1. Factors Contributing to Rise of Authoritarian Dictators
Single-Party States
Mao Zedong
Josef Stalin
Factors Contributing to Rise of Authoritarian Dictators
Fidel Castro

2. Emergence of Single-Party States
After the Great War, the governments of Eastern and Southern Europe that had been founded in the wake of war collapsed. By early 1938, only Czechoslovakia remained democratic. Germany, Italy, the Soviet Union (as well as Portugal and Spain), all fell to conservative dictators.
Reasons for this included:
* Recent warfare or economic collapse
* existence of ethic or class conflict which threatened the nation
* desire to preserve the status quo, rather than forcing rapid change on change on society due to fear of future chaos (which presents a willingness to adopt extreme measures)

3. Extreme Measures
The willingness to adopt extreme philosophies or tactics in an attempt to maintain order may result in:
Giving up control to one political party
Suppression of any opposition (legally or through force)
Elimination or reorganization of existing organizations in an effort to ensure dominance for the new leader
Enforcement of these measures through harsh repression of any perceived threats and extensive use of propaganda

4. Rise to Power
Understanding the methods, circumstances and decisions that lead to a country being taken over by a single party and a single leader are crucial to understanding the 20th century. There are numerous examples (on all continents) of attempts, some successful and others not, to achieve this type of autocracy. These attempts have had a tremendous impact on international affairs and have produced military, diplomatic, economic and social crises. The three major areas of examination regarding single-party states are: 1. the leader 2. the historical context 3. the elimination of the opposition

5. The Leader Physical Characteristics
The single-party state essentially is a single-person state since the leader’s name tends to be synonymous with the party. The role played by the leader, and by the growth of the leader within the party, include such qualities as:
Physical Characteristics
Size, appearance, personal magnetism, show of strength and power
(e.g. Many Nazi-sympathisers adopted the ‘Hitler Stache’ like Walt Disney)
Intelligence and Spiritual Depth (Rhetoric & Oratory)
Ability to articulate a program of advancement and reform for the nation

6. The Leader Personal skills Ability to gain and maintain support
Oratory, charm, charisma, confidence, determination
Ability to gain and maintain support
Both from other powerful leaders and talented individuals, and from the general population
Personal history
Evidence of heroism, courage, sacrifice and struggle against injustice (real or perceived)
Commitment
A necessary motivation to succeed against all odds

7. Ideology and Political Platform
A leader must present both a political ideology (statements of principle and vision of the future), but also a political platform (tangible, implementable policies and programs)
Based on principles, serves to inspire and unify the public
Ideology
Pragmatic policies that address the immediate issues of the party
Tangible manifestation of the principles
Platform

8. Ideology and Political Platform
In order to be successful, a leader must do in the following:
Make the “ideology” a “platform”
Be able to adapt the ideology and platform to changing circumstances
Focus on most immediately important issues, even at the expense of key platform elements