1. TOTALITARIANISM in Interwar Europe
German Federal Archive (cc 3.0)

2. Aftermath of World War I
Europe was burdened by war debts.
Had to face the tough task of rebuilding
Several countries moved their governments toward TOTALITARIANISM

3. What is Totalitarianism?
A political system in which government controls every aspect of citizens’ lives.
How do you control people in a totalitarian country?
Mass Communication = methods of communication (newspapers, radio, public address system) designed to reach large #s of people at once.

4. Key Traits of Totalitarianism
Other methods of enforcement:
-Police Terror
-Indoctrination
-Censorship
-Persecution

5. Not all totalitarian dictators were Communists
In Italy, Germany, & Spain, people turned to an extremely nationalist gov’t called fascism
Fascist gov’ts were controlled by dictators who demanded loyalty from citizens
Fascists did not offer democracy & used one-party to rule the nation
Unlike Communists, fascists believed people could keep their property

6. National Socialism (Nazism)
Totalitarian Regimes
“Left Wing”
Soviet Union
Communism/
Bolshevism/
Leninism
Lenin/Stalin
“Right Wing”
Germany
Italy
National Socialism (Nazism)
Fascism
Hitler
Mussolini

7. RADICAL AUTHORITARIAN NATIONALISM
Fascism
(Italy)
RADICAL AUTHORITARIAN NATIONALISM
Benito Mussolini
Il Duce

8. Nazi Party (Germany) 1933 National Socialist Adolf Hitler der Fürher
German Workers Party

9. Fascism and Bolshevism Common Traits1.
YES 2. 3. 4. 5.
YES?
Opposition to Liberal Democracy
Unity through Hatred (common enemy)
Government by a Party Elite
The Cult of the Leader
Totalitarianism

10. Fascism and Bolshevism Common Traits1.
YES 2. 3. 4. 5.
YES?
Opposition to Liberal Democracy
Unity through Hatred (common enemy)
Government by a Party Elite
The Cult of the Leader
Totalitarianism

11. The Problem of the Left/Right Dichotomy
Democrats (US)
Conservatives (UK)
Labour (UK)
Republicans (US)
“MODERATE GOVERNMENTS”
Fascists
Nazis
Communists
“FAR RIGHT”
“FAR LEFT”

12. Contrasting Totalitarian Regimes
Bolshevism
Fascism
Internationalist
Goal:
Worldwide Communist Revolution
Nationalist
Mussolini – Fascism “not for export”
CLASS HATRED rather than racial hatred.
(Soviet states were ethnically diverse)
Master Race Ideologies
The enemy = outsiders & ethnic minorities

13. SOURCE: http://www.knowledgequestmaps.com Used With Permission

14. Totalitarian Regimes in Europe & Asia
Mussolini & Hitler believed in fascism: the idea that nations need strong dictators, total authority by one party, but that people can keep private property
Stalin was a Communist believed that the government should control all property & business
In some ways, fascism was similar to communism. Both systems were ruled
by dictators who allowed only their own political party (one-party rule). Both
denied individual rights. In both, the state was supreme. Neither practiced any
kind of democracy. However, unlike Communists, Fascists did not seek a classless
society. Rather, they believed that each class had its place and function. In
most cases, Fascist parties were made up of aristocrats and industrialists, war veterans, and the lower middle class. Also, Fascists were nationalists, and
Communists were internationalists, hoping to unite workers worldwide.

15. Russian Revolution Review
What was the name of the party that assumed power following the revolution?
Bolsheviks
What were their goals?
To create a socialist, classless society
On what philosophers ideas was the new society formed?
Karl Marx
What ways were his ideas put into practice?
Land taken from upper classes, given to commoners

16. Early Russia: Vladimir Lenin
Dictator: Vladimir Lenin
System of Government: Communism
Beliefs: Created a dictatorship instead of an equal society.

17. Russia: Josef Stalin Dictator: Josef Stalin
System of Government: Communism
Beliefs: Controlled farms and industry. State Police enforced laws.

18. Rise of Stalin Used his position to obtain power (General Secretary)
Eliminates all competition
Turns Russia into a totalitarian state
Uses 5-year plans to build Russia to be a strong nation .
Through Collative farming (collectivization) forced labor
Planned industry- Huge factories
Achieves goal in 9-years, but millions of poor on the county die…

19. What happened if you disagreed with Stalin?
Stalin removed his enemies from society. “The Purge”.
Italy, Germany, Russia and Japan would depend on dictators to lead their governments.
Sent them to labor camps.
Destroyed birth records
Doctored photos.

20. Labor Camps in Siberia
Average temperature in Siberia during winter: -10°F to below -50°F (-45°F).

21. Italy
Fascism
A political movement that promotes an extreme form of nationalism, a denial of individual rights, and a dictatorial one-party rule.
Dictator:
Benito Mussolini
System of government: Fascism
Beliefs: Destroy all opposition. Believed in restoring a new Roman Empire.

22. Italy
Dissatisfied with WWI and its lack of territory, amount of death and bad economy
Fascist party wants quick solutions criticizes democracy and constitutionalism claiming it takes too long.

23. Mussolini created the Blackshirts (a secret police force) to enforce the goals of his Fascist Party

24. By 1922, Mussolini was popular enough to lead a “March on Rome” & forced the Italian king to name him prime minister

25. As prime minister, Benito Mussolini was known as “Il Duce” (the chief)
Mussolini ended democracy & all opposition parties
Mussolini built up the military to create new jobs
He planned to conquer new territories in Africa for Italy

26. JAPAN Emperor Hirohito System of Government: Militarism & Imperialism
Japanese military was really in charge.
System of Government: Militarism & Imperialism
Beliefs: Wanted to seize new territories and take control of natural resources (I.e., coal, timber, iron ore, control of China)
Invaded the Chinese state of Manchuria.

27. The Weimar Republic ECONOMIC PROBLEMS 1919-1933
Germany briefly experimented with liberal democracy.
ECONOMIC PROBLEMS
Map by kgberger (cc 2.5)

28. HYPERINFLATION

29. Germany Suffered the most from the Treaty of Versailles.
Germans became bitter as their economy crippled.
Went through “hyperinflation”. Prices increased as the value of the money decreased.

30. What happened next? The rise of Adolf Hitler.
Tried to overthrow German government.
In prison, Hitler wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle).
Book blamed Communists and Jews for Germany’s defeat in WWI.
Mein Kampf also provided Hitler’s plan for Germany’s rise to European and global power.

31. Why did Hitler blame the Jews?
Many wealthy bankers and businessmen in Germany were Jewish.
Since Germans were losing money, Hitler made the Jews an easy target.
1932 – HITLER Led the National Socialist Party (NAZI) to victory in the national election.
NAZISM established.

32. NAZI Beliefs
Believed in a strong central government under the Führer (the leader).
One master Aryan race.
Jewish and Communists were enemies of the people.

33. Kristallnacht - 1938 “Night of Broken Glass”
Nazis destroyed many Jewish businesses and destroyed synagogues.

34. Other Actions by the Nazis

35. Non-Aggression Pact & The Axis Powers
Non-Aggression Pact – Hitler and Stalin agreed to avoid war with each other.
AXIS POWERS
1936 – Italy and Germany form a military alliance
1940 – Japan joins the alliance.

36. Appeasement British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain met with Hitler
Allowed Hitler control of Sudetenland but NO MORE
Appeasement: meeting demands of a hostile power in order to avoid war.

37. America’s Reaction U.S. was reluctant to get involved in another war.
Congress passed laws to prevent the sale of weapons to any nation at war.
Americans wanted to remain isolationists.