American History

Unit 21:

Rise of the Dictators

Political Ideologies

Life Under a Dictatorship

Life Under a

Dictatorship

Censorship and

Government Control

of the News

Blind Loyalty Toward the Leader

Strong Military

Use of Violence

and Terror

Rule by a

DictatorStrict Discipline

State Control of the Economy

Extreme Nationalism

I. I. Fascist Italy.

A. Problems in the post-war Italian government.

1. Unemployment for returning Italian soldiers.

2. Decline in tourism (basis of Italian economy)

B. Milan Crisis of 19201. Workers took over factories and Marxists (communists) took over

the government.

C. Mussolini and the Fascists march on Rome and seized power in 1922.

1. King Victor Emmanuel III abdicated.

2. Mussolini became dictator of Italy.

.

The Rise of Mussolini and Fascism

Benito Mussolini (Il Duce)Was to become Hitler’s role model throughout

the 1920’s and early 1930’s. By the time WWII

began in 1939, Hitler would become the master

and Mussolini was forced to take a backseat.

Law and Order in Italy Restored Under Mussolini

I. All strikes were suppressed by the Fascist government.

A. If you didn’t go to work, you were arrested.

II. Unemployment relief

A. Construction of public works and war plants (factories).

III. Government took over industry and labor.

A. People were told what job they were to work.

B. Women were fired from all jobs.

1. Their job was to produce babies for the future Italian army.

IV. All opposing political parties were dissolved.

A. Communism was outlawed.

V. All communications were taken over by the government.

A. Fascists controlled all newspapers and radio programs.

At an April rally in Rome, a unit of the Italian Black Shirts proclaims its loyalty to Benito

Mussolini. Standing at attention with their spades emblazoned with the words Il Duce (the

Leader), these militant Fascists prepare to modernize the country and ready it for war by

reclaiming more land for agriculture. Originally a separate militia, the Black Shirts were later

incorporated into the Italian Army.

Italian “Black Shirts”

Fascist View of a Woman’s Role in Society

VI. Woman must be obedient and tend to the needs of men.

A. Magazines and newspapers were required to show the pleasantness of

family life. Pictures of thin woman were banned.

B. 90% of jobs were reserved for men.

1. A woman’s place is in the home bearing and raising children.

2. Woman were banned from having any job with authority over men.

C. By 1928, all female teachers were replaced by male teachers.

1. University tuition for women was twice as high than the fees for men.

D. Divorce was abolished and single men had to pay higher taxes.

E. Woman welcomed the return to nationalism and social tradition.

1. On May 9, 1936, a women’s “demonstration” took place in Rome

with many women marching and carrying signs that read,

“Duce, our sons belong to you.”

The status of women in Fascist Italy reflected

Mussolini’s own attitude of women being

obedient and submissive to the needs of men.

Mussolini’s Vision to Re-establish the Roman Empire

I. Mediterranean Sea was to become an Italian lake.

A. Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935.

1. League of Nations imposed economic sanctions against Italy.

1a. Many nations didn’t observe the sanctions and Italy still received

war materials, especially petroleum.

1aa. Hitler was Italy’s biggest supplier of war material.

2a. The weakness of the League of Nations to enforce the sanctions

against Italy only sent a message to the other dictatorships that

the League of Nations was too weak to enforce any sanctions.

EthiopiaEthiopia’s King, Hailie Selassie:

Addressed the League of Nations to

take action against Italy for invading

his country. The League was very

weak.

Reasons for the Failure of the League of Nations

Failure of the League of Nations

Joseph Stalin "The Man of Steel"

I. Joseph Stalin succeeded Lenin in 1928 as the leader of the USSR.

A. Joseph Stalin was a nationalist and ruthless.

II. The USSR under the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin.

A. Russia was transformed into a leading self-supporting industrialized nation.

B. Stalin was worshipped and feared by communists throughout the world.

In his youth Stalin studied

for the priesthood, but found

the life as a criminal and

radical revolutionary more

attractive.

Lenin prior to his death

posing with Stalin.

Stalin was ruthless. Millions

of Soviets from every level of

society were jailed, tortured,

murdered, and ordered into

labor camps.

Stalin’s Five-Year Plans

II. Emphasis on heavy industry.

A. Few consumer goods.

1. Military built up and the national defense became the top priority.

B. Agriculture was collectivized.

1. Individually-owned farms were eliminated.

C. Collective farms1. Farmers were forced to give all their crops to the government

in exchange for tools, seeds, and their allotment.

2. Farmers were given one acre of land to grow their own food in

addition to their government allotment.

3. Government set quotas, if not met… imprisonment or death.

a. The resistance from the Kulaks (Upper peasantry)

1a. Shot their horses and other livestock.

2b. Burned their crops and homes.

3c. Stalin’s unleashed the NKVD (Soviet secret police.)

1cc. Millions of Ukrainians starved to death, including children.

Stalin’s Five-Year Plans

Millions of Kulak farmers

died between 1934-1936.

Stalin’s Aggressive Policy Against the Kulaks of the Ukraine

Stalin’s Purges of the 1930’sIII. Stalin was paranoid and lived in constant fear of imagined political rivals

A. Built a very powerful secret police. (NKVD)

1. The NKVD was ordered to spy on all Soviet citizens.

a. Included communist party members, military leaders, and

other high-ranking officials.

b. Millions of Soviets from every level of society were jailed,

tortured, murdered, and ordered into labor camps.

1b. Stalin was ruthless and murdered several Communist colleagues

and one time friends.

Lavrenty Beria:

He was a ruthless man and

in charge of Stalin’s NKVD

during the purges. He was

responsible for hundreds of

thousands of deaths during

the 1930s

Stalin’s Legacy

IV. The Soviet Union was greatly expanded through the leadership of Joseph Stalin

and his forced industrialization.

A. The Soviet Union became a modern-state under him.

B. Stalin’s ruthlessness helped Russia survive the Second World War.

*More people died under Stalin than the total number of causalities of

WWI and WWII combined.

When Stalin died in 1953, millions of Soviet citizens wept

and mourned his passing. Within a few years after Stalin’s

death, the new Soviet Premier, Nikita Khrushchev

denounced Stalin for his ruthlessness and began a policy

of de-Stalinization. Monuments were torn down, paintings

were removed from government buildings, and cities

named in his honor were renamed.

Japan on the Eve of World War II

I. Japan on the Eve of World War Two

A. Chaos in the 1920’s

1. Numerous prime ministers who were pro-western were assassinated

2. Japan was becoming disillusioned with western democracies.

a. U.S. had barred Asian immigration into the U.S.

b. U.S., England, France, and the Dutch condemned Japan’s

imperialistic goals, despite maintaining colonies throughout the

world themselves.

1b. Japan viewed Germany as friendlier than the U.S., and made

closer ties with the Nazi government.

B. Japanese warlords come to power in the 1930’s

1. Japan needed room to expand.

a. Japan was overcrowded

b. Japan didn’t have her own natural resources.

II. Emperor Hirohito was viewed as a god-like figure.

Emperor Hirohito was viewed

as a God in Japan.

Japan’s Military Conquests on the Eve of WWII

III. Japan invaded Manchuria in September 1931.

A. The United States and Britain protested.

1. Japan withdrew from the League of Nations.

2. Japan renamed Manchuria to Manchukuo in 1932.

IV. Japan invaded main land China in July 1937.

A. Japanese sank a U.S. patrol boat (U.S.S. Panay) in China.

1. Japan apologized and paid restitution to the U.S.

a. Japan wanted to test of U.S. resolve.

b. Japan committed atrocities in China.

1b. Bombed open cities

2b. Disregarded the rights of foreigners.

3b. Nanking Massacre- very bloody.

1bb. Even Nazi Germany was even appalled.

c. The United States began economic sanctions against Japan.

Scenes from the Nanking Massacre

Japanese soldiers made

the mistake of having

Chinese photography

businesses develop their

film, which they

promptly made

duplicates and smuggled

them to the United States

as evidence of Japanese

war crimes.

Japanese Invasion of China (Map)

Germany in Turmoil

I. The post-war Weimar Republic in Germany was very weak.

A. German people did not support this government.

B. Germany owed $32 billion dollars in war reparations.

C. German military severely limited by the Treaty of Versailles.

D. Great Depression devastated the German economy.

E. Communist revolution threatened Germany.

Rise of the Nazi Party “German Workers Party”

II. Adolph Hitler: The Beginning

A. Hitler joined the German Workers Party in 1919 and quickly

climbed to the top of the leadership.

1. Hitler had an incredible gift for public speaking.

B. Beer Hall Putsch of 1923.

1. Hitler’s first attempt to seize power.

a. Attempt failed and Hitler was arrested.

1a. Sentenced to 5 years in prison at Landsberg Prison.

Hitler was sentenced to

five years in Landsberg

Prison for treason. He

was released after ten

months for good

behavior.

Mein Kampf “The Nazi Bible”

III. “Mein Kampf” (My Struggle).

A. Blueprint for Hitler’s vision of Germany’s future.

1. Hitler blames all of Germany’s economic and social woes on the

French, Communists, and especially the Jews.

Mein Kampf: Hitler’s original title for the book was, “My Four and a Half Years of Struggle

Against Ignorance, Cowardice, and Stupidity.” On the advice of his editor he shortened it. At first

sales were dismal and people considered it the ravings of a mad man. However, after Hitler came

to power in 1933, it sold millions. It even outsold the Bible in Germany. It was customary to give

copies of Mein Kampf as a wedding, birthday, or Christmas present.

In Mein Kampf, Hitler

outlined his theory of a

pure Aryan race.

Hitler Comes to Power in Germany

Hindenburg and others wanted to tap Hitler’s

popularity, but keep him under their control. They failed.

V. Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in January 1933.

A. This was an attempt by President Hindenburg and others wanted to tap

Hitler’s popularity, but keep him under their control.

Hitler as Chancellor: Hitler would use his position as

Chancellor to manipulate Hindenburg and pass many laws

depriving people of their civil liberties. “He destroyed

democracy… with democracy.”

Reichstag Fire (February 1933)B. The Reichstag Fire of February 1933.

1b. Reichstag was the German parliament building.

2b. Fire set by a Dutch Communist named Marius van der Lubbe.

1bb. Many believe that the Nazis set the fire.

2bb. Nazis blamed and arrested several many Communists

opponents.

Reichstag Fire: The Nazis set fire to the Reichstag Building and

blamed it on the Communists and Jews. Hitler used this as an

excuse to build concentration

Marius van der Lubbe: When

they police arrived they found

Lubbe on the premises. After being

tortured by the Gestapo he

confessed to starting the fire. He

was found guilty of setting the fire

and was executed on 10th January,

1934.

Hitler’s Reforms 1933-1934VI. Hitler’s Reforms 1933-1934

A. Hitler eased up with his anti-Semitic views to concentrate on

consolidating his new government powers and to purge his political

rivals.

B. Trade unions were abolished (outlawed).

C. By July 1933, all rival political parties were outlawed.

1. Dachau, the first concentration camp located outside Munich was

established to imprison all political rivals and other opponents.

Arbeit Macht Frei (German:

"work liberates") is the cynical

slogan that was in place at the

entrances of number of Nazi

concentration camps. The

slogan can still be seen at

several sites.

Why was Hitler So Popular with the German People?

IV. Hitler was viewed as the German “Messiah,” or Chosen one.

A. German press depicted Hitler as an image of perfection.

1. Personal characteristics:

1a. Pure habits; didn’t smoke, drink, or eat meat.

2a. Loved children and animals.

3a. Devoted to Germany.

1aa. Had no time for women or sexual lust.

The Nazi-controlled press

depicted Hitler as an image of

perfection who loved children

and animals.

Wherever Hitler went the crowds

turned out in masses to greet him.

He received hundreds of love letter

from women throughout Germany.

Some even proposing marriage.

Nazi propaganda

depicted Hitler as a

knight in shining

armor coming to

save Germany.

Hitler and the Nazis Saw German Children as the Future of Germany

Hitler Becomes the “Fuhrer”VII. The Death of President Hindenburg (August 1934)

A. Hitler assumed total control of Germany.

1. Proclaimed “Fuhrer” or supreme leader.

a. No more elections… Hitler is leader for life.b. Commander-in-chief of all of Germany’s armed forces.

After the death of President Hindenburg in

1934, Hitler combined the titles of President

and Chancellor into one. The new name title:

“Fuhrer.”

“Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuhrer”

“One People, One Government, One

Leader”

Night of the Long KnivesVIII. Night of the Long Knives (June 1934)

A. The German army threatened to topple Hitler unless he agreed to purge

(get rid of) his S.A. whom the German army said was getting too powerful

and growing unmanageable.

B. Hitler agreed and had Ernest Rohm (leader of the S.S.) and several

other S.A. leaders arrested and executed.

C. Afterward, the German army pledged total support for Hitler.

1. Hitler promised unlimited financing to rebuild the German military.

2. All military personal swore an oath of allegiance.

Rohm helped Hitler come to power, but after

he served his purpose, Hitler had him

murdered. However, Rohm had a weakness,

which made him a political liability to Hitler,

Rohm was a homosexual.

Because Rohm loyally served Hitler in the

early days and was a high-ranking party

member and a friend… Hitler had the S.S.

offer Rohm a pistol with one bullet and a

chance to commit suicide rather than

execution… Rohm chose execution. What are

friends for?

Night of the Long Knives

German Military Takes Oath of Allegiance to Hitler

"I swear by God this sacred oath

that I will obey without question the

Führer of the German Reich and

people, to Adolf Hitler, Supreme

Commander of the Armed Forces,

and that I am prepared as a brave

soldier to lay my life on the line at

any time for this oath."

Anti-Semitism in Hitler’s Third Reich (1933-1939)

IX. Anti-SemitismA. Hatred of Jews

1. Anti-Semitism has been in existence for hundreds of years, the Nazis did

not invent it.

2. The original plan of the Nazis was to expel (force to leave) the Jews from

Germany. Not murder as anyone believes.

Defining Who was Jewish

B. Defining who was Jewish? (According to the Nazis)

1. A person with three Jewish grandparents.

2. A person who had two Jewish grandparents and practiced Judaism.

3. A person who was married to a Jew and had two Jewish grandparents.

4. Any child born to at least one Jewish parent after Sept. 15, 1935.

The Nuremburg Laws

C. Nuremburg Laws (November 1935)

1. Jews were forbidden to marry Aryans.

2. Jews could not employ Aryan women under 35 years-of-age.

3. Jews could not vote or hold public office.

4. Jews were no longer allowed to enroll at universities.

5. Jewish doctors could no longer assist Aryan patients.

6. Jews were forbidden from public entertainment and transportation.

Nuremburg Laws : Two laws issued in

1935, that became the basis for further

legal exclusion of Jews from German life

and ensuing anti-Jewish policies. Only

Germans could be Reich citizens. German

Jews lost their political rights through this

law. Marriages between Jews and Germans

were legally forbidden

This woman was forced to wear a sign

stating that she is poisoning the German

race by having a relationship with this

Jewish man.

Kristallnacht

D. “Night of the Broken Glass” (Nov. 8-9, 1938)

1. Ernest Rath, a German embassy worker was assassinated by a

German Jewish student named Herschel Grynszpan in Paris, France.2. German (Nazi) mobs beat and murdered Jews, looted and burned

Jewish homes and synagogues.

a. Over 400 Jews were killed in two nights.

b. Over $400 million of damage done to Jewish property.

Kristallnacht: German Jews were blamed, fined,

and ordered to pay for all damages.

Hitler Prepares for War

X. Hitler Rearms the German Military:

A. October 1933, Germany withdrew from the League of Nations.

B. In 1935, Hitler discarded the Treaty of Versailles.

1. Recreated the German Air Force “Luftwaffe”

2. Recreated the German Navy “Kriegsmarine”

3. Increased the size of the German Army “Wehrmacht”

(Unlimited in size)

Luftwaffe (Air force)

Banned by the Treaty of

Versailles

Kriegsmarine (Navy)

Banned by the Treaty of

Versailles

Wehrmacht (Army)

Was limited by the Treaty

of Versailles to 100,000

Hitler Retakes the Rhineland and Austria

C. March 1936, German troops retake the demilitarized section of the Rhineland.

1. Not a shot was fired by the Western Allies.

a. England and France didn’t want to risk another war.

D. February 1938, Germany invaded Austria. “Anschluss”1. Made Austria a part of Germany (Hitler’s homeland).

a. Once again… Not a shot was fired by the Western Allies.

Appeasement and the Munich Conference

E. Sudeten Crisis (1938)1. Area of Czechoslovakia in which over 3.5 million Germans lived.

a. Hitler demanded that the Sudetenland become part of Germany.

2. Munich Conference (September 1938)

a. Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), Daladier (France),

Chamberlain (England) met to defuse the crisis.

1a. Czechoslovakia and the Soviet Union were not invited.

b. Appeasement (To give land away in exchange for peace.)

1b. Hitler got the Sudetenland (1/5) of Czechoslovakia.2b. Promised not to make any further territorial demands.

3b. Hitler convinced that the Western Allies were weak.

Neville Chamberlain:

“In my hand… I have the instrument

with Herr Hitler’s signature, which

ensures peace in our time…”

Chamberlain believed that Hitler was

a man who could be trusted. He will

die of a heart attack shortly after

England declared war on Germany in

Sept. 1939.

Hitler Takes the Rest of Czechoslovakia

F. March 1939, Hitler violated the Munich Agreement and took over the rest

of Czechoslovakia.

1. Not a shot was fired by the Western Allies.

a. Allies realized appeasement will not work and guaranteed Polandfull protection from any German aggression.

Arguments For/Against Appeasement

Germany was Growing Stronger

Allowed Germany to grow stronger meant it

would be far more difficult to defeat.

Hitler was determined to conquer

Eastern Europe

Hitler had made his plans clear, the policy of

appeasement was clearly doomed from the start,

Hitler just lied.

It Encouraged Hitler

Giving into Hitler only made him feel he could

do what he wanted, without fear of being stopped.

Munich Agreement was a Disaster

Churchill said Czechoslovakia was sacrificed for

nothing, Hitler had fooled everyone.

Germany Deserved a Fair Deal

Germany treated too harshly at Versailles,

so were only being given their rightful land.

Fear of Communism

It was felt better to support a strong leader of

Germany rather than risk Communist takeover.

The British People had to Want War

In 1938, public opinion was against war, so

the policy of appeasement was sensible.

Appeasement scared the USSR

When Britain and France did not stand up to

Hitler, the USSR became worried about

German power and began thinking about deals

with Hitler.

Fear of another war

People wanted to avoid another terrible war

and did everything possible.

Britain Needed Time

By giving Hitler what he wanted, Britain had

more time to build up her armed forces.

Appeasement Discussion Questions

1. Why might it be said that Germany deserved a fair deal?

2. Why was giving extra land to Germany dangerous?

3. Appeasement meant Britain and France gave Hitler what he wanted- why was

this a bad idea?

4. What did the policy of appeasement give Britain a chance to do?

5. Is there any evidence to suggest appeasement was a popular idea in 1938?

6. What did people want to avoid another war?

7. Appeasement meant a strong German leader was supported- how did this

benefit Britain and France?

8. With the policy of appeasement, the USSR became worried- what was the

result of this?

9. Why should the politicians of 1938 have realized Hitler would not keep to his

promises at the Munich Conference?

Appeasement Essay Topics

•Imagine you are Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain. You have just returned

from the Munich Conference and are very pleased with the deal you have made.

However, Churchill is strongly criticizing you. Defend your policy of

appeasement.

•Imagine you are Winston Churchill- the number one critic of Neville

Chamberlain. Having heard his speech defending appeasement what would be

your thoughts? Attack the policy of appeasement.

•Having looked at both sides, write a paragraph explaining your opinion of

appeasement:

Was it a policy which made sense in 1938?

or

Was it a terrible and predictable mistake?

Expansion of Nazi Germany, 1933-1936 (Map)

The Axis PowersXI. Rome-Berlin Axis

1. Partnership signed between Italy and Germany to rule Europe.

a. Japan joined in December 1940.

Spanish Civil War (Hitler’s Training Ground))

XII. Spanish Civil War.A. Bloody civil war erupted in Spain in between 1936-1939 when the

communist attempted to take over the Spanish government.

B. General Francisco Franco commanded the Nationalist forcesagainst the Republican forces (communist).

1. Germany and Italy provided military aid to General Franco.a. Spain became a testing ground for Hitler’s tanks and German

Luftwaffe (air force).C. In 1939, Franco won and chased the Communists out of Spain.

1. Spain became a Fascist country and withdrew from the League of

Nations.General Franco: Came to power in

Spain after a bloody Civil War

against the Communists. Both Hitler

and Mussolini sent military aid to

assist Franco during the war. After

the Second World War had started,

Hitler tried to convince Franco to join

the Axis. Not only did Franco refuse

to join the Axis, but he also refused to

surrender Spain’s Jewish population

to the Nazis. Hitler, of course, became

angry and felt betrayed.

The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact (1939)

XIII. Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact (August 1939)

A. The Soviet Union to join the Axis?

1. Germany and USSR agreed to both invade Poland in 1939.

2. Hitler never planned to honor the pact, he merely was buying time to fight

and defeat the western allies before turning on the Soviet Union.

The Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression PactAs early as 1924, Hitler wrote in Mein

Kampf, that conquering the Soviet Union

was his ultimate goal. He was greatly

disappointed when France and England

declared war on Sept. 3, 1939 (see the next

unit’s notes) which had delayed his military

timetable.

Hitler secretly desired an alliance with

England to join him in his crusade against

the Soviet Union. That dream ended with the

death of Neville Chamberlain and the

appointment of Winston Churchill as

England’s new Prime Minister.

Terms to Know

Fascist Milan Crisis of 1920 Benito Mussolini King Victor Emmanuel III Black Shirts Ethiopia League of Nations Hailie Selassie USSR Joseph Stalin Collective farms Kulaks NKVD Stalin’s Purges Beria Emperor Hirohito Manchuria U.S.S. Panay Nanking Massacre Weimar Republic Adolph Hitler German Workers Party Beer Hall Putsch Landsberg PrisonMein Kampf Chancellor

Paul von HindenburgReichstag Fire Marius van der Lubbe Dachau Arbeit Macht Frei Fuhrer Night of the Long Knives Ernest Rohm Anti-Semitism Nuremburg Laws Night of the Broken Glass Ernest Rath Herschel Grynszpan Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, and WehrmachtRhineland Anschluss Sudetenland Munich Conference Appeasement Neville Chamberlain PolandAxis PowersSpanish Civil War.General Francisco Franco Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact

Concepts to Know

Describe life under a dictatorship.

Explain how Mussolini came to power in Italy in 1922, what policies he enacted, and his steps

toward war.

Describe the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin.

Describe Japan's road toward expansionism and path toward war..

Explain Hitler and the early movement of the Nazi Party.

How did Hitler come to power in Germany?

Why was Hitler so popular with the German people?

What was the "Night of the Long Knives?"

Describe anti-Semitism in Nazi Germany during the 1930's.

Describe Hitler's path toward war.

How was the Spanish Civil War connected to WWII?

What was the Axis Pact?