Mussolini and Hitler: The Forging of the Fascist Alliance

by Christian Goeschel

Overview

This fresh treatment of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany reveals how the close relationship between Mussolini and Hitler influenced both men.

From 1934 until 1944 Mussolini met Hitler numerous times, and the two developed a relationship that deeply affected both countries. While Germany is generally regarded as the senior power, Christian Goeschel demonstrates just how much history has underrepresented Mussolini’s influence on his German ally.

A scholar of twentieth-century Germany and Italy, Goeschel revisits all of Mussolini and Hitler’s key meetings to examine how they constructed a powerful image of a strong Fascist-Nazi relationship that still resonates with the general public. His portrait of Mussolini draws on sources ranging beyond political history to reveal a leader who, at times, shaped Hitler’s decisions and was not the gullible buffoon he’s often portrayed as.

The first comprehensive study of the Mussolini-Hitler relationship, this book is a must-read for scholars and anyone interested in the history of European fascism, World War II, or political leadership.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780300240771
Publisher:	Yale University Press
Publication date:	06/24/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	874,267
File size:	9 MB

About the Author

Christian Goeschel is senior lecturer in modern European history at the University of Manchester, and he has held a visiting position at the European University Institute in Florence. His publications include Suicide in Nazi Germany. He lives in Manchester, UK.

Table of Contents

List of Plates vi

Acknowledgements viii

Introduction 1

1 In Mussolini's Shadow, 1922-33 17

2 First Dare, June 1934 37

3 Second Time Around, September 1937 60

4 Springtime for Hitler, May 1938 93

5 On the Road to War, 1938-9 128

6 Point of No Return, 1939-41 164

7 Into the Abyss, 1941-3 206

8 Endgame, 1943-5 254

Conclusion 291

Endnotes 297

Bibliography 348

Index 370

Editorial Reviews

Goeschel, contends, convincingly, that the partnership [between Mussolini and Hitler], despite its many flaws, was ‘decisive in destroying the inter-war Wilsonian order.’”—Joseph C. Goulden, Washington Times

“A welcome addition to the World War II library. Christian Goeschel restores the Duce to the wartime narrative . . . [and] concludes with an eye to historical memory. After the war, both sides blamed the other for defeat: German generals railing on in their memoirs about Italian military incompetence, the Italians turning themselves into passive bystanders and helpless victims of German violence. . . . Perhaps this very fine book will help them to remember.”—Robert M. Citino, World War II Magazine
 

“Goeschel throws fresh light on the convoluted relationship of the two dictators. . . . In the end, Goeschel, demonstrates that there was a real friendship between the two, albeit fraught with jealousy, misunderstanding, and personal ambitions, which helped shape the war. Mussolini and Hitler is a valuable read for anyone interested in the leadership of the Axis powers.”—A. A. Nofi, Strategy Page

"Goeschel’s fine monograph adds significantly to our understanding of the fatal attraction that paved the way to World War II. . . . His methodology enriches our understanding of the diplomacy and pageantry of the 1930s. This work is essential reading for those trying to comprehend the sordid world that gave birth to World War II."—G. Bruce Strang, Journal of Interdisciplinary History

“[Goeschel’s] fine grain is often illuminating . . . he makes a compelling case for incorporating the performative, representational dimension into our understanding of the Mussolini-Hitler relationship.”—David D. Roberts, Journal of Modern History
 

“Through meticulous dissection of the novel choreography and symbolism of modern dictators, with special focus on the constructed imagery of the meetings between Mussolini and Hitler, Christian Goeschel's excellent book is able to cast more light than any previous historian has done on the cynical self-serving character of their increasingly catastrophic ‘special relationship’.”—Ian Kershaw

“Fascinating, deeply researched and well-written. This promises to be the definitive study of the Mussolini-Hitler relationship.”—Lucy Riall, author of Garibaldi

From the Publisher

09/15/2018
Goeschel (European history, Univ. of Manchester; Suicide in Nazi Germany) provides a reassessment of the relationship between fascist dictators Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini, describing Mussolini as adept in keeping Hitler at arm's length, at least until 1933. Indeed, by studying diplomatic relations and contacts, Goeschel demonstrates that until the mid-1930s, Mussolini was more likely to be regarded as the senior, although not necessarily dominant figure. Even after the Italian invasion of Ethiopia in 1935, when most scholars assumed that diplomatic isolation gave Italy few choices outside of a Nazi alliance, Mussolini still attempted to reach an understanding with Britain. Of particular interest is Goeschel's use of the cultural and diplomatic protocols in asserting that the imagery of fascist unity played a vital role in the actual development of the Axis. Goeschel does not completely reject the traditional historiography, acknowledging that it's easy to find in Mussolini's actions examples of illogical behavior. VERDICT This new treatment of history is recommended for all libraries.—Frederic Krome, Univ. of Cincinnati Clermont Coll.

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