The Rise of Fascism

Question 1

Great Depression

Answer 1

• The American Great Depression had a major impact on Europe, especially Italy and Germany, with the rise of totalitarianism (fascists states)
• • total control (public, social, and economics life)

Question 2

Italy

Answer 2

• glorified the state (one ruler, one government - fascist party)
• state has absolute authority
• economic distress created the setting for fascism
• fear of communism, so fascists promised to stop communism
• an appeal to nationalism
• Benito Mussolini becomes the leader of Italy, using his Black Shirt army

Question 3

Totalitarianism

Answer 3

• controls every aspect of individuals life
• usually led by a dictator
• everything is for the good of the state
• a police state…

Question 4

Fascism

Answer 4

• Modern political ideology that seeks to regenerate the social, economic, and cultural life of a country by basing it on a heightened sense of national belonging or ethnic identity. Fascism rejects liberal ideas such as freedom and individual rights, and often presses for the destruction of elections, legislatures, and other elements of democracy
• the term fascism was first used by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in 1919. The term comes form the Italian word fascio, which means “union” or league
• single-party system
• one ruler
• aggressive nationalism
• the state has absolute authority

Question 5

note

Answer 5

• after WWI: Germany, Italy, and Russia turned to a new form of dictatorship - totalitarianism
• government has total control over every aspect of people’s lives
• the individual is a servant of the state
• books, radio, films, and schools used to promote the government’s philosophy
• inflation and high prices
• heavy taxes to pay for war costs
• widespread unemployment
• returning war vets couldn’t find work
• Fascist promised to improve economic conditions
• Italy was upset that it didn’t get more land in peace treaties after WWI
• Fascists said they’d get more land and restore the Roman Empire
• This appealed to the youth, veterans, and military people

Question 6

Italian workers started taking over factories

Answer 6

• Italian peasants started seizing land
• this is similar to how the Russian Revolution started that brought Communism to Russia
• Fascists promised to stop the Socialists and the Communists
• Factory and land owners now supported the Fascists

Question 7

Benito Mussolini

Answer 7

• came from working class family
• became extreme Fascists in WWI
• drafted men to 4 years of service followed by 11 years of reserve
• required military training in schools and Fascist youth groups
• built more military weapons, tanks, etc.

Question 8

after World War I, the economic fallout from the Great Depression led to a large ________ problem in Italy

Answer 8

• unemployment

Question 9

economic distress caused by ________ was a contributing factor to the rise of fascism in Italy after World War I

Answer 9

• inflation

- the Great Depression

Question 10

in 1919, _________ created the fascist party in Italy

Answer 10

• Benito Mussolini

Question 11

which is the best description of fascism

Answer 11

• aggressive nationalism

Question 12

after World War I, _________ started in Italy and made its way to Germany

Answer 12

• fascism