Dictators of the Post-WWI World
Characteristics of Totalitarianism

An official ideology
 Italy—Fascism
 Germany—Nazism
 USSR—Communism

A single mass party
 Fascists (Italy)
 Nazis (Germany)
 Communists (USSR)
Characteristics--continued

A system of terroristic
police control
 NKVD—USSR
 Black Shirts—Italy
 Gestapo—Germany
Characteristics-continued

A monopoly on all means of
communication
 Radio, press, movies
A monopoly on all weapons
and military
 Central control of the
economy

Mussolini’s Rise to
Power
Post-WWI—strikes,
unemployment, peasants seize land
 Mussolini’s Promises

 Protect property for landowners
 Employment and benefits for workers
 Restore Italy to former greatness
Black Shirts—used violence to gain
support
 March on Rome—October 1922
 King Victor Emmanuel III—named
him Prime Minister

Fascism
Italy became Fascist under
Mussolini
 Fascism

 Glorification of the State
 Single party system with
strong ruler
 Aggressive form of
Nationalism—gave state
absolute authority
Fascism
Mussolini used terminology
and symbols that recalled the
“glory” of ancient Rome, and
by association, Italy
 The term fascist derived from
the Latin word fasces--a
bundle of rods that were tied
around an axe
 The fasces were an ancient
Roman symbol of authority
and strength through unity.

Fascist Italy
Traditional values
 Persecution of minorities
 Militarism
 Media controlled by government
 Imperialism and War—Invasion of
Ethiopia, WWII

Fascist Headquarters in Rome—The face of Mussolini surrounded
by the Italian word for “yes”.
Mussolini’s Dictatorship
1924—”Black Shirts” used violence to gain
control of Parliament
 1926—non-fascist parties banned
 IL Duce—”the Leader”

 The masses must obey
 Brought stability to the country

Corporate State
 Syndicates
○ Corporations of workers and employers
○ Each syndicate sent reps to Rome to set policies
Lateran Accords
Catholicism made state religion
 Papacy given sovereign power over
Vatican City

Russia
 Joseph Stalin takes
power!
 Used the NKVD—Soviet
secret police to control
every aspect of Soviet life.
 Police encouraged active
spying/informing across
society to create a climate
of fear.
Political Purges



Stalin “purged”—eliminated
political opposition throughout
the Communist Party
Reached throughout Soviet
society resulting in millions of
deaths through outright
execution and deaths through
mistreatment in the “gulag.”
Severely weakened the
leadership of the Red Army,
leaving it unable to meet the
initial challenges of Hitler’s army
at the beginning of WWII
“Enemies of the state” executed
during Stalin’s purges
Germany and Hitler





Born in Austria 1889.
Served in German Army in
WWI.
1921--He had control of the
National Socialist Workers
Party—the Nazi’s.
He led a revolt in 1923 to take
over government. Supporters
known as “Brown Shirts” (Beer
Hall Putsch)
The putsch failed and Hitler
was put into prison, where he
wrote Mein Kampf (My
Struggle)
Hitler as a soldier in WWI
How did Hitler gain power?
Hitler realized that he had to
gain power through legal
means
 By 1932 the Nazi Party was
the largest party in the
German Parliament-the Reichstag.
 Hitler appeals to German
Nationalism:
> Promises to restore national

pride
> Rebuild economy
> Punish Germany’s enemies
Hitler is voted into power by
the German people!!
 Named Chancellor in
January 1933.

Hitler speaking to the Reichstag
The Reichstag Fire

The Reichstag
 Legislative Building of Germany
 Equivalent of US Capitol Building





Burned in February, 1933
Quickly established that it was an act of arson.
A young, mentally-handicapped communist,
Marinus van der Lubbe was arrested at the
site of the fire.
Hitler used the incident as an excuse to
eliminate the communists.
Widely believed that the Nazis actually started
the fire.
The Third Reich
Enabling Act: gave Hitler
complete control without
any checks on his power.
>Became sole ruler upon
death of President
Hindenburg in 1934
 Der Fuhrer: or leader,
would be how Hitler was to
be called.
 Aryan Nation: Hitler
believed that it was destiny
for Germany to dominate
the world. (Third Reich)

Nazi Rule

Hitler used totalitarian
methods in governing
Germany.
> Government enacted
public works projects.

Hitler used terror as a
tool to control the
masses.
> SS under the direction of
Himmler. ( became the
German secret police)
> Beatings, Concentration
Camps, and Murder were
used to keep control.
Hitler Youth
German Army
Hitler gradually grew the
Germany military in violation
of the Treaty of Versailles.
 German military force re-named the
Wehrmacht in 1935 and conscription
reinstituted.
 Hitler insisted that all members of the
German armed forces swear a personal
oath of loyalty to him rather than to the
nation.

Rallying the Masses
Hitler used spectacles to
rally the masses.
 Nuremberg:
> Nazi Party rally sparked
mass enthusiasm and
excitement.
 Churches, Schools, and
Universities were placed
under Nazi control.
 Nazi control also extended
into many of the German
professional organizations.

Nuremburg Rally
Women in the Nazi Party

Women played major
role in Nazi way of life
> Needed to have more
children for the Aryan
world domination.
> Important to work in war
factories.
> Some jobs were
considered not suitable for
women.
Nazi Party Magazine for Women
Persecution

Anti-Semitic Policies:
> Hitler blamed Jews for
everything
including the Versailles
Treaty. (scapegoats)
> 1935 Nuremberg Laws:
* no German citizenship
* no marriages between Jews
and Germans
* Had to wear arm band with
the star of David & carry ID cards
Kristallnacht

Kristallnacht: Nov. 9,
1938
> “Night of Shattered
Glass”
> Nazi’s burned
synagogues and
destroyed Jewish
businesses.
> 100 Jews killed, 30,000
sent to concentration
camps.
> Jews were forced to
clean up.

Jews were encouraged
to leave Germany.
Purging the Potential Opposition
“Night of the Long Knives”
Hitler encouraged
competition among senior
Nazi leadership, “divide and
rule”
 June 30-July 2, 1934


 Over 200 senior leaders in
government and the Nazi Party
were arrested and most were
executed.
 Included some of Hitler’s oldest
associates in the Brown Shirts,
including Ernst Roehm, who
had been instrumental in his
rise to power.
Spain and Franco

Spain:
> Francisco Franco led a revolt against
democratic leaders in 1936.
* Spanish Civil War
* He became dictator in 1939
* Italy and Germany aided Franco.
Japan and the Rise of Militarism

During WWI
 Expanded influence in Asia
 21 Demands—Made China a Japanese
protectorate

Post WWI
 League of Nations did not accept statement of
racial equality
 Did not support 21 Demands—forced “Open
Door policy”
 U.S. closed to Japanese immigration
 Humiliated Japanese
Japan—Social/Political Issues

Population/industrial growth
 Population Explosion—Grew from 35 to 60
million in 50 years
 Rapid industrial growth
 Both of these events put tremendous
pressure on the limited natural resources of
Japan
 Desperate need for raw materials to fuel
their growth/feed population
Political Issues
Emperor Hirohito—Constitutional
Monarch
 Depression of the 1930’s—devastated
Japanese economy
 People looked to strong militaristic, antidemocratic, nationalistic government
 Militarism began to affect every aspect
of Japanese life in the 1930’s
 Military expansion--”The Three Doors”
