Fascism and Nazism

World History - LHS

Fascism• Characteristics

– Political philosophy that raises nationalism (& often race) above the individual

– Government is centralized

– Government headed by a dictator

– Strict organization of the economy, society

– Aggressive repression of opposition

– Fascism is generally anti-religious (competition)

Fascism & the Economy• Central planning of

economy– Nationalization of key

industries– Massive state spending

on infrastructure– Price & wage controls

• Private property allowed, but was dependent on owner helping state

• Destroyed labor unions b/c they were “economically inefficient” (& pro-communist)

Fascism and Society

• Social Darwinism prevailed

• Promoted the “superior” individual to weed out the weak

Fascism and Foreign Policy

• Anti-Communist– Fascism sought

support of both workers and the rich

• Anti-Democratic– Democracy gave

power to all, including the weak

The Rise of the National Socialist German Workers’

Party• Party started

at the end of WWI– Stab in the

back theory of loss of WWI (Jews, non Germans)

– Other causes of rise of Party• Lack of

patriotism• French seizure

of Ruhr Valley, 1923-25

Nazi Ideology• Belief in

superiority of “Aryan” race (Germans)

• Strong centralized gov’t necessary to protect Germany from Jews, Communists

• Anti-Semitism = anti Jewish sentiment (inferior race)

Lebensraum: “Living Space”

• Need for lebensraum, at expense of USSR

Adolf Hitler• Corporal in German

Army, in WWI• Joined Nazi Party in

1919; became leader in 1921

• 1923: “Beer Hall Putsch”– Attempt to overthrow

gov’t– Many Nazi’s thrown

in jail, incl. Hitler– Wrote Mein Kampf

(”My Struggle”) while in prison, in 1925

Nazis Takeover Germany• 1920s to early 1930s

– Continued electoral success in Reichstag (German Parliament)

• 1932– Hitler appointed

Chancellor of Germany, by President Hindenberg

– Ordered immediate secret rearming of Germany

Nazis Takeover Germany

• 1933: Fire in Reichstag building– Hitler persuaded

Hindenberg to sign emergency decree suspending civil liberties

– Law passed giving Hitler dictatorial powers

– Law passed abolishing all political parties except Nazis

Nazis Take Over Germany

• 1934: “Night of the Long Knives” (Hitler killed 3000 Nazi rivals)

• 1935: Nuremburg Laws (legal basis for repression of Jews)

The Road to World War II

• 1935: Hitler officially rejected Versailles Treaty

• March 1938: Anschluss (Annexation) of Austria

The Road to World War II

• Sept. 1938: Occupation of Sudetenland (W. Czechoslovakia)

• Seized rest of Czech. in 1939

Road to World War II• Nov. 1938:

Kristallnacht– Coordinated

attacks across Germany vs Jews

– Killed 91, 200k into concentration camps

– Destroyed 1000s of businesses, temples

– Beginning of Holocaust

Road to World War II• Aug. 1939:

Molotov Ribbentrop Non-Aggression Pact– Germany, USSR

enter into agreement

– Both agree to trade treaties

– Both agree to secretly divide E. Europe between them

• Sept. 1939: Invasion of Poland