1. Rise of Dictators
Why did totalitarian dictators gain power in Europe during the 1920s and 1930s?

2. Europe after WWI
INFER: What do you think was going on in Europe after WWI? RECALL: Which country had it the worst? Why?

3. Vocabulary
Totalitarian: a single party and it’s leader have total control on all aspects of people’s lives
Dictator: leader who controls the nation by force
Fascism: a political philosophy in which total power is given to a dictator and individual freedoms are denied

4. Dictators of WWII Josef Stalin – Soviet Union – communist
Benito Mussolini – Italy – Fascist
Adolf Hitler – Germany – Nazi
Hideki Tojo – Japan – military dictator

5. Factors that led to the rise of dictators
Political instability – dictators took advantage of uncertainty in their country
Germany’s high war debt – from reparations after WWI
Worldwide depression – not just the U.S.
Massive unemployment – throughout Europe
Fascism – and other totalitarian governments took over
High inflation – prices were so high people couldn’t afford to buy things

6. Summary
Political and economic conditions in Europe following WWI led to the rise of fascism and to WWII.
The rise of fascism threatened peace in Europe and Asia.
Fascist dictators include Hitler, Mussolini and Tojo.
Dictators led the countries that became known as the Axis Powers.