European Dictators
Adolf
Hitler
Benito
Mussolini
Joseph
Stalin
Adolf Hitler


Had a very tough
childhood at the
hands of his strict &
abusive father
A failed artist &
student
World War I

Fought in WWI & was
wounded
The Great Speaker


Hitler begins his
political career as a
member of the
German Worker’s
Party in 1919.
Became a great
public speaker.
The Swastika

Hitler changes the
name of the Fascist
Worker’s Party to
the National
Socialist German
Worker’s Party or
NAZI for short.
The Secret Police

Hitler’s “Brown
Shirts” or
SA&SS (secret
police)
eventually
become
1,000,000 strong
Hitler the Writer

Wrote “Mein Kampf”
while in prison 192526. Spoke of
revenge against
France & the Treaty
Of Versailles. Also
spoke of a pure
Aryan Germany
Supreme Dictator

Became Supreme
Dictator “ in January
1933- Uses brute
force & murder
against any & all
detractors. Called
himself “der Fuhrer”
(The Leader)
Hitler's Army
The Expansion of Germany



Begins his quest for
expansion in 1936
by moving troops
into the Rhineland
Into Austria & The
Sudetenland in 1938
Munich agreement
= Appeasement
WWII BREAKS OUT



Hitler invades
Poland on
September 1, 1939
On September 3,
1939 Great Britain &
France declare war
on Germany
WWII begins
Benito Mussolini


Had a very tough
childhood. He was
kicked out of several
schools. Stabbed a
fellow student when
he was 10 years old.
Stuttered as a child
but over came this to
become a powerful
public speaker
Mussolini the Teacher?

Mussolini
became a teacher
in Switzerland but
was not able to
find a job
Mussolini during WWI

Like Hitler
Mussolini
fought & was
wounded during
WWI. (He got
injured during
grenade
practice.)
Mussolini enters politics

Starts the Fascist
movement throughout
Italy (Politics based
on an extreme form of
nationalism and
patriotism often linked
to racism)
Mussolini’s Private Army


Mussolini’s
black shirts
(foot soldiers)
become very
powerful &
violent.
Very loyal to
their Fascist
leader.
Becoming Prime Minister

Becomes Prime
Minister of Italy in
1922. Uses this
position to spread
fascism and destroy
his detractors.
Il DUCE

In 1925
Mussolini
becomes
Supreme
Dictator and
takes the title
“Il Duce” (the
leader)
Expanding Italy


Begins his
quest for
expansion
in 1935 by
invading
Ethiopia.
League of
Nations
does
nothing.
Joseph Stalin (U.S.S.R.)


Born Joseph
Vissarionovich
Djugashvili Stalin in
1879
Very tough
childhood at the
hands of his
alcoholic and
abusive father
Stalin the student

Very good
student in
school but
was also
very
problematic.
Rebellious youth

Arrested,
jailed and
exiled
numerous
times in his
early life
Superman wannabe

Takes
the name
Stalin
(man of
steel) in
1910
Stalin & Lenin


Works under
Lenin during the
Russian Civil
War 1918-1920
Lenin dies in
1924 and Stalin
takes ruthless
steps to become
his successor.
Stalin’s secret police


Stalin’s private
police kill
millions of
dissidents.
By 1929 Stalin
gets rid of all
rivals in his party
& is the sole
force of
government.
Stalin the communist

Like Lenin
Stalin was a
staunch
communist
who put the
state
(himself)
above
everything!
Soviet Industrial Revolution



Stalin works on an
Industrial Revolution
instead of
aggressively
acquiring land.
This included
building military
weapons.
Preparing for war.
What about Japan


Japan is very
unpopular in the
West. (Europe &
U.S.)
U.S. limits Japanese
immigrants 1924
because of fear they
would “take over” the
west.
In Japan Military Rules


Emperor Hirohito
assumes power in
1926.
Throughout the
1930’s the military
gains control of
government.
Japanese Expansion


Japan invades
Manchuria, Russia &
China during the
1930’s.
General Tojo
becomes Prime
Minister in 1938.
U.S. & Britain react



League of Nations
criticizes war with
China.
Japan quits the
League.
Britain & U.S. place
an oil embargo
against Japan.
Japan joins the Axis Powers

In 1940 Japan joins the
Axis Powers. Axis
Powers
The principal countries
constituting the Axis
Powers were
Germany, Italy and
Japan. Hungary,
Bulgaria, and Romania
also fought with the
Axis Powers.