Italy & Germany 1920s & 30s

Benito Mussolini Fascist leader in Italy, 1920s-1945

Fascism A socialist state where government would control industry, education, social welfare programs & transportation. Include: - deification of the state (supernationalism) - indoctrination; - denial of basic freedoms; - economic independence through military power & imperialism.

95Mussolini Mussolini promised that the trains would run on time.

91Mussolini Mussolini’s army moving into Ethiopia, 1935

94MussoliniVideo

105Ethiopia Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie

Adolf Hitler son of a customs official in Austria served in the military in WW I studied architectural design worked for the German government as an investigator. investigated & then joined the Nazi Party.

Adolf Hitler proclaiming his Nazi philosophy.

Nazis National Socialist German Workers’ Party Advocated a racist dictatorship with characteristics similar to Fascism. Their ideas were promoted through propaganda speeches and militaristic rituals.

Mien Kampf (1923) It also argues that the “Aryans” (especially Germans) are a superior race and in spirit of Social Darwinism (“surivival of the fittest”) Aryans are destined to rule or dominate the world. Hitler’s autobiography “My struggle” It contains his racist & political philosophy which is similar to fascism.

132SS/SA Nazi SA “storm troops”

134Reichstag Fire Reichstag Fire blamed on Communists

135HitlerChancellor Nazi’s won a majority in the Reichstag after the fire

136Nazi Swastika: Nazi symbol of German unity

145Hitler Adolf Hitler

122 EvaMistress Eva Braun, Hitler’s mistress

189Hitler Hitler & Nazi propaganda

141J.Goebbels Joseph Goebbels, Hitler’s master propagandist

146Hitler/youth Adolf Hitler “inspiring” German youth

151NaziYouth Nazi youth propaganda

Jesse Owens performed better than the Germans in the 1936 olympics.

147GermanWomen German women encouraged to breed healthy children

190Rome-Berlin Rome-Berlin Axis: Mussolini & Hitler, 1936

Spanish Civil War When Francisco Franco tried to overthrow the Republican government in Spain (1938), Germany & Italy provided military assistance. Western European democracies stayed out of the conflict. This event demonstrated that Germany & Italy were well prepared for WW II.

Generalissimo Francisco Franco overthrew the Spanish Republic in 1936 with the help of Italy & Germany. The democracies did little to defend the Republic.

Appeasement (pacification) Soon after the Spanish Civil War, Hitler began taking over other territories including Austria and Czechoslovakia. When Europen leaders met at Munich (1938), Hitler gave false promises that he had no other territorial expansion plans. British PM Neville Chamberlain was praised (but later criticized) for “appeasing Hitler at Munich.

185Austria German occupation of Austria

Hitler taking over Austria

198Sudetenland Hitler taking the Sudetenland (Czechoslovakia)

197Chamberlain/Munich Chamerberlain at Munich, “Peace in our times”

“Spineless Leaders of Democracy” appeasing Hitler

Nazi Concentration Camps From about Hitler maintained concentration camps to exterminate Jews, Communists & anyone else that he regarded as an “archcriminal” of the German empire. These camps used gas chambers and other methods to torture & kill people.

150vs.Jews Anti Jewish propaganda

Arresting Jews in Germany

174Jews to Israel Jewish people trying to escape to Palestine (Israel)

203Map