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Published byIrma Barton Modified over 9 years ago
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The Rise of the Totalitarian System Nobody really wins WWI Everyone loses Especially Germany & her Allies Economic, social, political and geographic disaster leads to drastic methods to deal with drastic times
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Marx – left Rousseau – left/Center Smith – Right/Center Hobbes – Right Left – Socialism/Communism Center – Democracies Right – Theocracies, Authoritarian
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Post War Treaty of Versailles Germany to pay reparation until 1988 Germany responsible/guilty Military reductions Loss of territory Loss of industrial capability Economic Ruin Social disaster Political vacuum
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Clash of Political Philosophies Socialists and Communists Focus on working class needs Fascists Parliamentary rule: Weak and unstable… chaotic Conciliatory toward Germany Women gained rights Individual Liberty Economic difficulties lead to increased government controls Democracies and capitalists
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Focus:Progress Communist Socialist Focus: Tradition Authoritarian Fascist Nazi Theocracies Focus: Liberty Democratic Social Democrats
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Conditions in Europe Middle class economic frustrations Upper class – fears socialism Anti-Parliamentarianism –Poor economy Aggressive Nationalism –Why? Everyone is a victim after WWI
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Europe ripe for Communism? Britain– 1% of population owns 60% of national wealth 1/10 th of 1% owns 30% wealth Germany – Weimar Republic –Very weak…
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Hyper-inflation German Mark declined greatly in value between 1919 & 1924
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German Economy: Hyperinflation Collapse of the Mark (1919-24) 1914: 4::1 to the US dollar 1919: 19::1 Jan.1923: 18,000::1 July 1923: 353,000::1 October 1923: 25,000,000::1 November 1923: 4 trillion::1 10 million marks = 1 cent
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German Economy Period Two: Recovery (1924- 1929) - Reparations Eased -Us Loans, economy begins to recover Period Three: Depression (1929-32) - 1929-32: onset of the Great Depression, industrial output drops 40% - By 1932: 40% are unemployed
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Communism State controls (or at least tries to) all areas of life Eventually the state will wither away Emphasis on class warfare, victory for the proletariat (workers)
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Rather than Communism, Much of Europe goes for Authoritarianism, They move to the Right They move back to the traditional, with a central, strong leader
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Authoritarian Focus is control of the political system Could be a monarchy, dictatorship, oligarchy
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Fascism Define themselves more by what they’re against Strong leader - restore order- dictatorship State controls (tries to) all areas of life Go for popular power Expand national borders Fulfill “historical destiny”; emphasis on traditions of the past Get rid of outsiders & undesirables
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Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) Comes to power 1922 Promises Second Roman Empire Mare Nostrum = Med. Sea… “our lake” Presents himself as protector of law and order “Italy would fulfill its historic destiny”… he would say (Marx)
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Adolf Hitler Author of Mein Kampf (My Struggle) Anti-Semitic Volkish Social Darwinist Anti-Marxist
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Democracy Republican government elected by and answerable to the governed Socialist/Liberal democracies are concerned with a fair distribution of the wealth Conservative democracies believe in less government interference with the economy, laissez faire
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And then there are the democracies following WWI America: Idealistic American and European democracies : Economic instability All: socialist practices to stabilize economic/ social problems Most isolationist Security Finally :German Democracy succumbs to economic and social collapse—and adopts a fascist government
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And the results Russia:communist path; economics is the Root of all social and political ills Italy, Germany, and Japan: authoritarian; Republican forms of government are slow, ineffectual, corrupt America, France, Great Britain: social democracies
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Conflict and Resolution Economic: Stability and growth Political: status at home and abroad Social: stabilize and unify Geographic: self- determination The resolution to conflicts in these four categories will again lead the world into war
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