On the Internet you'll find a selection of sources, or so-called sources, like libertarians, claiming that Hitler and Mussolini were either Marxists or socialists, giving the false impression that Marxism and socialism were connected to or related to Nazism and fascism. But there are omissions in these claims; and they are taken out of context.

Nazism, or National Socialism, differed with Marxist socialism where the former emphasized myths of Aryan superiority while the latter promoted internationalism and class struggle. The focus on the Jews being hirelings of the Devil and the attempts at exterminating them, being obviously evident in Nazism, wasn't evident in Marxist socialism or any other types of socialism. The latter, as with other groupings, had tendencies or factions. Oddly enough, there are even libertarian Marxists and libertarian socialists. (Despite obvious contradictions.)

Although Hitler called himself a National Socialist, or just plain socialist, the word was used by the Nazis for its appeal to German workers, many of whom were socialists. Joachim Fest once said that "Hitler's party was socialist only to take advantage of the emotional value of the word...the socialist slogans were merely movable ideological props."

National Socialism also emphasized pseudo science, similar to Eugenics, which provided "proof" that whites, particularly Aryans, were at the top of what Hitler and the Nazis believed was a racial hierarchy. They rejected class struggle and cosmopolitanism. And they were of course ultra-nationalist. All of this is the opposite of Marxist socialism.

Hitler, in fact, had stern words toward Marxism. The following passages are from Mein Kampf:

"The destructive work of Marxism, its poisoning propaganda, dupes people."

"Marxism should be destroyed."

"Democracy, as practiced in Western Europe today, is the forerunner of Marxism. In fact, the latter would be inconceivable without the former."

"How the future of the German nation can be secured is the problem of how Marxism can be exterminated."

"The Jewish doctrine of Marxism rejects the aristocratic principle of Nature and replaces the eternal privilege of power and strength by the mass of numbers and their dead weight."

Paradoxically, Hitler is quoted as saying "What Marxism, Leninism and Stalinism failed to accomplish, we shall be in a position to achieve." ("Memoirs of a Confidante," by Otto Wagener, pg. 149. Yale University Press, 1985) The objectives, however, are different, which is alluded to in the descriptions of National Socialism and Marxist socialism above. Hitler, however, was all over the map, e.g., he came off sounding like a Christian in his speeches.

Like Hitler, Mussolini called himself a socialist. He was a leader of the Italian Socialist Party until there was a falling out between Mussolini and the socialists. Mussolini was pro-war, wanting Italy to participate in World War I, while the socialists were neutral. According to a police report by the Inspector-General of of Public Security, G. Gasti, "[Mussolini] always wanted to give the appearance of still being a socialist, and he fooled himself into thinking that this was the case."

But in December 1914, Mussolini radically changed. He denounced socialism and its emphasis on class struggle, rather than emphasizing national identity:

"The class struggle is a vain formula, without effect and consequence wherever one finds a people that has integrated itself into its proper linguistic and racial confines-where the national problem has not been resolved."

He also asserted that socialism (and Marxism) was outdated and a failure. Mussolini is quoted as saying that "Socialism is a fraud, a comedy, a phantom, and blackmail." And that it was "already dead; it continued to exist only as a grudge."

Mussolini formed the political movement known as fascism. He was influenced by the ideas of Plato, Georges Sorel and Nietzche and incorporated their ideas into the movement. There was a strong emphasis on Italian nationalism, to the point where it became ultra-nationalism, fascist Italy invading, e.g., Ethiopia. Also, participating in the invasion of the Soviet Union. Above all, Mussolini set out to try a create a second Roman empire.

Some remarks by Hitler and Mussolini give the mistaken impression that they supported socialism and Marxism, respectively. But it is important to see that they went through a metamorphosis. Therefore, the nature of their objectives put them on the right side of the political spectrum, no matter what certain sources claim.