WORLD WAR II…

…THE BIGGEST POWERPOINT EVER

World History

In response to political turmoil and economic crises, Italy and Germany turn to totalitarian dictators.

Fascism Rises in Europe

Fascism Rises

• Fascism is a new, militant political movement

• Emphasizes nationalism and loyalty to authoritarian leader

• Italians want a leader who will take action• Fascist leader, Benito Mussolini, promises

to rescue Italy• Italian king puts Mussolini in charge

Fascism Rises

• Adolf Hitler—obscure political figure in 1920s Germany

• Nazism—German brand of fascism1923 BEER HALL PUTSCH Hitler tries—but FAILS—to seize

power from the democratically elected, but troubled, Weimar Government

MEIN KAMPF (My Struggle) : written in jail, Hitler’s book outlines his plan for a Nazi Germany

MEIN KAMPF

1. Superiority of German (Aryan) race; all others inferior

2. Jews were the reason for all of Germany’s problems (also Communists)

3. Treaty of Versailles must be overturned

4. Lebensraum: Germany needed “Living Space” for its people; room to EXPAND

MEIN KAMPF

5. FURHER Principal: One leader should have supreme power and rule (Rousseau’s “General Will”)

Results:Bad economic conditions get Nazi Party

elected in growing #’s 1933 Ger. President appoints Hitler

ChancellorBurning of Reichstag gives Nazis majority

in elections

Postwar Europe

Unstable New Democracies German Inflation American Great Depression has wide

impact Worldwide Unemployment

Comparing Fascism to Communism

COMMUNISM FASCISMRuled by: STRICT GOV’T DICTATORPolitical Parties ONE ONEIndividual Rights Denied DeniedSocietal Classes None!

(A classless society)

Many•Aristocrats•Industrialist•Military•Lower middle class•Workers

World View Internationalism-unite workers world-wide

National issues take precedence

Analyze and Connect:

1. The 17th century was a period of great upheaval in Europe. The decline of feudalism, constant religious and territorial conflicts, and rebellions of overtaxed peasants led monarchs to seek absolute power.

*What political and social crises led to the rise of fascism in the 1920s and 1930s?

Answer:

1. Lack of Democratic tradition: Weimar Government weak

2. Loss of population, houses, factories, farms, schools, hospitals, etc.

3. Loss of “next generation” keeps “old ideas” in power

4. Inflation 5. Trade decreases6. Personal and Social Anxiety

Analyze and Connect:

2. Rulers can increase their power by limiting the power of other institutions.

Absolute monarchs of the 1600’s increased their power by limiting the power of the nobility, controlling the Church, creating royal bureaucracies & taking personal control of the central government.

How did Fascist leaders increase their own power?

Answer

1. Majority control of GOV’T.2. Allow only 1 PARTY3. Change Laws: target Jews, newspapers,

teachers, political opposition 4. Use of Terror: Assassinations, Prison

camps, Threats5. Secret Police: SS, Gestapo6. Weakened Cath/Prot. Church7. Propaganda: massively used

Analyze and Connect:

3. Absolute monarchs sought to control economic affairs by giving tax benefits to expand trade and manufacturing and by creating new bureaucracies to control economic life.

How did Fascist leaders take command of their countries’ economies?

Answer:

1. Took over labor unions and outlawed strikes

2. Almost no unemployment: public works, ramped up military, opposition = no jobs

3. Nazis closely regulated private industry

4. State control of prices, production, capital investments, trade, banking

Analyze and Connect:

4. In an effort to control every aspect of society and the lives of citizens, absolute monarchs regulated religious worship, social gatherings, and other aspects of daily life.

What steps did Fascist leaders take to control the lives of their citizens?

Answer

1. Controlled education2. Youth groups3. Censorship4. German women pushed into inferior

position5. Controlled assembly, speech,

marriage, occupations, etc.

Analyze and Connect:

5. Absolute monarchs believed that the divine right of kings gave them authority to rule with unlimited power.

What beliefs or principles did Fascist leaders use to justify their unlimited power?

Answer:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Germany, Italy, and Japan conquer other countries; the rest of the world does nothing to stop them.

Aggressors Invade Nations

Aggressors March (1933-1936) Japan invades Manchuria (NE

China), later takes major cities like Beijing. Chinese Nationalists and

Communists fight back (remember…?)

Mussolini (Italy) takes Ethiopia Hitler (Ger) takes Rhineland

(border land between FR and GER)

Taking Sides

Britain and France follow appeasement, a policy of giving in to aggression to keep the peace

Germany, Italy, and Japan—the Axis Powers— form an alliance

United States Follows an Isolationist Policy Isolationism—political ties with other

countries should be avoided In 1935, Congress passes Neutrality Acts

Axis Aggression

Hitler takes Sudetenland (Czech-Ger border), and later rest of Czechoslovakia GB and FR give in; think Hitler will be satisfied

• Mussolini takes Albania; Hitler demands part of Poland GB and FR continue appeasement

• Nazis and Soviets Sign Nonaggression Pact Stalin and Hitler pledge never to attack one

another

War!

Germany uses blitzkrieg, a new military strategy using airplanes, tanks, and MASSIVE infantry forces to SURPRISE and OVERWHELM the enemy. Takes west Poland, Denmark, Norway

Stalin expands the USSR Takes Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and

eventually Finland

France Falls

May 1940, Germany moved quickly into Belgium and France Cornered Allied troops (had to be rescued by

boat) Captured Paris by June 14 FR surrenders a week later GER controls northern FR, sets up a “puppet

gov’t” in Vichy for southern FR

Charles de Gaulle, FR general, leads the resistance from exile in London

Battle of Britain

Germany bombarded British cities, especially London

RAF (Royal Air Force) fights back They have radar and a German

decoders! Germany switches to night raids

Germany eventually backs out of England Considered a British victory!