1984 Similarities Between Mussolini And Orwell

Benito Mussolini once said, “We do not argue with those who disagree with us, we destroy them” (Benito). This quote from Mussolini perfectly illustrates his aggressive leadership style and fierce personality. George Orwell was clearly inspired by Benito Mussolini whose characteristics are evident in the character of Big Brother in Orwell’s brilliant novel 1984. Benito Mussolini and Big Brother are considered dictators who have sole control of their countries, Italy and Oceania. Mussolini runs his Italian National Fascist party and Big Brother runs his ‘Party’. Both dictators have some slight differences, but Mussolini and Big Brother have similarities in leadership style, propaganda use, and enforcement of order through secret police.

The presence of a strong and charismatic leader with an immense amount of power is evident throughout Mussolini’s stay in office.

Mussolini was considered one of the first modern dictators and he essentially paved the way for Hitler and others to follow. Italy was still in chaos after World War I and showed no signs of recovery. When Mussolini attempted his rise to power, he did it through the political channels being voted in by the people. However, rather than seeking to improve Italy, “Mussolini's new cause became personal power; he sought to place himself in the position of dictator” (Gale). The way in which Mussolini spoke captivated crowds and made Italy fall in love with him. What Mussolini lacked in height he made up for in public speaking, as one of his critics describes, “Yet by the power of his public speaking, by his gestures and tone of voice, he was capable of inspiring tremendous enthusiasm in the crowds who gathered to hear him” (Gale). Italy felt as if Mussolini’s cult of personality was never going to leave, like it seemed as if Big Brother was never going to

leave.
Mussolini realized if he wanted to keep his power he was going to have to drill loyalty and obedience into the nation's brain. He knew what he wanted, “So from a very early age children learned that they were to listen to what their leader said and to obey. Mussolini promised much and indeed he delivered much, but it was at the price of his followers' freedom” (Gale). Mussolini became a political chameleon, doing whatever he must do to get what he wanted. Mussolini began to abuse his power and became essentially crazy with authority. He began eliminating his enemies and skeptics, “No one had a right to protection from the dictator, even if he were unreasonable or unjust” (Gale). Mussolini was not the tallest man, the strongest man, or the smartest man, but what he did not have, he made up for with his presence. Mussolini commanded his audience whether in front of only his generals or thousands of people. He made sure people were scared of him and that they also respected him. His supporters believed that he cared about their nation, because he claimed, "My objective is simple. I want to make Italy great, respected and feared" (Quotes). Mussolini was a man of simple pleasure; he wanted to be feared, have control of Italy, and gain as much power as he possibly could.
In 1984, the leader Big Brother was feared and respected by the people in a similar way to Mussolini. While he enjoyed the same fearful admiration that Mussolini did, Big Brother achieves power through different means. Unlike Mussolini who addressed big crowds, Big Brother has never been seen by anyone who lived to tell. Big Brother’s leadership style is built on the fear of the unknown. Big Brother has sole responsibility of Oceania. He will never be assassinated; he has power forever. The people of Oceania have a saying: “Big Brother is Watching You” (Orwell 2). His mantra alone could be enough to frighten most people from ever considering going against Big Brother. The driving force behind Big Brother’s ruling is the desire for total domination. He has all the power, and if people do not follow his demands, then they are never seen again.
Under Big Brother’s rule, no second chances exist. If someone dares to rebel or attempts it, death or “reeducation” will be brought down upon them and their family (Orwell 258). For example, Julia and Winston are tortured and reeducated for their rebellious actions. However, Big Brother does not always have to resort to such violence. He always appears at the end of the Two Minutes Hate to enforce his reign over his people. He shares an intimate moment with his followers, which further drills into their brains that he has control over everything and establishes himself as a beloved figure. Big Brother uses these appearances to gain his people’s respect and fear at the same time. Like Mussolini, Big Brother is loved by the people, but also extremely feared. The people are under constant surveillance by Big Brother and his Thought Police; any wrong action could mean reeducation or even death.
Both Mussolini and Big Brother are strong leaders who have brainwashed their people into doing and believing whatever they say. Each is a strong speaker, which further helps them gain even more respect. Nevertheless, there are some major differences in leadership styles between the two. Mussolini was known to be a person, being seen in public time and time again. Big Brother has never made a public appearance. Mussolini had to work hard to become Prime Minister, whereas Big Brother has always and will always be leader of Oceania. Mussolini had to overcome challenges while running for office, such as his political background. The first time he ran, he failed; realizing he would have to change his political preference to win and conquer Italy. He was able to make Italy fall in love with him. Mussolini made Italy great again. Big Brother was also incredibly loved by his people. Both were loved by their people and both were extremely feared.
Although Mussolini and Big Brother were extremely charismatic and well spoken, they could not have kept their control of their countries without the use of propaganda. Mussolini was able to penetrate his name into the people of Italy. Mussolini used newspapers as well as public appearances, “Preferring slogans to facts and propaganda to hard results” (Encyclopedia). Mussolini’s followers trust that the facts he provides are accurate, not realizing how deceiving he truly is. He controlled what information went into his country and what went out. Mussolini clearly had total control over the people of Italy’s minds; they did not realize it but they had been successfully brainwashed.
Like Mussolini, Big Brother’s government depends on the use of propaganda to control the population. Big Brother instilled fear into his people’s heart and minds. The people were very scared of him, he had control of everything, “If the Party could thrust its hand into the past and say of this or that event, it never happened—that, surely, was more terrifying than mere torture and death” (Orwell 86). People were so scared of Big Brother and the party that they did not even know if the past had happened, that’s how good his propaganda truly was. The main propaganda source in 1984 was his appearance towards the end of Two Minutes Hate. People were incredibly frightened by Two Minutes Hate, “A hideous ecstasy of fear and vindictiveness, a desire to kill, to torture, to smash faces in with a sledgehammer, seemed to flow through the whole group of people like an electric current, turning one even against one's will into a grimacing, screaming lunatic” (Orwell 7). This is how Two Minutes Hate was described in 1984, Big Brother’s propaganda clearly had a monstrous affect on the people.
Both Big Brother and Mussolini used propaganda to gain the control and respect of their people. They made it impossible for their people to go through a normal day without seeing their face in person or on a poster. Mussolini used fake facts and censorship to keep the real truth about the rest of the world from the people of Italy, where as Big Brother used Two Minutes Hate to strike fear, earn the people’s respect, and gain their love. Both leaders used propaganda to ensure citizens would not question their methods of ruling. In 1984, the Party gives false reports about how the army is winning the war; Mussolini also used war with other countries to make Italy strong. The Party’s best example of a false report is “2+2=5” (Orwell 80). This statement makes no mathematical sense, but was proclaimed to be the truth and therefore the people believe it so. Once citizens become used to propaganda and censorship they will believe it as the truth.
In addition to leadership style and use of propaganda, each dictator had their own shadow government or secret police defending their honor and keeping the streets at peace with the leaders and the citizens. Mussolini’s secret police went by the name the Blackshirts. As Mussolini gained power, “the secret police and military enforced his policies in sometimes cruel ways. Public opinion began to turn against him” (Gale). Citizens would go missing, never to be seen alive again. Mussolini showed that he had power over life or death for Italian citizens. Big Brother had his Thought Police who psychologically tormented their prisoners, even when their prisoners tried to resist: “They can’t get inside of you. If you can feel that staying human is worthwhile, even when it can’t have any result whatever, you’ve beaten them” (Orwell 166). In 1984, even though Winston rebels, he cannot stand up to the Thought Police’s torture much like Italian citizens could not stand up to the Blackshirts’ torture.
Secret police help maintain laws and govern the people in a totalitarian state. According to Peter Baehr, “Charged with this task are the secret police rather than the army, which typically possesses significantly fewer powers and less status than it does under a nontotalitarian dictatorship or "authoritarian" regime” (Baehr). The Thought Police are an important part of Big Brother’s rule over Oceania. The Thought Police will do anything to keep their control over the people, even lying to their close companions, “Winston is not surprised when he is summoned to O’Brien’s opulent home for a meeting. O’Brien identifies himself as a rebel with the Brotherhood” (Nineteen). This leads to Winston’s arrest and torture, as O’Brien is actually apart of the Thought Police. This betrayal shows no one can be trusted in a totalitarian government.
Secret Police are the easiest way for dictators to enforce their power of their country. Since no one can identify the members of the secret organizations, citizens are in constant fear and trust no one, making them incredibly vulnerable to propaganda and believe what they are told. The Thought Police and Blackshirts would take away your sense of dignity; when fighting against them there was no end in sight, “there was no such thing as happiness, that the only victory lay in the far future, long after you were dead, that from the moment of declaring war on the Party it was better to think of yourself as a corpse” (Orwell 135). Even in Mussolini’s Italy, no one knows the names of the anonymous rebels who eventually killed the great and powerful dictator, like no one in Oceania knows about Winston’s struggle against Big Brother. The only way to defeat secret police is to give up everything sometime including hope in order to survive.
Both totalitarian dictatorships, in spite of their differences, share similarities such as their leadership of fear, effective use of propaganda, and usage of secretive organizations to maintain control and order. Mussolini clearly inspired George Orwell when he began brainstorming his novel 1984. Mussolini and Big Brother give a clear example as to why it is difficult to have a Fascist government and dictatorship. As Winston proclaims, “To die hating them, that was freedom” (Orwell 281).