Fascism and communism are two political ideas that came about in the early 1900s. Both led to governments that had all the power, but they had different ways of thinking about society and rules.

Main Ideas

1. Fascism:

   • Nationalism: Fascism really focuses on the pride of the nation or race. It often talks about making the nation strong and powerful. For example, Mussolini's Italy wanted to return to what it thought was its great past.
   • Corporate State: Fascists believe that the government should work closely with businesses. This teamwork aims to help the nation. For instance, in Hitler's Germany, businesses had to follow what the state wanted.

2. Communism:

   • Class Struggle: Communism wants to get rid of different social classes and share wealth more equally. It sees the government as a way to create a society without classes. The Bolsheviks in Russia wanted to take power from the wealthy and create a government for the working class.
   • State Ownership: In communism, the government owns everything that makes goods and services, which helps manage the economy fairly for everyone.

Total Control

Both fascism and communism want total control over people's lives, but they do it in different ways:

• Fascism uses strong messages and national pride to bring people together under one party. It stops people from speaking out against the government through violence and strict rules. For example, Mussolini’s rule pushed the idea of a “new man” who shows off ideal Italian qualities.

• Communism, while also using strong messages, tries to create a sense of community and often forces people to believe in its ideas. This sometimes includes eliminating those who disagree, as seen during Stalin’s harsh actions in the Soviet Union.

In short, both fascism and communism wanted to control everything, but they had different goals: one wanted national pride and power, while the other aimed for fairness and shared ownership.