Unit 3: Rise of Totalitarianism Study Guide

Viewpoints of americans after WWI

isolated themselves from European affairs, many critics thought it was a bad choice to be involved in euro issues, tried to stay neutral + limit involvement in future wars

What was the Great Depression, what effect did it have on nations and people

Economic crisis, mass employment, big cycle of deflation

stock market crash

many intl. markets relied on the us— worldwide hysteria

Great Depression Cause

over production, overcusumption

investors taking big risks

blown up credit

everyone recalled loans and savings → panic makes things worse

US stock market crash effects other countries

How did the US try to address the GD

Federal spending programs + public works

Dawes Plan, stabilizes the German economy → loans, annual payment plan

New deal, minimum wage, social security, affordable housing

raised tarrifs, tried to encourage ppl to buy american goods

hoover hiked taxes, paused debt payments

In what ways were the Japanese expanding during the 20s and 30s and why?

Annexed Korea in 1910, got former german land from allies in 1919, attacked and conquered Manchuria (made it a puppet state) in 1931, they attack china (Sino-Japanese War) in 1937, population + grew (60 mil in 1925)

The role and influence of the Zaibatsu

Japans powerful business leaders who manipulated political parties

Ultranationalists and the role they played in leading Japan towards greater conflict with the west

extreme right, sought expansion for resources, imperialism, Asia for asians, blamed Western powers for japan’s economic struggles (+GD), contributed to japan’s alignment w axis powers, resented American laws that excluded Japanese immigrants, condemned politicians for not expanding overseas bcs of Western rules

who were the axis powers + what led them to this relationship

Japan, Germany, Italy all share commonality of violating the LON/TOV Japan left LON bcs they were hypocritical

What was life like under Stalin

totalitarian state, few elite groups become a ruling class (live luxury), atheism is state policy, Free schools, medical care, day care, and housing, women won equality + access to many jobs, many still had inadequate food and housing, lots of censorship (books, music, and arts), all religous teaching suppressed

Five-Year Plans

Goals

• industrialize (heavy industry)

• improve transportations

• increase farm input

Impact

• more factories, more oil, coal, and steel production

• did build industry

• standard of living stayed low, strikes forbidden

• inconsistent resources (supluses + shortages)

• low wages

Command economy

All economic activity under government control

What is collectivization, and how it impacted the Soviet Union

farmers work on state-owned land, livestock and tools now state-owned, kulaks resisted (wealthy farmers), large conjoined farms, fewer farmers needed → more factory workers, terror famine: govt takes grain to meet industrial standards→ peasants starve

Purges and who was affected

Massacre of former communist army heroes, industrial managers, writers, and ordinary citizens, political officials + military officers, 4 mil dead, increased power but decreased experts of many fields (problem when hitler invades)

Various ways the communists attempted to maintain power and control

Citizens bombarded with stories of communist successes + capitalist evils, leaders developed a cult of personality, messages sent thru radios, loudspeakers, newspapers, and billboards, used terror tactics, police spies opened private letters, no free press or protest, critics sent to gulag

Why Italy was bitter after the Great War

didn’t get all the land promised by allies, nationalists enraged, chaos erupts, factories seized, taxes rose, government in feuding factions, worker strikes, trade declines

Who became italys new leader and how

Benito Mussolini became the new leader, grew up socialist but rejected it, organized a fascist party, wanted to revive Roman greatness, march on Rome, gained power/position of prime minister legally

the black shirts and what they wanted

Mussolini supporters, party militants rejected democratic process, wanted violent action, wanted change in government

The March on Rome

1922, black shirts demanded changes in government, king victor emmanuel fears civil war → gives mussolini prime minister position leagally

What is Fascism and why was it so popular?

fascism encourages extreme nationalism + loyalty to the state, glorified violence, war, and discipline, anti-democratic (removes previous govt system), pushed for foreign expansion, popular because it was supported by the church/pope (Lateran Agreement), men urged to be warriors, women pushed to be mothers, children urged to be obedient.

What tactics were used to maintain power (italy)

no free elections, speech, or press, jailed + attacked enemies, secret police, connected with crowds, cult of personality, secret police, all govt officials are fascists, outlawed rival political parties

The impact of the Treaty of Versailles and inflation on Germany

Germans hated TOV, war reparations, and debts to pay, France occupied ruhr valley, Germany's money devalued, Inflation spiraled out of control, savings wiped, economic disaster, hate on wiemar govt for signing TOV, dawes plan → Us tries to stabilize germanys hyper inflation

How did Hitler rise to power? How did he gain absolute power?

was leader of nazi party, worked agianst the weimar govt, wrote mein Kampf, appointed chancellor, ended up becomind dictator, promised to restore germ to greatness + end econ crisis, always had passion for coutnry, fought in WWI

Who was blamed for Germany losing in WWI

GERMAN JEWS, marxists, corrupt politicians, business leaders

The concept of Lebensraum (“Living space”)

germany must expand to gian lviing space, race and space, conquer or be conquered, pan germanism, germans are superior, they need to expand

Nuremberg Laws and their effects

set of laws meant to deprive jews of citizenship, defines what makes someone jewish, sets marrige + job restrifcrions, many fled the country

Night of Broken Glass (Kristallnacht)

Attack on jews, destoryed synagogues, homes, and busnesses, used minor incident to attack many, communites attacked all over germany, austria and czech (nov 1938)

The “Final Solution”

All jews must be exterminated, concentration camps

What were the agressive actions taken by italy, germany and japan leading up to WWII

Italy, invaded and conquered ethiopia, germany rebuilt imilatry and invaded rhineland, and Japan overran manchuria and a lot fo eastern china

The rome-berlin-tokyo axis

agreement to fitht soviet union (communism)

agreed to not interfere with one anothers plans on territorial expansion

antidemocratic, agressive power

The anschluss and why it is important

hitler annexed asutira, violated TOV, no one took action, hitler wanted to bring all german speaking people into the thrid reich

how and why were germany, italy, and the soviet union involved in the war in spain?

Hitler and Mussolini sent arms to support franco (dictator) while the soviet union sent soldiers to help the loyalists

involved to test new war strategies and new types of tech

Munich Agreement

British and french leaders give into hitlers demands, hitler annexed sudetenland (czech), appeament, british and french didnt want war

Who thought they had achieved a “peace for our time” and how?

Prime minister neville chamerlain, thought appeasment = no war

What is appeasement and why didnt it work

giving into demands in hopes of pasifism, hitler could never be satisfied

what was the nazi-soviet pact and why was it important

Hitler & Stalin form Pact, publicly bound them to peaceful relations, Privately agreed not to fight & divide up POLAND & other parts of Eastern Europe between them. Shaky alliance → Neither of the two trusted the other

IMPORTANCE = Resulted in German forces invading Poland in September 1939

What marked the beginning of WWII

germany invading poland, britian and france declare war on germany