Rise of totalitarianism and Pre-WWII Aggression World History Final Exam Review

Totalitarianism

Characteristics of Totalitarianism Police terror and violence - used to crush opposition and force obedience Indoctrination - gets unconditional loyalty by glorifying the leader (works on kids!) Propaganda - spreading biased information Censorship - suppressing free speech and press Religious or ethnic persecution - blame “enemies of the state” or create scapegoats

Stalin - Soviet Union Succeeded Lenin Created a police state and eliminated threats in the Great Purge, making him responsible for the death of millions (mostly his own people) Used propaganda, censorship, and indoctrination in schools to glorify communism and himself Created a command economy and set up gov’t-owned collective farms Five-Year Plans were aimed at increasing industrial production WWII: Allies and part of Big Three Major leader during Cold War

Mussolini - Italy Mussolini was known as Il Duce (the leader) Founded the Fascist Party, which promoted extreme nationalism, denial of individual rights, and dictatorial one-party rule His “black shirts” acted as his militia Coerced King Victor Emmanuel III to step down and give him power legally Joined the Axis Powers in WWII alongside Germany and Japan

Hitler - Germany Wrote Mein Kampf in prison, outlining his major beliefs (Aryan race+, Versailles Treaty-, lebensraum+) Rose to power largely due to Germany’s WWI loss and the depression Led the Nazi party Severely anti-Semitic and responsible for the Nuremberg laws and the Holocaust Part of the Axis Powers Blamed for starting WWII with his invasion of Poland and violation of both the terms of the Treaty of Versailles and the Munich Conference

Aggression Leading to World War II

Aggressors Japan under Emperor Hirohito Focused on creating a Pacific Empire in the Asian Pacific Italy under Mussolini Wanted to make gains in Africa Germany under Hitler Sought to gain territory in Europe, particularly in areas with people of German descent, and create a Third Reich (German Empire) Basically, just think of the Axis Powers as the aggressors leading up to WWII

Acts of Aggression (Pre-WWII) Japan’s invasion of Manchuria and eventually a good portion of China during the Chinese Civil War Japan’s Rape of Nanking (Nanjing) Mussolini’s invasion of Ethiopia Germany’s violation of the Treaty of Versailles by building their military and taking the Rhineland back Germany’s annexation of Austria (Anschluss) Germany’s violation of the agreement at the Munich Conference by taking all of Czechoslovakia anyway

Attempts to Avoid War Kellogg-Briand Pact denounced war League of Nations - meant to keep peace but had no ability to stop aggressors Isolationism - US didn’t join the League and passed Neutrality Acts before WWII Appeasement - Other allies gave in to the aggressors to avoid even bigger problems Munich Conference: GB PM Chamberlain agreed to let Hitler take the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia if he promised that was all he would take — this backfires!