Page 693 –716 In Stearns
Unit: 1914 -Present
Major Developments:
#3: New Patterns of Nationalism (fascism)
Authoritarian Regimes
Title: Fascism and Authoritarian Regimes
Objective: You will be able to describe the nature of fascism and its
appeal
What is fascism?
What are the characteristics of fascism?
What countries adopted fascism in the 1920s and 1930s?
Why would people vote for fascist leaders?
Primary Source Corner
“Our strength lies in our quickness and in our brutality;
Genghis Khan has sent millions of women and
children into death knowingly and with a light heart.
History sees in him only the great founder of States. As
to what the weak Western European civilisation
asserts about me, that is of no account. I have given
the command and I shall shoot everyone who utters
one word of criticism, for the goal to be obtained in
the war is not that of reaching certain lines but of
physically demolishing the opponent. Only thus we
can gain the living space that we need. Who after all
is today speaking about the destruction of the
Armenians?”
- Adolf Hitler, 1939
1. Why is Hitler comparing himself to Genghis Khan? What is he saying about how
history views certain leaders?
2. Do you think this is a strong argument? Why or why not?
What is fascism?
 An example of totalitarianism (when the
government reserves the right to regulate every
aspect of a person’s life)
 a political movement that promotes an extreme
form of nationalism, glorification of war, denial of
individual rights, and a dictatorial one party rule.
What are the characteristics of
fascism?
 Country, or race is above the individual; all loyalty to the
state
 Celebrates rebirth or purification of a people or country
 Elevated belief in more defined morality or spirituality
 Intolerance towards people within population who are
different
 Celebrates traditional gender roles
What are the characteristics of
fascism?
 Male supremacy is important
 Simple, common language (academic language is
mocked)
 The will of the people=the will of the fascists (they cannot
be wrong)
What countries adopted fascism in
the 1920s and 1930s?
 Italy (Benito Mussolini)
 Germany (Adolf Hitler)
 Japan (Showa period, Emperor Hirohito)
 Spain (Francisco Franco)
Why would people vote for fascist
leaders?
 Lingering disappointment from WWI
 Rising unemployment and economic chaos
 Upper classes feared a Communist takeover
 Need for change, fascist leaders claim they will bring
needed change
Rise of Fascism




Fascism – a political movement that
promotes an extreme form of
nationalism, glorification of war, denial of
individual rights, and a dictatorial one
party rule.
In the 1920’s and 1930’s, fascists took
power in many countries:
 Italy
 Germany
 Japan
 Spain
Nazism: A German brand of fascism
 Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came
to power in Germany in 1933. They
quickly took over all aspects of
German society.
Why did fascism gain so much
popularity?
 Lingering disappointment from WWI
 Rising unemployment and economic
chaos
 Upper classes feared a Communist
takeover
What symbols
are used?
What do they
represent?
Japan
(Hirohito)
Germany
(Hitler)
Italy
(Mussolini)
Spain
(Franco)
Message (what
are the main
ideas?)
How is the
leader
portrayed?
What
elements of
fascism are
represented?