 After WWI, life in Europe was not easy  The war had destroyed economies and left countries in heavy debt  Some people resented their new borders and distrusted the new governments  In all this uncertainty, dictators easily gained control

 Before WWI – Czars, Kings and Emperors ran most European countries  After WWI, Europeans had lost faith in this leadership system  New democratic governments  Difficult time dealing with the Great Depression

 People wanted a way out of the hopelessness, the frustration and the insecurity  Were ready to follow any leader who promised better times  Were prepared to believe their problem was someone else’s fault  Totalitarian governments restrict individual rights and make everyone subordinate to the government. They stay in power using fear and oppression.  Fascism is a form of totalitarianism that emphasizes national and racial superiority

 Like Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini had fought in the trenches of World War I  In the turmoil that followed the war, he started a fascist party in Italy  The party had a nationalistic belief in a strong union of citizens  Benito Mussolini formed the fascist party to fight communism and democratic socialism  Squads of black-shirted army veterans attacked communists, socialists and members of other political parties at rallies and parades  “Blackshirts” broke up union meetings and communist rallies

 Workers planned large scale strikes in Italy  If the government didn’t stop the strike, the Fascists would  Fascists from all over Italy marched on Rome  In a panic, the king asked Mussolini to form a new government  In 1935, Italian forces invaded the independent country of Ethiopia  Ethiopian emperor appealed to League of Nations for help, but his pleas were ignored  In 1936, Hitler and Mussolini united to form the Rome-Berlin Alliance

 Between 1931 and 1936, Spain struggled to maintain a form of democracy  The Depression had caused widespread poverty and the country was divided politically  In 1936, a coalition of army officers and conservative groups tried to seize power  Their attempt was disorganized and succeeded only in parts of the country  This set off a brutal civil war

 The rebels, who called themselves Nationalists, were led by General Francisco Franco  A strong military leader, Franco believed in nationalistic goals and was supported by both Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini  The League of Nations did little to stop the fighting in Spain  As with other conflicts that arose in the 1930s, isolationist attitudes led many governments to follow a policy of non-intervention in foreign affairs Francisco Franco

 The war progressed slowly and brutally, but Nationalist forces gradually began to win territory  By 1939, Franco controlled the country completely  Once in power, Franco put in place a ruthless, totalitarian regime  Critics were silenced through censorship and violence  Franco’s tactics included torture, long prison sentences, forced labour and concentration camps  He remained in power until his death in 1975

 In 1917, many people in Russia were discouraged by the toll World War I was taking on the country and unhappy with the leadership of the czar  That February, an uprising dethroned the czar and established a provisional government to run the country  By October 1917, the communist Bolsheviks were strong enough to overthrow the provisional government  Though a civil war followed, the Bolsheviks managed to hang on to and consolidate power  The communist government took control of many aspects of the economy, such as banks, mines and oil companies

 In 1924, Josef Stalin emerged as leader of the Communist Party – and the government  He united Russia with surrounding states to form the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, or Soviet Union  Stalin was a ruthless dictator who used force to put down all opposition  During the 1930s, millions of Soviet citizens were executed, imprisoned, deported or starved to death  He used the army, terror, labour camps and his secret police to transform Russian society  He created an industrial powerhouse, but was ruthless in his methods

 1920s – a group of young Army officers took control of the Army  Civilian government was weak and divided  Those who opposed the Army were often assassinated  By 1930s, the Japanese military forces gained control over the government and controlled Japanese policies

 World War I had taught Japanese militarists that natural resourced were necessary to fight wars  Japan was not rich in natural resources  Manchuria, in northern China, was a major source of resources such as iron, coal, salt, farmland  In 1931, Japanese forces invaded and occupied the region  When China appealed to the League of Nations for help, the League condemned Japan’s actions but did nothing more  In response to the criticism, Japan withdrew from the League

 In 1932, Japanese forces landed at Shanghai and in 1937, they launched an attack  This started a full scale war between the two countries  Japanese leaders ordered intense bombings of civilian targets, causing millions of casualties  The Japanese attack on the city of Nanjing, for example, killed up to people

 Hitler eagerly joined the German Army during WWI  Made it to rank of Corporal  Angered by Germany’s surrender in 1928  He swore revenge on those who he felt “stabbed Germany in the back”

 National Socialist German Worker’s Party – Nazi party  Hitler joined the NAZIs and quickly became party leader  The NAZIs listened to stirring speeches by Hitler  He made being a NAZI exciting!  Salute, uniforms, song, symbol – the swastika

 NAZIs marched through the streets of German towns  Brown-shirted “storm troopers” broke up communist meetings an, attacked homes and businesses of Jews  By 1933 the NAZIs were the largest party in German Parliament  Hitler was asked to be chancellor of Germany – he accepted once he negotiated dictatorial powers

 People were glad to see a strong man in charge  Few realized his real intentions – The Big Lie!  People will believe a big lie sooner than a little one  If you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it  They saw him as an inspiring leader. Brilliant speaker!  NAZI rallies were full of colour and marching songs. People felt they were part of a great movement!

 Paul Joseph Goebbels – Hitler’s propaganda minister  Used rallies to preach hatred – especially against the Jews  Private Army of storm troopers paraded through the streets. They broke up meetings of other political parties  Many supported the Nazi’s out of fear!

 Hitler gave the Germans targets to blame for their problems – Communists and Jews!  NAZIs preached “racial purity” – Master German race! All others impure!  Hitler placed Germany’s troubles on the Treaty of Versailles  Hitler tore the treaty to shreds before cheering crowds!  Once in power, Hitler delivered on his promise to put people back to work  Roads and bridges being built, guns, tanks, warships and planes being manufactured  Men flocked to join the growing Army

 All traces of democracy in Germany were destroyed  Anyone who spoke out against the NAZIs found themselves in concentration camps  Newspapers and radios spread NAZI propaganda  Unions, schools, churches and the Army were under NAZI control  The Gestapo was everywhere!