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In Facist Italy, after the first World War, Italian men carried out acts of violence in their own community, this Facism started out as nationalism, “They desired revenge against the Socialists and others who had not supported Italy’s participation in the Great War.” Benito Mussolini, who was to turn Prime Minister after the war, said, “This is heroism… This is the violence of which I approve and which I exhalt. This is the violence of facism.” There was a 50,000 person march on Rome, which gave Mussolini power. The government was weak enough at the time for the march to be successful. The goal was to have a strong authoritarian state to destroy political enemies. After Mussolini centralized his power, he aspired to claim foreign colonies and expand Italy.

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Fascists in Italy used violence to gain power, "Fascists interrupted meetings, beat elected officials, and made impossible the work of local government. Socialists in particular were intimidated, threatened, and even beaten until they resigned." Fascists built an organized military advantage and used it to take control when they knew they could, "the squads destroyed dozens of newspapers offices, chambers of labor, peasant leagues, cooperatives, and social clubs." This is the level of extremism it takes to gain, control and maintain authoritarian states. Although the leader is usually an extremist, the extremism is rooted in the citizens. The citizens were the ones making government work impossible.

In Germany, Hitler acquired power in 1933, he did this through electoral victories by the Nazi-party. Hitler rose to power using misguidance. Hitler, a great speaker, had the power to make people support him. He did this through lies and by creating a fictional persona. In 1923, he wrote a short autobiography including some speeches, the book's main message was that he was Germany's savior-in-waiting, it also directly compares Hitler to Jesus. The persona he created impacted the nation's view of him as a leader, whether it was true or not.

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Authoritarianism poses various threats and consequences to societies and individuals. A strong one being social prejudice. Distinct out-groups are targeted by leaders and citizens. In Hitler's Germany, Jewish, gay and disabled people were all targeted and viewed as inferior. Authoritarian states support aggression to these groups.

Furthermore, feminists, protestors and the properly educated are seen as dangerous to authoritarians, leaders fear these because they have the knowledge and drive to change things. Jason Stanley says, "Institutions that teach multiple perspectives on history in all its complexity are always a threat to the fascist leader."