The Rise of Totalitarianism. Totalitarianism Government by a dictator who demands absolute loyalty...
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Transcript of The Rise of Totalitarianism. Totalitarianism Government by a dictator who demands absolute loyalty...
The Rise of Totalitarianism
Totalitarianism• Government by a dictator
who demands absolute loyalty to the authority of the state
• Methods used:– One political party– State control of the economy– Use of secret police to
enforce state policy– Strict censorship of media– Use of propaganda– Unquestioning obedience
The Soviet Union
Stalin Replaces Lenin• After the USSR began
experiencing serious economic problems, Lenin had begun backing away from full communism
• When Lenin died suddenly in 1924, however, Josef Stalin won a power struggle to replace him as leader of the state and returned the Soviets to communism
Stalin’s Five-Year Plans• In order to industrialize, Stalin
set aggressive short-term quotas for factory production
• Those who met their goals were rewarded, while those who fell short were harshly punished
• The end result was a focus on quantity over quality, leading to the ability to manufacture large numbers of low-quality goods
Farm Collectivization• Stalin forced all farmers to
surrender their land and livestock to the state
• Unhappy peasants resisted by killing their livestock and burning crops
• Stalin responded with force, sending tens-of-thousands of peasants to gulags (labor camps) in Siberia or even just having entire villages executed for treason
The Great Purge• 1934-1938• Stalin eliminated anyone
whom he considered a threat to his personal power, including Communist Party officials, military leaders, and government bureaucrats
• In total, over 4 million “enemies of the state” were purged through either execution or exile to the gulags
Stalin the Dictator• Established the KGB (secret
police force) to eliminate political dissidents
• Used propaganda to give his people a false impression of Soviet “successes” and Western “failures”
• Attacked the Russian Orthodox Church by seizing church property, destroying churches, and arresting and exiling priests
• Eliminated millions of ethnic “undesirables”
Why Did Anyone Support Stalin?• Loyal Communist Party
officials received special benefits like better housing, easier access to goods
• Everyone received free education, free medical care, free child care, and cheap housing
• Women were treated as absolute equals
Italy
Post-WWI Problems• Italy was dissatisfied with
the Treaty of Versailles because pre-war promises of territory were not kept
• War veterans found little work and a poor economy
• Communist, socialist, and anarchist radicals plotted revolution
Fascism• Form of totalitarianism• Extreme nationalism
which glorifies the military, discipline, and loyal service to the state
• Rejects democracy because of the “self before state” mindset that can lead to corruption
Benito Mussolini• 1883 – 1945• Created the Fascist
Party in 1919 with the goal of recreating the Roman Empire
• By 1922, he had enough political influence to coerce the king into naming him prime minister
Black Shirts• Most loyal supporters
of Mussolini• Used violent tactics• Mussolini used the
Black Shirts to suppress his rivals, censor the press, rig elections, and murder his critics
Gender Roles• Men: become warriors for
Italy (either through military service or through factory or farm production) under the Fascists’ “Believe! Obey! Fight!” motto
• Women: stay home and have babies – women who had 14 or more children were rewarded as heroes of the state
Young Fascists• Boys were encouraged to
join the Young Fascists where they were taught military discipline, the glory of ancient Rome, and how to obey without question
• Followed the official motto “Mussolini is always right!”
Germany
Post-WWI Problems• Germany was VERY unhappy
with the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, which had led the country into a deep economic recession and massive debt
• The new “Weimar” government was too weak to fix problems, stand up to foreign pressures, or suppress political unrest from socialists, communists, and anarchists
Economic Woes• To pay its debts,
Germany simply printed more money, making their currency worthless
• Massive inflation caused prices to soar
• The US provided aid, but then the Great Depression struck
Nazism• The National Socialist
German Workers’ Party
• Form of fascism that focused on racism, anti-Semitism, and the superiority of the Aryan “master race” of pure Germans
Adolf Hitler• 1889 – 1945• WWI veteran, high school
dropout, and Austrian immigrant who quickly rose to leadership of the disorganized Nazi Party in 1920
• Built his power by creating squads of “storm troopers” to spread Nazi ideals through propaganda and intimidation
The Beer Hall Putsch• In 1923, Hitler tried to
seize power by launching a rebellion in the German city of Munich
• The revolt failed and Hitler was sent to prison for treason, but ended up serving less than a year
Mein Kampf• While in prison, Hitler
wrote and published Mein Kampf (My Struggle)
• The book laid out his personal belief in the superiority of the German race and presented arguments for the elimination of “inferior” races, especially the Jews
Hitler’s Rise to Power• Once released from
prison, Hitler rebuilt the Nazi Party and carefully consolidated his power through the effective use of propaganda and his personal charisma and speaking ability
• In 1933, he was elected as chancellor of Germany
Hitler as Dictator• Once in power, Hitler
suspended most civil rights, and abolished all rival political parties
• Hitler established the Gestapo (secret police) to root out his enemies
• Hitler also began rebuilding Germany’s military, in violation of the Treaty of Versailles
Nazi Purification• Changed all school curricula
to reflect their ideals• Created a Hitler Youth
program similar to Italy’s• Banned modern art, jazz, and
other “impure” art forms• Promoted book burnings for
blacklisted books• Closed all Catholic schools
and churches and combined all Protestant sects into one state-approved church
The Nuremberg Laws• Passed in 1935 to place
severe restrictions on Jews– Legally defined Jews as a
“race” rather than religion– Prohibited marriage or sex
between Jews and non-Jews
– Denied Jews protection as citizens
– Jews could not serve in government, hold jobs in law, medicine, or teaching
Kristallnacht• After the murder of a Nazi
official by a Jew who was angry over the Nuremberg Laws, Hitler ordered the Gestapo to instigate mob violence against Jewish businesses, synagogues, and neighborhoods
• On the “Night of Broken Glass” (Nov. 9, 1938), 91 Jews were killed, thousands of businesses looted, and over 200 synagogues destroyed
Concentration Camps• Nazis began detaining
enemies of the state, including Jews, as early as 1933
• As Nazi power grew, more and more people were sent to the camps, with prisoners eventually numbering in the millions