The Path to World War II

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics With the Bolshevik victory over the White Army forces in 1921, Lenin and the Russians were able to implement the teachings of Marx. WAR COMMUNISM – during the Civil War – Lenin had adopted authoritarian policies: –Cheka – secret police –Dictatorship –Businesses confiscated by the government –Even grain was confiscated to be distributed by the government

Lenin Stalin

New Economic Policy (NEP) Once the Bolsheviks were securely in power – Lenin sought to lessen the reins on the economy. He believed the Russian peasant was the key to Russian success. His New Economic Policy called fro small individual ownership – foreign investment etc – all designed to give the peasants the opportunity to earn money.

The 1924 death of Lenin created a serious division in the Communist Party Leon Trotsky – leader of the Red Army – urged for rapid industrialization paid for through the collectivization of farms – he also believed in the spread of communism to other nations – Russia needed the knowledge of the west to modernize itself – he called for the right to criticize the Communist government.

Joseph Stalin – Communist Party General Secretary – developed an understanding of the bureaucracy needed for support. He was supported by the editor of the newspaper PRAVDA – Nikolai Bukharin. They supported slow industrialization and a continuation of NEP – Stalin forced Trotsky to leave the USSR for Mexico City where he later had Trotsky murdered in 1940.

Trotsky was forced into exile by Stalin. Trotsky ended up in Mexico City – where he continued his attacks on Stalin. In the USSR, Stalin used the exiled Trotsky as a scapegoat for anything that went wrong. In 1940, Stalin had Trotsky assassinated when a man struck Trotsky in the back of the head with an ice ax/hatchet/pick.

Leon Trotsky

The Third International 1919 – the Russian Soviet Communists founded the Third International of the European socialists – COMINTERN. The Comintern became the world wide communist organization that all communist groups were to belong to – under Russian leadership They sought to spread communism to all parts of the world This frightened many in Europe into supporting right wing movements such as the Fascists in Italy and the Nazis in Germany.

Italy and Mussolini In many places in Europe – discontent after WWI and fear of the threat of spreading Communism led many to embrace far right dictatorial movements. In Italy, unemployed veterans of WWI flocked around Benito Mussolini and his political party – FASCI DI COMBATTIMENTO – Fascist Party.

Italy 1919

What was the Fascist Party – what are the qualities of governments/movements now called fascist? –Ultra nationalistic –Anti-democratic –Anti-Marxist –Anti-parliamentarian –They very often wanted to avoid the class debates of Marxism and the party divisions of liberal governments

Mussolini and the “Black Shirts” were initially unclear as to their political stands. They did act as gangs of thugs beating up socialists and Communists and disrupting their meetings. They graduated to arson and murder – Mussolini and the Fascists elected in large numbers to the Chamber of Deputies. The Fascists organized a March on Rome – King Victor Emmanuel III refused to sign an order that would have blacked the march. His government resigned in protest. October 29, 1921, King Victor Emmanuel III asked Mussolini to form a government.

Victor Emmanuel III His refusal to denounce Mussolini led to the end of the Italian monarchy after WWII – although one of his daughters died in the Nazi death camp of Buchenwald in 1944.

Fascist Rule in Italy 1922 – Victor Emmanuel and the Italian parliament gave Mussolini dictatorial powers for one year – in order to bring political stability to Italy – representation in parliament no longer based on percentage of vote – largest party received 2/3 of the seats 1926 – Fascists running parliament and Mussolini ruling by decree. Fascist Party and government became shadows of each other – Italy became a fascist state – political enemies exiled or murdered

Victor Emmanuel III

Lateran Accords 1929 – since 1870 when French troops left the Vatican and Italy absorbed the Papal States – the popes had not left the Vatican. Mussolini agreed to pay the papacy for the land – Catholic Church recognized as official religion – church law governed marriage – the church exempt from tax Mussolini gained prestige.

Pope Pius XI

BUT…… Mussolini got the trains to run on time….