After World War I, there were two men who rose up to control the government in their countries. One was Adolf Hitler at the head of the German government, and the other was Benito Mussolini at the head of the Italian government. Adolf Hitler was born in 1889 and, according to the lecture, was known as a failure for not finishing high school or becoming an accomplished artist. While Mussolini was born in 1883, and remained unknown until he returned home wounded from the war. Mussolini would rise up and form the fascist government focusing on loyalty to the state, and Hitler would rise up and control the Socialist German Workers Party, the Nazis. Both men are known for change in history, and their change in Mussolini came to power in 1922 and tried to make fascism the only party in Italy, because he believed it was superior to all other parties. Both Mussolini and Hitler wanted to create a better economy for their countries and had big plans to change the way their countries saw things. Mussolini abolished democracy and did not want to listen to and avoid any ideas or citizens who opposed his political opinions. Although the men were quite similar in how they set goals for their countries, Hitler was extreme in his plans for the future Germany. According to the conference, Hitler's plans were to make it known that the Germans were the superior race, that the Jews and Gypsies were subhuman, that Hitler had promised to regain post-war lands and Lebensraum. Both men caused their countries to become part of the Axis powers and, along with Japan, became fascist nations. Mussolini's rise to power occurred thanks to his influence on the fascist people. According to the conference, it was the fascists who marched on Rome in October 1922 and the people demanded that the king entrust the government to Mussolini. It was through fear that Mussolini gained power. Hitler on the other hand was Italy and Germany who entered World War II and saw the loss of many innocent lives and saw the fall of the Axis powers. Hitler was a man who wanted a superior race, and with this thought in mind, he sent many people to their deaths because they were not German. A Bible verse that reminds me of World War II is Matthew 26:52: “Then Jesus said to him, 'Put your sword back in its place. For all who take the sword will die by the sword” (ESV). The Bible talks about times of war, but this Bible verse shows us that there are times when people should put down their swords and stop the fighting. Hitler and Mussolini tried to strengthen their government, economy and people, but in the end World War II cost the lives of many of their people.