Rise of the Dictators The Seeds of World War II

Bad Decisions Leads to Bad Consequences The Treaty of Versailles was the seed of unrest. How? Germany was forced to accept the terms of the treaty which crippled their newly established democratic gov’t. Germans were angry over their treatment, resentful of the Allies, and desperate for some hope. Why would these type of feelings allow for someone like Adolf Hitler to take control of the gov’t?

What is a Totalitarian Dictator? Single-party having control of all aspects of life. Strong, charismatic leader. State control of economy. Use of police, spies, and terror to enforce the will of the leader. Gov’t control of the media. Use of schools to spread ideology to children. Strict censorship to arts, intellectuals, and people who disagree with the leadership.

Rise of the Totalitarian Dictator While some embraced democracy and freedoms, others embraced totalitarianism. Due to the global impact of the Depression, people became desperate for anything that would get them out of their financial messes. The 20 th century saw the rise of the new totalitarian dictators like never before.

Stalin Maintain Grip on the Soviet Union A totalitarian gov’t was already in place in the Soviet Union during WWI. After the death of leader Vladimir Lenin, Joseph Stalin (man of steel), took power. He transformed the USSR into an industrial giant, but was responsible for the deaths of 10 million people and the imprisonment of many more. His combination of force and propaganda kept him in control despite all of the deaths.

Mussolini Takes Control of the Fascist Party Italy’s move to totalitarianism was a result of WWI. Italy was angered over not getting their just rewards from being a victor in WWI. The Depression also cost many war veterans jobs, the economy was uneasy, and the Socialists were attempting to bring Communism to Italy. Enter “Il Duce,” who brought nationalism and the promise to restore Italy to greatness under Fascism.

The Nazi Party Rises in Germany To have an alternative against the current democratic Weimar Republic and the growing Communist Party, the Nazi Party became a popular alternative. The Nazi Party, based on nationalism and a hatred for Socialists, Communists and Jewish people (Anti-Semitism), quickly rose to power because of Germany’s economic crisis and the charisma of it’s new leader, Adolf Hitler. The Nazi’s took control consolidated with the Weimar Republic, but eventually took control and became the only voice of Germany. By the late 30’s, Hitler had reshaped Germany’s economy by secretly rearming the military. People cheered his efforts while he secretly took away their freedoms.

Japan Turns Militaristic The Depression also changed how the gov’t was run in Japan. Needing to end economic troubles, the military leaders of Japan resumed leadership with the Emperor as it’s political figurehead. Needing new resources for it’s industrial expansion, Japan began to aggressively take control of areas of China to steal resources.

Dictators Unite! Hitler defied many aspects of the Treaty of Versailles, including rebuilding Germany’s military, reunified the German people, and took control of the Saar region and the Rhineland. Mussolini took over Ethiopia despite an appeal to the League of Nations. The Fascists also won a civil war in Spain, led by Gen. Fransisco Franco and aided by new German and Italian weapons. Other than the Soviet Union, the rest of the world sat this fight out.

No Response to Aggression England and France decided that appeasement was the best policy to German/ Italian aggression and the League of Nations was powerless to stop them. Why appeasement? –WWI made them reluctant to push for another world war. –They were more afraid of the Soviet Union. –They were not sure if the U.S. would support their efforts. Due to their lack of response, Germany continues to annex countries, including Austria and the western portion of Czechoslovakia.