[VIDEO] What do Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini have in common?

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What do Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini have in common?

Transcript:
It may seem hard to believe, but Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Joseph Stalin were all nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1939, Hitler was nominated by Swedish politician E.G.C. Brandt, but it was meant sarcastically, as a critique of the tense political climate in Europe, and the nomination was quickly withdrawn.

Mussolini, on the other hand, was nominated in 1935 and 1939, with supporters crediting him for maintaining peace in Europe before his imperialist ambitions became clear. Stalin, nominated in both 1945 and 1948, was recognized for his role in ending World War II and leading post-war peace talks. Ironically, both Stalin and Hitler had initiated policies leading to mass suffering, and Mussolini’s “peacekeeping” led to brutal conflicts.

These nominations underscore how fluid and uncertain the global political landscape was in the years leading up to and following the war. In fact, many historians now view these nominations as examples of the Nobel Committee’s sometimes contentious attempts to grapple with rapidly changing global powers.