Authoritarianism Flashcards
What is authoritarianism?
Leaders tell people what to do and expect obedience
Justified by some higher value (crown, nation, flag, religion, race) and if you don’t obey you’re a traitor to that value. This deepens the fear of getting in trouble
Individual rights are sacrificed for the bigger picture
Inequality is built into the system on purpose (acceptance of inequality)
How did dictators come to power in the 20th century?
By a political wave of action
To stay a segment of society needed to support them
They convinced the public through crisis, because fear is the ultimate tool
They offered simple solutions to complex problems
Why wasn’t totalitarianism possible before the 20th century?
It requires a level of control that requires increased communication and movement
What is totalitarianism?
Desire to control and shape society
Rule by one political party
Control by a charismatic leader
Lack of individual rights
Internal repression (secret police)
Censorship of media
Propaganda
Special attention to youth
Economy benefits state and rulers
Preparation of society for war
Spread of ideology that justifies all these measures
What is fascism?
Right wing totalitarianism
Simple solutions
Strong nationalism
Uses myth rather than reason to motivate people
Looks to the past
Maintain themselves by external expansion
What is communism?
Left wing totalitarianism
Desire for a communal response
Create a utopian society by erasing class divide
Accept technology
Changes come internally
Lead to autocratic rule almost by accident
What was the name of the political party that led the Russian Revolution?
The Bolsheviks
Why was Russia an unlikely place for a Marxist revolution?
They didn’t have industrialization or a big working class to rise up against the government
What were the two myths the Communist Party perpetuated?
That the government was a democracy (founding myth)
That the Communist party has the people’s best interests and took care of them (sustaining myth)
What was the name of the peace treaty that allowed the Soviet Union to retreat from WWI?
Treaty of Brest-Litovsk
Which Soviet leader instituted War Communism?
Vladimir Lenin (during the Civil War)
Which revolutionary leaders was forced into exile in the 1920’s?
Leon Trotsky
Who instituted totalitarianism in the USSR?
Joseph Stalin
What was the Great Purge of 1936-1939 in Russia?
Stalin got rid of anyone who was a threat to his rule
Who were the Kulaks in Russia? What happened to them?
They were the wealthy farmers that rejected the idea of collectivization and giving up their farms to the government
Stalin declared them enemies of the state and either killed or exiled them
With all the best farmers gone, food production got worse
What was the name of the executive council who was responsible for making and enforcing policy in Russia?
Politburo
What was the position that held the ultimate power in the USSR?
General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Italy’s invasion of Abyssinia was primarily motivated by Mussolini’s desire for…
National prestige through the acquisition of colonies
What was the political environment in many Europe nations in the 1930’s?
Polarized between fascism and communism
What was the 1911 Chinese Revolution?
Nationalist revolution
The people in China demand their government to modernize lead by Sun Yat-sen
China should be a democracy
What was the Chinese Civil War?
Boxer Rebellion was a revolt against Westernization
The Nationalist Party divides in two
On the right: Chiang Kai-shek
On the left: Mao
Two sides are fighting for control, Mao and his supporters are losing and are run into the mountains (The Long March) for a year
Survivors become the Communist Party
The communists are nice to everyone, so they gain support
What was the Second Sino-Japanese War?
In 1937 Japan invades China
Both sides of the nationalist party fight against Japan
China loses, Japan conquest of China is brutal
The Communists outshine the capitalists in battle so when war is over communism is very popular
How did Mao come into power?
1945 to 1949: civil war ramps up again, and Mao defeats the other side and they flee to Taiwan
1949: became the Communist People’s Republic
The gain support from Russia and they send advisors and money
What was the Korean War?
America was really close to the border of China so they started to push into the country
It was a big crisis that solidified communism in China, because now its nationalism and a fight for the motherland
What was The Great Leap Forward?
Plan to modernize China
Was a complete disaster and caused a famine
What was the Five Year Plans in China?
Was a failure because it wasn’t really thought out
Big focus was making steel, but there was no emphasis on food which caused a famine
Did organize the economy and industrialized the nation a little
What was The Cultural Revolution in China?
Mao thought that China is being held back by its past, so he decided to eliminate the past and create a new definition of Chinese society
This was the moment where China became totalitarianism
Thought police, re-education, anti-Western
Who were the Red Guards in China?
Not officials, bands of youths
They were unleashed on society to dig up crimes against the state
Who was Deng Xiaoping?
Mao dies in 1977, the 70’s are a complete disaster
Deng takes over the party and implements some serious changes
Implements modernization by creating Special Economic Zones
Deng’s rule brought political openness and people start demanding democracy
What is Bureaucratic Capitalism?
Market economy but an authoritarian government
There was a lot of corruption
Created Special Economic Zones, made little zones of free trade to make money but were communist as a whole
What happened at Tiananmen Square?
Students protested (non-violent) and requested a democracy
The army rolls up and kills and stomps out all the protestors
What are the economic challenges facing China in the 21st century?
Issues with stability, energy, and the environment
What are the political challenges facing China in the 21st century?
Government not giving up control but also making the economy work and people happy
What is Chinas role in the modern world?
They are becoming the next superpower and continue to grow and influence more countries
