 How did WWI begin in Europe? › Who made up the Triple Alliance? › Who made up the Triple Entente?  Why was it called the “war to end all wars”? › What was the cost?  How might you have felt, just coming out a devastating world war - followed by a catastrophic depression - when news of another potential war in Europe began to spread?

 Problems with peace › The Treaty of Versailles left many European nations dissatisfied; they felt Germany had not been punished enough  German outrage › The Treaty of Versailles crushed the German economy, it also left the Germans feeling humiliated › In addition, the Germans had to give up major industrial regions and pay huge amounts of reparations which caused a period of steep inflation; German currency had no meaningful value What is ‘inflation’?

 After the fall of the German government, they attempted to establish a democracy in Germany, but it was very unstable  The Weimar Republic faced a great deal of opposition both from communist sympathizers and far right anti- democratic groups

 What is a ‘dictatorship’?  What does it mean to have a ‘totalitarian’ government?

 Benito Mussolini › Outraged by the Treaty of Versailles, Mussolini founded a new party – the Fascist Party  Fascist is a term which means “bundle of rods”; the Romans had used the bundle of rods as a symbol for their state (a single rod can be easily broken, but many rods tied together are strong)  Fascism › A system of government which stresses the glory of the state

 Mussolini used his dynamic public speaking skills to gain a seat in parliament  His vision of a strong, orderly Italy appealed to many people  He encouraged the use of violence against Communists and Socialists, whom many Italians blamed for the post- war chaos of Europe  In 1922, Mussolini became the leader of the Italian government and established a totalitarian dictatorship › A form of government in which a dictator has complete control over the political and social lives of their constituents

 Adolf Hitler, a volunteer member of the German army, was angered by the Treaty of Versailles  He joined a small political party known as the National Socialists, or Nazis  During this time, Hitler discovered his talent for public speaking, and began to gain influence

 In 1923, an impatient Hitler attempted to overthrow the German government; he failed, and was jailed for nine months of a five-year sentence  Mein Kampf (“My Struggle”) › During his imprisonment, Hitler wrote his infamous memoir detailing his political ideology › Stressed nationalism and devotion to the state › Dreamed of uniting all the Germans of Europe in a great empire

 Hitler expressed a belief in racial superiority of Germanic peoples, whom he called ‘Aryans’  He blamed Jews for many of Germany’s problems and believed that they threatened the purity of the Aryan race What were the primary characteristics of the Aryan race?

 By 1933, the Nazi party was the most powerful party in Germany  Hitler now moved to establish himself as a totalitarian dictator as well  Using his political skills and violence – when necessary – he eliminated all who opposed him  In addition, he began to secretly build up German armed forces, which would come in handy as he sought to fulfill his dream of a German empire

 Who is in charge of the Soviet Union (formerly known as Russia) during this time period?  What type of government was in place there?

 Joseph Stalin had already established a communist government in the Soviet Union  Communism and fascism represent opposite political extremes; the only thing they had in common was their violent response to opposition  Stalin’s domination of all aspects of Soviet life made him one of the era’s most infamous totalitarian dictators  Like Hitler and Mussolini, Stalin created a myth of his own greatness › Towns and cities were re-named after him › His portrait was displaying everywhere

1. How did the conclusion of World War I affect the political climate in Europe? 2. How did the severe inflation in Germany affect the population? 3. Why do you think it is important for a peace agreement, such as the Treaty of Versailles, to be regarded as fair by all sides? 4. Write a brief definition for each of the following terms: fascism, dictatorship, totalitarianism 5. What attribute did Mussolini, Hitler, and Stalin all have in common? 6. Why do you think the three totalitarian dictators worked so hard to build public adoration of themselves?