive its
economy and prevent the Germans, Italians, and Japanese—who were later
allied in what was known as The Axis—from taking over crucial economic
parts of the globe like Central Europe and East Asia. Throughout the 1930s,
these countries and others would jump from crisis to crisis, witness the emer-
gence of dangerous governments with huge armies, and eventually fight
another world war that would be tremendously larger than the conflict of
1914-1918.
Europe in the 1920s was still recovering from the Great War, with vast
economic problems and political controversies regarding Germany and the
Soviet Union. By the latter part of the decade, there seemed to be some
stability on the way. In Italy, a new political idea took hold, seemed to sta-
bilize its economy, and would be a huge factor in the conflicts of the next
generation. After the war, the Italian labor movement was strong and con-
ducted strikes and factory takeovers. At the same time, a political movement
led by Benito Mussolini gained the support of the industrialists and large land-
holders and they linked together in ways similar to that envisioned in Herbert
Hoover’s political program in the U.S., but with far more ominous conse-
quences. Mussolini promoted a form of corporatism that would be known as
fascism, in which various branches of industry and agriculture would form
committees of government officials, the bosses, and, to a slight degree, work-
ers to decide working conditions, productions, wages, and business codes—
much like Hoover’s trade associations. Italian fascism, however, rejected
democracy and liberty and Mussolini created paramilitary units to attack the
unions, Socialists, and anyone else who went on strike, took over factories, or
in any way rejected the corporate leadership of Italy’s economy. The bankers
gave loans to fascist groups to stimulate the economy and crush labor and the
left, and the Vatican even gave Mussolini its blessing, with Pope Pius XI call-
ing him “a man sent by Providence.”
Mussolini was known as “Il Duce”—the leader, or dictator—and seized the
role of Prime Minister in 1922. With this power he had visions of himself as
a modern-day Caesar who would restore Italy to the glory of the Roman
Empire. Mussolini in fact made the first aggressive moves in Europe after the