Italy was Nazi Germany's obvious political and military ally in Europe. Benito Mussolini, the Italian fascist, had been governing Italy since 1925 and Hitler acknowledged the role played by Italian fascism in starting Nazi Germany. The relationship between them, however, was bumpy and complex. As a result, the alliance formed was not as firm as many anticipated. Despite being military allies by the late 1930s, Germany and Italy still had their own priorities and national interests and were cautious in supporting the interests or ambitions of the other. This alliance between Nazi Germany and fascist Italy was formed out of convenience and experience.The Formation of the AllianceHitler was a great admirer of Mussolini especially in his early years as leader of the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP), which was basically the Nazi Party. Hitler especially admired Mussolini's 'March on Rome', which was a protest in 1922 that saw thousands of fascists and fascist supporters walk to the Italian capital in order to force Mussolini's appointment as prime minister. They succeeded. Hitler first wrote to Mussolini about the 'March on Rome' in 1923. In an attempt to emulate Mussolini, Hitler staged the Munich putsch. The Nazis were also given some financial support by Mussolini from the late 1920s. The Sturmabteilung, which was a paramilitary wing of the Nazi party, benefited from this as their brigade was allowed to train with his own paramilitary brigade, the Blackshirts. When Hitler finally ascended into power in the 1930 German election, he was publicly praised by Mussolini, who hailed it as a victory for his own fascist ideology and he began giving Hitler advice on tactics.This was just for the cameras, though, because in private Mussolini criticised Hitler and his party. He described them as "boring" because of their "unrefined" and "simplistic" ideas. Mussolini was known to be self-obsessed and an egomaniac. He also thought that his ascension to power was more glorious than Hitler's. The first meeting between Mussolini and Hitler, held in Venice in June 1934, was a disaster. Mussolini showcased his arrogance as his German was not fluent, but he refused to use a translator. Out of pride, he refused to admit that due to Hitler's heavy Austrian accent, he could not fully understand what he was saying. Hitler engaged in long monologues, and Mussolini soon became bored. This meeting only served to worsen the relationship between them, even though Nazi and Italian fascist propaganda of the 1930s suggested a close working relationship.In this book, you'll learn everything you need to know about the relationship between Hitler and Mussolini, including the third reich and World War 2.