1. Rise of the Dictators
Here we go.

2. Stalin and the Soviet Union
Joseph Stalin took over the Soviet Union in after Lenin died in 1924.
He focused on the Industrial and Agricultural growth of the country.
All privately owned farms were abolished and replaced with “Collectives,” huge government- owned farms that hundreds of families were forced to work.

3. 5 Year Plans
He had a series of these and their goal was to steadily increase the Industrial power of the nation.
The economy was placed completely under the government’s control.
It was very successful, and by 1937 the Soviets were the second largest industrial power in the world.

4. The Human Cost
Stalin established a “totalitarian” government, which means he had complete control and the people essentially had no rights.
Anyone who spoke out, or was suspected of not being on board with what he was doing, was killed.
It’s not officially known, but best estimates are between 8 and 13 million were put to death.
Reference sake, the Holocaust was responsible for around 6 million deaths.

5. Fascism in Italy.
Benito Mussolini began establishing a totalitarian regime in Italy during the 1920’s.
Unemployment was rampant and inflation was causing the economy to falter.
Communists were organizing labor strikes
The middle and upper class Italians start to get afraid and demand a strong leader.

6. Mussolini’s rise
He was an excellent speaker who knew his audience well.
His speeches were laced with anti- communist rhetoric and fears of a total economic collapse.
The middle and upper class people ate it up and he became very popular.

7. Fascism In 1921 Mussolini establishes the Fascist Party.
Fascism stresses nationalism and puts the interest of the state over the interest of individuals.
In order for this to work best, it requires a single, strong leader with a small group of people completely devoted to the mission.

8. He takes power
Mussolini and thousands of his followers, all wearing black shirts, marched on Rome in 1922.
Top government officials, the army, the police, all sided with Mussolini and the King granted him control of the government.
He calls himself “Il Duce,” (the leader), and implements Fascism into every aspect of Italian life.
He crushed all competition and Italy became a totalitarian state.

9. Hitler’s rise
In the 1920’s Hitler joined the Nazi party and began to make a name for himself.
He was imprisoned and wrote his work “Mein Kampf” (My Struggle) which became a must read for all his followers because it outlined his philosophy.
In the 1930’s Germany was slammed by the Great Depression and were looking for a strong leader.
By 1933 he had complete control of the government.

10. Hitler’s/Nazi views and philosophy
He wanted to unit all German speaking people into one empire
He wanted racial “purification,” meaning blue-eyed blond haired “Aryans” were the master race.
Inferior races, especially Jews but also Slavs and all nonwhites should only be allowed to serve Aryans.
National Expansion- The master race needed “Lebenstraum,” or “living space,” so Germany would have to expand its borders.
He calls his plan the “Third Reich,” and promises it will last 1,000 years.

11. Militarism in Japan
The military took control of Japan in the early 1930’s because the people were upset with their economy.
The militarists in Japan, like Hitler, were very much interested in “living space” for their population and set their eyes on expansion.

12. Fascism in Spain
Francisco Franco was the leading fascist in Spain and he led a rebellion against the Spanish republic in 1936.
A civil war begins, and Hitler and Mussolini back Franco.
In the end, Franco is victorious, and Mussolini and Hitler are bff’s and form the “Rome-Berlin Axis.”

13. Effects of WWI.
Wilson envisioned the Allies’ victory in the War would make the world “Safe for Democracy.”
Nope.
America was very much “isolationist” during the 1930’s, and Roosevelt passed the “Neutrality Acts” that officially said we were going to stay out of all that mess.

14. Reading Homework
Read section 16.1

15. Vocab 8.1 and 8.2 are due Thursday