Fascism and Rise of Dictators Flashcards
Totalitarianism
A form of government that theoretically permits no individual freedom and that seeks to subordinate all aspects of individual life to the authority of the state
The Rise of Fascism
Fascism is a dictatorial/totalitarian form of government with a strong sense of nationalism that values the state over the individual;
Fascist governments forbid and suppress criticism and opposition to the government
The rise of Fascism
“Fascism” comes from the fasces, a symbol of authority and power in the Ancient Roman Empire
- It is used by Benito Mussolini to symbolize the return to a glorious Italian Empire
Fascism in Italy
Following WWI, Italy was filled with resentment
● Many were against joining the war
● War costs led to high inflation →
loss of savings and unemployment
● Broken promises by England and
France
In the midst of all this discontent, the nation would come to accept a more extreme leadership
Benito Mussolini (Il Duce)
Country: Italy
Type of Government: Fascist
Dictatorship
● Aimed to restore Italy’s strength and prestige, adopting an authoritarian rule that suppressed opposition.
Utilized a paramilitary group, the Black Shirts to take control of Italy by marching on Rome
● Directly loyal to Mussolini
Benito Mussolini (Il Duce)
Goals and Ideas:
• Centralized all power in himself
as leader
• Total control of social, economic, and political life
• Ambition to restore the glory of Rome and create a vast Italian empire
• Alliance with Hitler
Benito Mussolini (Il Duce)
Italy implemented economic policies aimed at self-sufficiency.
● The government encouraged industrialization, infrastructure development,
and agricultural reforms.
Mussolini sought to revive the glory of the Roman Empire and expand Italy’s territories.
● He pursued an aggressive foreign policy, which ultimately led to Italy’s invasion of Ethiopia in 1935.
Japan - Developments Before WWI
From 1868-1912, Japan experienced a period of political transformation known as the Meiji Restoration.
● The country embraced modernization, adopted Western practices, and transformed into a constitutional monarchy.
Japan - Following WWI
Japan’s rapid industrialization and focus on technological advancements positioned the nation as a leading economic power after World War One
● It became heavily dependent on foreign resources to sustain its growth. During the Interwar Period, Japan faced challenges in maintaining its economic stability
Japan - Growing Militarism
Driven by a desire for territorial expansion and access to resources, Japan pursued an aggressive foreign policy.
● Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931, seeking to establish a puppet state. This was followed by further military actions in China and Southeast Asia, solidifying Japan’s role as a major military power.
Japan- Growing Militarism
Militarism became tied to the national identity of Japan
● A strong military, capable of conquest seen as a crucial national interest amongst much of the Japanese population…
○ Civil government seen as weak
Hideki Tojo
Country: Japan
Type of Government: Militarism, Totalitarianism Goals and Ideas:
• The military took control of the government
• Rapid industrialization through imperialistic expansion to obtain raw materials
• Invasion in Asia: Korea, Manchuria, and the rest of China - the League of Nations did nothing to stop this
Adolf Hitler
Type of Government: Fascist Totalitarian Dictatorship
Goals:
● Make Germany powerful again
● Get rid of Treaty of Versailles restrictions
● Eliminate Jewish people
○ Blamed them for Germany’s problems
● Establish a German Empire known as the
“Third Reich”
● Expand German land
● More German people (Aryans)
“In Vienna I learned to hate…”
1907-1908 Hitler moves to Vienna, but fails to get into Academy of Fine Arts.
● 1909 Hitler was living in public housing
● Made money selling paintings and postcards,
mainly copies of other people’s work ● 1913 Hitler moves to Germany
Hitler in WWI
1914 Hitler joins German Army
● Decorated five times during the war
● Courier (delivers messages to front
lines)
● Gassed and was in the hospital when
war ends
The “Stab in the Back” Myth
The stab-in-the-back theory that deflected Germany’s accountability for the loss of World War I.
The theory blamed internal enemies, including Jews and Communists who, it alleged, betrayed a vulnerable country.
The “Stab in the Back” Myth
Hitler turned the stab-in-the-back myth into a basis for Nazi policy and action.
Utilizing the “betrayal”, he promoted his racist doctrine of a master race leading to the justification of the Holocaust in Nazi Germany.
The Nazi Party
Hitler remains in Germany and is sent to spy on meetings of German Workers Party
● Hitler is recruited to join the party
● Party changes name to National Socialist
German Workers Party (Nazis)
● July 1921- Hitler named president of Nazis
● Called “Fuhrer” and introduced “Heil
Hitler,” Nazi salute, Flag, and Swastika
The Beer Hall Putsch
Nazis try to take control of Munich government in a coup - they fail
● 16 Nazis and 3 police die in fighting
● Hitler arrested, sent to prison
● In prison he wrote Mein Kampf
Mein Kampf (My Struggle)
● Autobiographical manifesto of Adolf Hitler
● Lays the ideological foundation for the actions of the Nazi party during WWII
● Sold over 12 million copies from 1925-1945
● Appealed to the people en masse
○ Written with simplistic language
Ideas from Mein Kampf
● All Germans, especially those with blond hair and blue eyes, were perfect Aryans, the master race
● All Non-Aryans were inferior and need to be exterminated (focusing on the Jewish population)
● Treaty of Versailles- Outrage, would get back all lands that were taken and restore national pride.
● Germany needed Lebensraum- living space, Would get that space by conquering Eastern Europe and Russia
Why target the Jewish Population?
Like many anti-semitics in Germany, Hitler blamed the Jewish population for the country’s defeat in 1918. Anti-semitism was actually very prevalent in Europe at this time.
Hitler was obsessed with the idea of the superiority of the “pure” German race which he describes in detail in “Mein Kampf”
Why target the Jewish Population?
Anti-semitism did not first appear in Europe in the 1920s…
- Throughout history, Jewish people had been targeted in countless acts of aggression/persecution
- Blamed for:
- Killing Jesus Christ
- The Bubonic Plague
- “Blood Libel”
- Many more…
Adolf Hitler & Nazi Germany
Hitler and the Nazis used resentment about the Treaty and historic anti-semitism to justify their actions
Nuremberg Laws (Race Laws) (1935) excluded Jews from citizenship & banned intermarriage
Kristallnacht (Nov. 9-10, 1938) began organized violence against Jews
■ Jewish businesses, homes and synagogues destroyed
■ Ordered Jews to pay billion of reparations to German state for damage
