Although Italy is often regarded as the weak sister of the nations which made up the Axis during the Second World War, the Italian Fascist regime preceded the rise of the Nazis in Germany by many years. Hitler admired Mussolini and adapted many of the Italian leader’s methods and plans during his rise to power. Like most of the industrial world, the economic collapse of the 1930s greatly affected the Italian economy, with the resulting unemployment and financial uncertainty. Mussolini’s government established programs and institutions to help the economy recover, and over time the Fascist government gradually gained ownership of the majority of the nation’s industrial capacity, which though it lagged behind the rest of Europe’s powers nonetheless grew considerably. The state also reached into most aspects of daily life with programs for adults and children.
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