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Lehning, Alex

History

2012

M.A.

Antisemitism, as an ideology, played a critical role in the development of European thinking and politics during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It was a defining principle of National Socialism in Germany under Adolf Hitler. Its place during Fascism under Benito Mussolini in Italy, however, was not as overt. German-Italian relations leading up to, and during the Second World War, were complex at best. Utilizing diplomatic records, memoirs, and other sources, this study examined the role of the "Jewish Question" between the Axis powers. Between Mussolini and Hitler, practical political, economic, and military concerns far outweighed considerations of ideology and policy. Ever opportunistic, the Fascist government often modeled, but never directly copied identical German anti-Jewish policy and methods, including parallel forms of civil restrictions and legislation, press campaigns, and detainment. Despite diplomatic pressure after 1942, the efforts of a number of Italian officials frustrated some German attempts to carry out the "Final Solution" in occupied Europe. It was not until this late period that the "Jewish Question" became a critical component of relations between Rome and Berlin, and even then, Italian Jews were safe from deportation until the collapse of Mussolini's regime and German occupation of Italy in 1943.