(Rated TV-PG). To understand and enjoy the people who love this land and call it home. While Mussolini was forging the first fascist state in Italy, back here in Germany Hitler was taking notes. Popular with my readers, Francesca understandably books up quickly; if she's busy, she'll recommend one of her colleagues. It was all financed on credits — on a future war. In the center of Rome, capital of Italy, stands The Victor Emmanuel II monument. Alfio: He truly believed he was a new Roman emperor. They were the source of all evil in Germany, and in the world, and he wanted to kind of get rid of that evil, and that's what he worked for. They went around the streets beating workers up, beating up the socialists. Then in November of 1938 the Nazis led a pogrom against Jews throughout Germany. Absolute rulers enjoy each other's company. I'm Rick Steves. Then we'll head over to Sintra to explore its fanciful castles and ramparts with grand views. Mussolini's "Stadium of the Marbles," part of the sports complex called the Foro Italico, is adjacent to Rome's modern Olympic Stadium (which now hosts soccer games most weekends except in summer). And it will be a strong — a powerful — system that can achieve complicated goals. Up to a thousand people — each tattooed with an ID number — were packed into each of these buildings. Smaller text Larger text. Georg, who has helped me generously with my guidebooks, offers three-hour walking tours of Munich, among other options. The gas chambers — where the mass killing was done — were disguised as showers. Francesca: So these mosaics were inspired by ancient Rome, and they proclaim the greatness of the leader, and the achievements of the fascist Regime — military events, Roman salutes — and for emphasis, things were repeated: Duce, Duce, Duce, Duce. In the late 1930s, Mussolini planned an international exhibition — the 1942 Exhibit Universal Rome (E.U.R.) In fact, the emperor's castle still towers above Nürnberg. Suddenly Adolf Hitler was heading a new German government. Even for there to be an electorate that is capable of thinking independently, you need that electorate to be educated. They dressed in intimidating brown-shirt uniforms, roamed the streets in gangs, and wanted to restore Germany's national pride. He also dumbed it down as much as possible. Alfio: Focus on the education system. Rick Steves never disappoints. In 1918, World War I ended, leaving 10 million dead and Europe in ruins. Rick Steves: Fascism in Europe DVD & Travel As a Political Act Book. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. In a few days, that’s about to change. Goebbels used every means available to him. Report × Report This Video. Hitler became known by a new title that meant he was their leader, their Führer. Andreas: The Nazi's approach to intellectuals was to dismiss them. Georg: The autobahn is probably the best-known example — the highway construction program of Adolf Hitler — that gave a lot of jobs to people. On the windswept Isles of Iona and Skye we'll wander through Iron Age forts and a venerable distillery. About two thousand years ago Roman soldiers executed Jesus of Nazareth. It's the one and only [figure] people believe in. With fascism defeated, many of its leaders and supporters had to account for their deeds. One is fascination, and the other is terror. A WHITE CHRISTMAS ACROSS EUROPE [DOCUMENTARY BY RICK STEVES] A pilgrimage for many, this house offers a fascinating look at the hideaway of young Anne during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. This was costly, but I am sure well worth it. His handlers crafted Hitler's image here — surrounded by nature, gently receiving alpine flowers from adoring little children...no modern arms industry, no ugly extermination camps. For decades, I've gathered impressions about Europe's experience with fascism in my travels. But just what is it? Build, build, and build. It's chilling to see just how seamlessly and bureaucratically the Nazi institutions and state structures merged to become a well-oiled terror machine. And 30,000 Jews were arrested and put in concentration camps. A special badge, the yellow Star of David, went to Hitler's lowest of the low: the Jews. In clubs called the "Hitler Youth," boys and girls pledged their allegiance to him. Andreas: Until recently it was illegal to buy or sell it in Germany. Alfio: People didn't have a choice to accept Mussolini as their leader. And perhaps the most far-reaching was the new medium of radio. Duplicate Content. And along with the joys of cruising, we'll consider the downsides. He was somebody who would elevate the German people; he would elevate the people of this boy to become the perfect master race running the planet. He lined it with imposing statues of emperors. There were three German Reichs, or empires. A common refrain at many of these memorials is, "Never Again." Thomas: Imagine — 50,000 leading Nazis in here. In three years of fighting, hundreds of thousands of Spaniards died. Related travel information and message boards on www.ricksteves.com. My grandson traveled to Germany and loved it and wants to travel more so this will be a nice Christmas present for him. See the Travel Details above for recommendations highlighted in bold, excerpted from Rick's guidebooks. It's felt in the German concentration camp memorials. Quick-paced. Copied! In a few days, that’s about to change. And if you take freedom for granted, you can lose it. The memory of these dark times is as important as ever. Inappropriate Content. But those wonders helped bring on World War II before II Duce's celebration could happen. Some Americans may be interested in … Then we'll wander through Blenheim Palace and visit the Industrial Revolution at Ironbridge Gorge. The Life of Apostle Paul with Rick Steves I recorded this documentary in 2004 in Greece and Turkey while working for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Millions of German civilians — as if hypnotized — continued to support their Führer. And they probably tried to read it and they gave up 10, 20 pages in. So, he was not part of democracy anymore — he was a god-like figure. He owns a tour company but does not do tours to Cuba.I saw this presentation in Person and did get some erroneous impressions of Cuba before my first trip. Despite having the term "socialist" in the party name, Hitler was a friend of industry. Andreas: One of the things that you can do to make sure that something like this will not happen here or in other countries is not trust people that promise you very easy answers for very complicated problems. So those were special events that appealed to the family community, that would appeal to the neighbors, so you would reach a lot of people through only one medium. Our tours attract fun, flexible folks who often remain friends many years after their "farewell" dinner together. Seeing the camp can be difficult. But then the Great Depression hit in 1929, the working masses were angry again, and Hitler's promises gained traction. Rick Steves Italy 2020 (Rick Steves Travel Guide) Part of: Rick Steves Travel Guide (20 Books) | by Rick Steves | Dec 17, 2019 4.8 out of 5 stars 590 With its Altar of the Fatherland, it was designed to celebrate the greatness of Italy. Picasso's painting put a human face on the horror of war, and threw a stark light on the brutality of Franco and Hitler. The word comes from the Latin word for this: a fasces. Hitler was a powerful, mesmerizing speaker. This alpine getaway, just south of Munich in Berchtesgaden, was used to soften Hitler's image against a majestic, almost theatrical backdrop. England's Cornwall. You'll see actual artifacts: the secret bookcase entry, Anne's movie-star cutouts on the wall, and her diaries. Hi, I'm Rick Steves, enjoying more of the best of Europe. Documentary on Washington’s Road to Legalization. Expansionism was a key tenet of fascism. While the whole world had gotten a preview of the horrors of modern warfare in Spain, that was just the beginning. WWII history buffs should allow an extra hour for the various 10-minute videos that play continuously throughout the exhibit, offering excellent insights into the mass hypnosis of the German nation. Once a rabble-rousing journalist, this charismatic speaker became their leader — "Il Duce." As we've seen through the story of fascism in Europe, charismatic leaders rose to power through the democratic process and then seized extra-constitutional power by unlawful means. I’ve been in lots of TV shows but, until now, never in a movie. Fascism was not just an ideology, but a campaign of physical intimidation. While Spain stayed out of the war and its dictator Franco would remain in power for the next decades, it also paid dearly — left isolated from the world community and behind the times. In a matter of weeks, he wove these bomb-shattered shards into a large mural called Guernica. Rick: Could Germans just buy this? This Holocaust memorial, consisting of 2,711 gravestone-like pillars (called "stelae") and completed in 2005, was the first formal, German government-sponsored Holocaust memorial. Andreas: Of course, these autobahns were empty, because until the war started hardly anybody could afford the cars. Click to copy the fixed iFrame Copy . When citizens allowed leaders to do this, individual freedoms and rights soon fell by the wayside, and democracy was lost. Nürnberg, so steeped in German history, was nicknamed the "most German of German cities." In 1939, Hitler and Mussolini signed a treaty creating what they called the "Pact of Steel." Germans had no faith in their government['s ability] to get society back on track. Imagine Germany after 1918. Andreas: In Germany we definitely believe that education is one of the main ways to make sure something like this will not be repeated. To this day, Guernica remains the iconic depiction of fascist crimes against humanity. Home / Blog; Posted on June 11, 2014 August 6, 2015 by . With a populace tired of dysfunctional government, Mussolini rose to power with the promise of action. To finally defeat fascism — the alliance of Hitler and Mussolini — it took a massive and heroic allied effort led by Britain, America, and the Soviet Union. And so there was that and all the veterans coming back having fought in the trenches — for what? Holger: I think the rise of Hitler was done with a mix of two things. In Italy, angry citizens turned on their dictator with fury — executing Mussolini by firing squad, then hanging his body upside-down for all to see. It's designed to cause people to think and to ponder this horrible chapter in human history. Insightful observers note that the rise of fascism took Germany and Italy by surprise — and it could take any nation by surprise today if conditions line up in the same way. You can see the dates they were arrested, sent to concentration camps, and executed. The book remains potent to this day — particularly for Germans, like Andreas Clemens. And it was here, in Nürnberg, that Hitler declared the Third Reich — a powerful German empire to last a thousand years. That is something they either destroyed, sold off to make some money, or kept under wraps. The military might of Germany seemed unstoppable. While democracy was restored to Western Europe, it easily could have been lost forever — and the cost was millions of lives. A dictator now in charge of a mighty industrial nation, Hitler and his team began to lay out his plan for Germany and the world. A more contemporary series would be the one done about 2 years ago by Ewan McGregor and Charlie Boorman: "Long Way Round" which documents their round the world motorcycle journey; and they actually rode right by my house!!! For coronavirus (COVID-19) travel information, It's a case study in how fear and angry nationalism can be channeled into evil, and how our freedoms and democracies are not indestructible…in fact, they are fragile. And great German cities like Hamburg and Dresden were destroyed under massive aerial bombardments — with huge civilian losses — as the Allies attempted to break the spirit of the German people who fueled the Nazi war machine. Italy was still a young nation, having only united in 1871. In recent years he’s turned his attention to travel as a political act (also the name of his 2014 book)—the ways in which our journeys can be not merely for business or pleasure, but can achieve more radical aims like empathy, self-awareness, and the improvement of our global community. Travel Forum: All Topics. Written and hosted by best-selling guidebook author Rick Steves, each half-hour show takes viewers to Europe's most interesting places, from great cities to off-the-beaten-path discoveries. Andreas: And of course, people knew about concentration camps in Germany — for political enemies — and they were supposed to know, so they would keep their mouths shut. Experience Greece, Turkey, Israel and Egypt with Rick Steves, best-selling travel author and host of public television shows. Francesca: There was great disappointment — even the fact that Italy was on the winning side — it felt like it didn't get enough out of the peace treaties. A community for Rick Steves tour alums, first-timers and future tour members. If there was an important radio report, it wouldn't just be two people doing housework, or one person doing housework next to it, you would have the entire family there — [and] maybe the neighbors, if they couldn't afford a radio. Future generations have a responsibility to keep those lessons alive. A Communist needs an enormous bookshelf — he needs to start with Marx and Engels; he goes through Lenin; he has dozens of books up until the present day. Everywhere he went, crowds adored him. The focus is on 20th-century Spanish artists — Picasso, Dalí, Miró, Gris, and Tàpies — but you'll also find plenty of works by Kandinsky, Braque, and many other giants of modern art. Their emperor had been toppled, replaced by a weak democracy. In fact, one of the mottos was, "Mussolini ha sempre ragione." It's going to happen. The unfinished mega-project was completed in the 1950s, and today it houses apartment blocks, corporate and government offices, and big, rarely visited museums. The war raged on, even after it was clear that Germany would lose. Alfio: 1918 is the end of World War I. On June 6, 1944 — called "D-Day" — the Allies landed on the beaches of northern France and began fighting their way to Berlin. (The Nazis didn't want a panic.) Using colonial troops and borrowed Italian planes, he attempted a coup d'état. As those imposing doors slammed open and shut, they seemed to demand obedience. Rick Steves does a popular travel show on travel to Europe which runs on American PBS stations. The land Israelis and Palestinians occupy is, for a third of humanity, literally holy land. And, as with Germany, the Italians had just suffered through World War I — and people were angry about the way it was fought, and the way it was finished. But the democratically elected government fought back, and the nation descended into a bloody civil war. Then, they became forced labor camps. Rick Steves is a famous American author and television personality. Mussolini capitalized on a deep-seated frustration among Italians. Rick Steves is a travel guidebook author and tv host known to millions. He accelerated the previous government's policy of large public works and infrastructure projects financed with deficit spending. Rick Steves' Europe is public television's most-watched, longest-running travel series. There was a lot of discontent in Italy after World War I. Georg: Individualism doesn't even exist in fascism. Prime members enjoy FREE Delivery and exclusive access to music, movies, TV shows, original audio series, and Kindle books. Much of Germany was swept up in Hitler's charismatic vision and the country had a common purpose. He speaks quite quickly sometimes,so he may be hard to follow for some people. 2.7 million of those died in death camps. Rick Steves’ Europe is public television’s most-watched, longest-running travel series. In this travel talk, Rick Steves' Europe travel expert Julia Reams-Giersch describes Scotland's top stops — from the cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow, to the nearby sights of Stirling and St. Andrews, to the rugged Highlands near Inverness and the lovely islands near Oban and the west coast — and explains practical travel skills, including pointers on sleeping, eating, and transportation. And if it could have happened here, it can happen anywhere in the world. A good way to describe it is, if you compare Nazis and Communists. For four long years, they'd fought bravely — lost over two million men, and then surrendered. D-Day marked the biggest amphibious invasion in history. His simplistic promises were made to order for his political base: more prosperity and expanded borders for more room in which to live, or Lebensraum. Full stop. By the 1930s, it was governed by a modern but fragile democracy. Today, the stark remains of this massive gathering place are thought-provoking. Rick Steves Tours. And this time we're exploring Italy's dramatic Amalfi Coast area, and somewhere along here we're going to find a blue grotto. Then the inmates piled into the "shower room." With some thoughtful travel, we'll see how entire nations were first mesmerized and then led astray by their fascist leaders. Artifacts and posters illustrate the Nazi notion of a master race. Despite this new focus on jobs, and the German worker, the Nazis had no use for labor unions. Francesca grew up hearing stories of Mussolini.