1. Mussolini, Stalin, and Hitler
European Dictators
Mussolini, Stalin, and Hitler

2. Italy and Mussolini
After WWI Italy’s leadership was unstable and indecisive
Mussolini, once a strong promoter of socialism, helped create a new political group called the National Fascist Party
Wanted to build an Italian empire that would be more glorious than the Roman Empire
He believed fascism was necessary to make Italy strong
Fascism places the good of the nation above all else, including individual rights; an all-powerful dictator makes all major decisions

3. Mussolini in Power
Mussolini’s fascist party got a lot of support, but he wanted total control
He organized a march on Rome to force the king of Italy to give him power, and the king put Mussolini in charge
Mussolini use propaganda to promote his ideas and convince the people that Italy was the greatest country on Earth
Introduced new holidays and festivals to remind people if their Roman heritage

4. Ethiopia
Mussolini wanted to display Italy’s military strength and expand his empire
He chose to invade Ethiopia for two reasons
Ethiopia was an easy target
It was the territory that had defeated the Italian armies during the Age of Imperialism
The League of Nations refused to stop Mussolini from conquering Ethiopia because they were afraid it would lead to another world war

5. Stalin and the Soviet Union

6. After Lenin
Lenin did not choose a successor to his position, so when he died there was a struggle for power
Stalin eventually won the battle for power and took over as leader of the Soviet Union
Unlike Lenin, Stalin did not follow Karl Marx’s communist theory to lead
Instead of gradually reducing government power, Stalin turned the Soviet Union into a totalitarian state

7. The Five-Year Plans
Stalin wanted to improve the economy and implemented five-year production goals for all factories and mines
The plans increased production greatly, but they forced the workers to meet increasingly high demands

8. Collectivization
Stalin took away all lands from peasant farmers created large, mechanized farms to increase production
When the peasants protested, he had them killed or sent to Siberia; millions of resisters in the Ukraine starved to death when Stalin refused to send them food during a famine

9. The Purges
Stalin constantly feared that people were plotting against him
He had political opponents arrested or killed, and then he purged thousands of people in his own government
Stalin ordered secret police to eliminate Russian citizens who they thought might be anti-communist
People were very afraid of appearing anti-communist, so they did everything they could to show their faith in the Soviet Union

10. Hitler and Nazi Germany

11. How did Hitler Turn the Chancellorship into a Dictatorship?

12. Hitler became Chancellor January 1933
The depression after the Wall Street Crash made many more people vote for the Nazis because they promised to rebuild Germany
In 1933 advisors convinced Hindenburg that Hitler should become Chancellor
Hitler became
Chancellor
January 1933

13. The Reichstag Fire
February 1933

14. The Reichstag Fire February 1933
The Reichstag, the building where the German government met, burned down
A communist was found inside the building. He admitted responsibility after having “a little chat” with Nazi officials
Chancellor Hitler was able to convince people that the Communists were trying to take power by terrorism
He was able to have the Communists banned from the Reichstag
February 1933

15. The Enabling Act
With the Communists banned from the Reichstag Hitler was able to pass:
HITLER CAN
RULE ALONE
FOR FOUR
YEARS WITHOUT
HAVIINGTO
CONSULT THE
REICHSTAG
March 1933

16. The Enabling Act allowed Hitler to make his own laws, so he banned all other political parties!
connumists
Social Deomocrats
all other parties
Labor party

17. Political prisoners
were put in
concentration camps
run by the S.S.

18. The Night of the Long Knives
Now I have got rid of opposition political groups, I can now deal with opposition in my party.
The head of the S.A. is very unpopular with the German army leaders who have the power to overthrow me
I’ve been worried about him for a while, so this is a good excuse to get rid of him
June 1934

19. The Night of the Long Knives
Hitler had to get rid of the head of the S.A. He was too much of a threat
On the night of June , Hitler’s S.S. killed over 1000 SA members including their leader
The army was pleased and Hitler gained their support

20. The death of President Hindenburg A final note PRESIDENT HINDENBURG’S
ALLOWED HITER TO COMBINE
THE ROLE OF CHANCELLOR
AND PRESIDENT. HE CALLED
HIMSELF ‘DER FUHRER’.
August 1934

21. Oath of loyalty to Adolf Hitler
Every soldier swore a personal oath of loyalty to ADOLF HITLER.

22. So, how did he become
a dictator legally?

23. Der Fuhrer HITLER BECAME CHANCELLOR THE REICHSTAG FIRE THE ENABLING
ACT
Der Fuhrer
OATH OF
LOYALTY TO
HITLER
THE NIGHT
OF THE
LONG
KNIVES
DEATH OF
PRESIDENT
HINDENBURG

24. Putting Germany Back to Work

25. Germany 1933 By January 1933, unemployment had reached 6,000,000.
No one would loan Germany money to run the country
The Weimar Government couldn’t do anything to help the unemployed
Hitler was elected on a promise to give the German people ‘Bread & Jobs’

26. Impact of Hitler’s Policies on Unemployment

27. How Did Hitler Put Germany Back to Work?

28. RAD – The National Labor Service
Gave men jobs in public work schemes
Men in RAD had to wear a uniform & live in camps
They were given free meals and pocket money
They built drainage ditches, schools, a new network of motorways and planted new forests

29. To improve the living conditions of the German people
Kick start the Cycle of Prosperity
What was the goal of Hitler’s Public Works Program?
To build impressive buildings so that the German people would feel proud
To improve the public transport network for industrial & military use

30. Autarky – National Self Sufficiency
Hitler wanted to make Germany a strong independent country that was sufficient in food and materials
Germany had lost WWI because it had run out of food and war materials
German scientists developed all sorts of artificial substitutes such as gas from coal and coffee from acorns
These new substitutes were made in Germany and gave the unemployed jobs in new industries
Hitler also encouraged the growth of the car industry

31. The Car Industry
Designed by Porsche and nicked named ‘The Peoples Car’, known today as the ……?

32. Produced low cost cars which helped to keep the German people happy
Created Jobs in other industries because of the need for standardized parts.
Produced low cost cars which helped to keep the German people happy
Steel
Car Industry
Glass
Good Revision for the Boom in the USA
Rubber
Car Production could easily be switched to the production of military vehicles
Leather
Cycle of Prosperity

33. What Other Things Did Hitler Do to Reduce Unemployment?
By 1934 all Jews were fired from civil service jobs which were then given to German workers.
Unemployed Jews were not registered.
Women lost their jobs which were given to men.
People who refused jobs offered by the labor service were arrested and put into concentration camps.