1. The Rise of Dictators

2. What is Totalitarianism?
Totalitarianism is a form of government when one leader has total control of the country and all aspects of the citizens’ lives.

3. Who had Totalitarian governments?
Soviet Union, Italy, Germany, and Japan
Economic, social, & political problems after WWI led to the rise of different totalitarian governments in these countries.

4. Who were these countries leaders?
Country
Political Party
Government Type
Adolf Hitler
Germany
Nazi
Fascism
Benito Mussolini
Italy
Fascist
Joseph Stalin
Soviet Union
Communist
Communism
Hideki Tojo
Japan
Military
Military Dictatorship

5. Communism, Socialism, Soviet Union, & Stalin

6. What is Communism?
Founded by Germans Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels in response to the Industrial Revolution in 1848
The poor working class (proletariats) should violently overthrow the wealthy industrial capitalists (bourgeoisie)
The government should take over all land, industry, business, & production
This would end competition, private property ownership, and greed.
Wealth could then be distributed equally to citizens and land would be shared.
In this society religion would no longer be necessary. Your whole focus should be contributing to the greater society.

7. How does Communism compare to Socialism?
Socialism is economically similar to Communism but less extreme (without the violent revolution).
The biggest problem with Communism and Socialism is that corrupt leaders take the ideas of “government control” too far.
Often the people are taken care of, but only enough for their most basic survival. That way the government can keep more money for themselves.
However, usually the people aren’t taken care of at all.

8. The Soviet Union & Joseph Stalin
the Bolshevik Revolution (Vladimir Lenin) made Russia a communist nation in 1917.
(Remember? That is one of the reasons why Russia left WWI!)
After Lenin’s death in 1922, Joseph Stalin worked hard to win support from fellow Communist.
Lenin actually thought Stalin was too ruthless to be leader and wanted him removed from his high ranking position in the Communist Party.
Stalin became the leader of the Soviet Union in 1928 and worked to strengthen his power.
He created a totalitarian state
He made the country an industrial power
He exiled his biggest rival (Leon Trotsky: this is who Lenin wanted to take over after him)

9. How did Stalin maintain power in the Soviet Union?
He had a secret police group (NKVD) monitor everything said and written
Censored all sources of information
Used propaganda
Got rid of anyone he saw as a threat

10. What was the Great Purge?
During a period known as “the Great Purge,” ( ) Stalin terrorized, jailed & executed fellow members of the Communist Party and religious leaders, to keep power.
The lowest estimates credit Stalin with killing 30 million during “the Great Purge”, the highest estimates, 60 million.
Moscow = 13 million (Capital of Russia & most populous city in Russia)
NYC = 20 million (most populous city in USA)
South Carolina – 4.7 million
Charleston, SC = 125,000

11. How did Stalin impact the economy?
Stalin used a command economy.
Command Economy - an economy in which production, prices, and incomes are determined by a government.
He used “Five-Year Plans” which focused on rapid industrialization.
It worked!!
But there were shortages of electricity, food and clothes.
Stalin improved the economy but people had no political rights.

12. How did Stalin handle food shortages?
Stalin used Collectivization.
Collectivization - when the Soviet government controlled all farms to increase food production.
Food production increased by the late 1930s
Many wealthy farmers (kulaks) and peasant farmers protested collectivization but they were killed or starved to death.

13. Fascism, Italy, & Benito Mussolini

14. What is Fascism?
Fascism was the political movement that emphasized an extreme form of nationalism and power to the state.
You are either with us or against us!
Named for a Roman symbol of power, a bundle of rods tied with an axe called a fasces. (Individually weak but collectively strong)
Fascist governments took away individual liberties and were led by absolute leaders.
Fascist didn’t like Communism, Socialism, and Capitalism, because they thought it put citizens against each other and the government and that it brought economic depression, political betrayal & corruption, national weakness, and moral decline.

15. How did fascist leaders maintain power?
The leaders of Fascist governments created national unity and spirit to gain rabid support & consolidate their power.
special salutes
military steps
Emblems
holding rallies and military parades for the public
instituting elite military groups that utilized absolute power and terror tactics

16. Why was Fascism popular in Italy?
Italians & Germans blamed their previous democratic governments for their problems after World War I.
Italy didn’t think they were rewarded enough after WWI at the Treaty of Versailles.
As a result they were willing to make radical changes to their governments.

17. How did Mussolini rise to power?
Benito Mussolini founded the Fascist Party in Italy in 1919 and capitalized on the political and economic unrest in Italy.
He organized a group of supporters called the Black Shirts (for the color of their uniforms), who attacked Communists and Socialists.
Mussolini promised to strengthen the economy and gained supporters by ending a strike that paralyzed the country.
Mussolini gained support quickly as the Italian people liked his strength and believed in him.

18. How did Mussolini finally gain power?
His Fascist followers (Black Shirts) marched to Rome and told Italy’s King to make Mussolini the new leader.
It worked!!!
Mussolini was given the title of “Il Duce”, or The Leader.
He took over Italy in 1922.

19. How did Mussolini keep his power?
He set up a Fascist dictatorship and used a secret police and censorship to maintain his power.
Once his power was established, Mussolini increased the military.
To show how strong Italy was becoming Mussolini used his new military to invade Ethiopia twice in 1935 and

20. Nazism, Germany & Adolph Hitler

21. What is Nazism? Nazism is a very extreme form of Fascism.
Both are extremely nationalistic but Nazism was more racially charged
Nazism began in Germany
Like the Italian Fascists, the Nazis used mass rallies, special salutes, and special troops called the Brown Shirts.
Nazis used the swastika as its symbol.

22. Why did Germany choose Nazism?
Germany was devastated by WWI and mad about the war guilt cause.
High financial, territorial, and soldier losses after WWI led to political dissatisfaction.
Germany was willing to try anything to get better.

23. How did Fascism begin in Germany?
Adolf Hitler helped to found a fascist group called the National Social German Workers or the Nazi Party.
Hitler and his group attempted to overthrow the Weimar Republic (the reason for hyperinflation) in 1923, but failed.
Hitler was imprisoned and wrote the infamous Mein Kampf.

24. What was Mein Kampf about?
Mein Kampf means “My Struggle”
In Mein Kampf Hitler wrote about the following:
his goals for Germany,
to regain lost German lands and unite all German speaking people.
his anti‑Semitism (Hatred for Jewish people)
He blamed Jewish people for Germany’s problems
He claimed that the Germans, whom he called “Aryans” were the “master race”
his plan for power & world domination

25. How did Hitler gain power?
Hitler was released from prison early and continued his political path.
The Great Depression strengthened support for Hitler and the Nazi Party, which became Germany’s largest political party in 1932.
Because of his popularity, President Paul von Hindenburg appointed Hitler chancellor.
Soon he gained control of the new government and created a totalitarian state

26. How did Hitler maintain power?
A secret police called the Gestapo
Outlawed all other political parties
Imprisoned political opponents
Used censorship and propaganda
Banned unions
Controlled the economy

27. What did Hitler do with his power?
He was called the Fuhrer, or leader.
He eliminated political rivals
He ignored the Treaty of Versailles
He used Germany’s money to build factories and infrastructure, and military

28. How did Hitler use his new military?
He moved troops into the Rhineland in 1936
Took over Austria in 1938
Took the Sudetenland in 1938
Claimed all of Czechoslovakia in 1939

29. Military Dictatorship, Japan, & Hideki Tojo

30. How did the Great Depression impact Japan?
When the Great Depression occurred, Japan was a newly industrialized country.
Japan used luxury exports (wool, silk, porcelain, tea, rice) to finance its imports of raw materials (metal, food, sugar) and fuel.
Because of the global depression USA and Europe couldn’t buy Japan’s exports causing distrust of Western markets.
Further compounded by bad harvests in several regions
Japans economy struggled and the people blamed their leader.

31. What is a Military Dictatorship?
A form of government that is controlled by military leaders.

32. Why did Japan become a military dictatorship?
Because of Japan’s economic issues, Military leaders took control of the main operations of the government.
They said gaining more territory across Asia would address their economic problems by providing them with more natural resources and creating stronger nationalism.
The Emperor (Hirohito) was left mainly as a figurehead at the command of the military.
Japan’s form of totalitarian government became a military dictatorship.

33. How did the military dictatorship help Japan?
In 1931 Japan acted on their policy of expansionism by invading Manchuria.
The League of Nations could only voice its disapproval of the invasion
the Japanese responded by withdrawing from the League in 1933.
Japan attacked China in 1937, which caused communist and noncommunist forces in China to unite to fight the foreigners.