european fascism
Post on 11-Jan-2016
33 Views
Preview:
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
European Fascism
Mr. GieslerGlobal Studies
Small Group Activity
Using your text, your notes, and working
cooperatively -
Summarize each of the following ID’s
Marxism
Democracy
Totalitarianism
Socialism
Capitalism
The Treaty of Versailles
Benito Mussolini
Adolf Hitler
What is Fascism
Fascism is right-wing - against: Marxism, Socialism,
Anarchism, Communism, Environmentalism
Nationalistic - strong emphasis on patriotism and
nationalism
Totalitarian in practice -
Extreme reactionary form of capitalist government -
corporate power is absolute, and all vestiges of workers'
rights are destroyed
Started in Italy (1922-43), Germany (1933-45), Spain
(1939-75)
The origin of the term comes from the Italian word
fascismo, derived from the Latin fasces (a bundle of elm or
birch rods containing an ax: once a symbol of authority in
ancient Rome). Benito Mussolini adopted the symbol as the
emblem of the Italian Fascist movement in 1919.
Approaches to Fascism
Marxism: Blame the Capitalists
Capitalism: The Totalitarian Model (AKA Blame the Marxists)
German Apologists: Result of Versailles
Balanced View: A Result of Modern European Crises
CausesLong-Term Problems that Produced Fascism
Change to Mass Politics - People were turning to other
forms of Gov’t due to immense economic problems
Industrialization
Resentment toward Liberalism, Emancipation, and
Enlightenment
Short Term Problems
World War I
Inflation
Great Depression
Bolshevik Fear
Why Italy
A method to stop the spread of socialism and communism
Mussolini was backed by wealthy industrialists and
landowners
Middle-Class feared socialist reforms
Church viewed Fascism as a method to normalize State-
Church relationships
Lack of faith in Italy’s institutions
March on Rome
King offered the post of Prime Minister to Mussolini
The violence of the Fascists (i.e.: blackshirts) intimidated
opponents
The complicity of the police and the army
Quest for a new Roman Empire
Mussolini’s March on Rome
Why Spain Spanish Civil War
A long period of decline since the great days of the Spanish
Empire
Little progress, lost her empire, and fallen behind in the
industrialization process
Deep divisions in Spanish society: Landowners vs. Peasants.
Church vs. Anti-Clerical movements: sought to reduce the
Church’s influence.
Conservatives vs. Liberals.
No Middle -extremists elements were increasingly popular.
Massive divisions between countryside and towns.
Why Spain The Spanish army had a tradition of interfering in politics.
A history of violence within Spanish politics
Democracy had never really been established
Corrupts Gov. and undermined the concept of democracy
The weaknesses of the Gov’t
Failure to carry out reforms
Failed to maintain law and order.
Army concern at the possibility of a communist takeover.
The assassination of the right wing leader Calvo Sotelo in July
1936
Franco’s regime marked the end of democracy for the next 40 years
Francisco Franco
Why Germany
The economic collapse of Germany after 1929
The lack of democratic roots in Germany
Under the Weimar republic
The president had the authority to declare a state of emergency
(Hitler used Hindenburg’s ability to do this in order to establish his
dictatorship
Why Germany
The fear of communism (Hindenburg appointed Hitler as
chancellor as a result of such fears)
The Nazis exploited the weakness of the Weimar system and often
used violence against their opponents
The Nazis made use of propaganda to shape public opinion
The Nazis used resentment against the Versaille Settlement to
their ends.
Some other political parties did not support democracy and
represented potential allies for Hitler
Homework 1-page Précis Read the statement below and respond
Resolved: “The rise of Fascism within Italy, Spain, and Germany may be best attributed to social unrest, economic strain, and political frustration., particularly after the end of World War I.”
Do you agree with the former statement? Please defend your assessment
top related