Jews Under Hitler and Mussolini

Cultural differences played a role, but the Greeks did better in protecting Jews

Photo by Anton Mislawsky on Unsplash

Note: I have included links to references and sources. If I have made a mistake, I welcome corrections.

During WWII, while Germany and Italy became allies, they shared a different attitude towards the Jews. Hitler wanted to eradicate them. Mussolini didn’t.

I wondered about this. What differences between the two countries might have led them to treat Jews differently?

One key difference — the Roman Empire, which suceeded the Roman Republic, was founded in 27 B.C. While a united Rome conquered and ruled vast areas of land, the Germanic peoples fought each other.

As their population grew and that of the native Romans dwindled, the Germanic tribes took over the land they vacated.

This led to both integration and conflict.

Italian Unification Map; Source: https://www.age-of-the-sage.org/history/italian_unification_risorgimento_map.html

After the fall of Rome, the cohesion of the Empire was shattered. It was not until 1861 that the Kingdom of Italy emerged. Its military was inept compared to that of Prussia, which dragged it to victory in the…