wwii & fascism vocab

Fascism

Fully homogenous society (1 religion, 1 political party)

State over the individual, unrelenting support for the state

Keeps private property and class system

Wants economic self-sufficiency and complete isolationism

Political ideology that was very appealing with struggling countries

Great Depression

Worldwide economic downturn

International trade declined, countries that relied on the US for money suffered

Began in the US but spread worldwide

Resulted in a political environment ripe for totalitarian dictators

Totalitarianism

One-party dictatorship that regulates every aspect of the lives of its citizens (political, economic, social, cultural)

Uses strict laws, secret police, propaganda, censorship, terror

Benito Mussolini

Studied politics from a young age

Opened a newspaper business during WWI to spread political ideas of a “new Italy”

Becomes fascist Prime Minister

Supported the Catholic Church so he would have the pope’s support

Blackshirts

Radical domestic terrorist organization in Italy

Ultra-nationalistic ex-soldiers

Attacked communists, socialists, and other progressive parties

Rose during a time of high unemployment

Coalition Government

Weimar Republic in Germany

Composed of more than two political parties, too many conflicting perspectives

Progress is slow and agreements are rare

Adolf Hitler

Leader of Nazi political party

Blamed society’s problems on Jews and Marxists

Charismatic speaker

Elected chancellor of Germany

Responsible for the Holocaust

Nazis

National Socialist German Workers’ Party

Believed they should rule continental Europe and persecute those who are different

Blamed society’s problems on Jews and Marxists

Promised to create jobs and restore Germany’s power

The Beer Hall Putsch

Failed coup d’etat led by General Ludendorff and Hitler

Hitler sentenced to 5 years in jail but released after 1

Led him to realize he cannot take power illegally

Mein Kampf

“My Struggle”

Political autobiography written by Hitler while he was in prison

Outline of Nazi goals and ideologies

Nuremburg Laws

Defined Jews as a separate “race” biologically

Prevented Jews from marrying those of “German blood”

Forced Jews to carry identification cards

Jews lost citizenship and could be arbitrarily arrested

Dehumanized and alienated Jewish population

Kristallnacht

“Night of Broken Glass”

Statewide deliberate effort to attack Jewish population

Synagogues burned

Businesses destroyed

Homes looted

People beaten and arrested

Final Solution

Hitler’s plans for a “perfect” German society

Included eliminating Jews, homosexuals, the disabled, Roma, and anyone else he deemed “imperfect”

Concentration camps, murders, Kristallnacht

Munich Conference

Hitler and Neville Chamberlain (Britain) met at Munich Conference

Hitler demands Sudetenland and all of Czechoslovakia

Chamberlain agrees for the sole reason of avoiding conflict

Appeasement made the world see him as a weak leader

Blitzkrieg

Lightning war

Hitler targeted France with “lightning” speed

Targeted weak points to win without fighting

Never seen before

Germany needed a new way to fight with a limited army

Operation Barbarossa

Hitler breaks Non-Aggression Pact by invading USSR

Sent 1m soldiers to Moscow, biggest land invasion in history

Germans lost due to Soviet winter

Francisco Franco

Originally a Spanish General, gained recognition through his successes

Joined a military uprising against the Popular Front

Eventually became dictator of Spain

Spanish Civil War

Spain became a field for Germany and Italy to test their weapons

Between Popular Front and Republican government

Popular Front had military aid from Germany and Italy

Concerns of Spain implementing communism

Bombing of Guernica

German Legion Condor and Italian Aviation Legion bombed ancient Spanish town of Guernica

Home to 5,000, about 1,000 deaths

Leveraged for propaganda purposes (Hitler blamed Jews and communists)

Served as a warning about modernized weapons and led to condemnation of civilian targeting