Authoritarian States

Hitler/Mao

What did the Treaty of Versailles do?

Blamed Germany for the war, made them pay reparations, took german land and divided it —> Econ. stress

Why was Germany in financial stress?

Treaty of Versailles + Great depression (unemployment x3, 1/3 of ppl w/o paychecks)

Why did ppl not like the Chinese Dynasty?

Dominated by foreign powers, lost the war to British and Japanese, many peasants stuck with high taxes, landlords, and inflation; Gov. did nothing.

Weimar Republic

Government after WW1. Weak government that stabbed Germany in the back because of Treaty and gave too much representation to small parties.

GMD

Political party whose members seized control of regions, ignored the gov., and terrorized peasants for food and taxes. Temporarily allied with CCP

Why did Mao form his own party?

The GMD broke their alliance with the CCP. Mao wanted to focus on peasants more.

What was Mao’s army called?

Red Army

What was the Long March?

Mao encouraged peasants to kill the rich. Jiang Jieshi (GMD) intervened, so Mao forces army on Long March to evade the GMD and spread ideology.

Why was Hitler popular?

People desperate for change. Charismatic speaker. Promised nationalistic and economic revival. Wrote Me in Kampf and tried to control part of gov., which ppl liked.

What did Hitler do as Chancellor?

passed the Enabling Act (1933) which allowed him to make laws. Overthrew Reichstag and Nazified the government.

Why was Mao popular?

Appealed to peasants who were tired of poverty and inequality. Promised land reforms and a stronger, unified China.

What were self-criticism sessions?

Meetings where individuals criticized their own behavior and beliefs to promote ideological conformity and loyalty to the Communist Party in Mao's China. Weeded out disloyals.

What was Hitler’s Idealogy?

Anti-communist, Aryan, German superiority/Nationalism. Used anti-semitism as scapegoat. Believed everyone should be a Nazi and Germany should be a 1-party-state.

What was Mao’s Idealogy?

Communism, which appealed to peasants. Promised equal wealth distribution.

Name examples of legal methods Hitler used to maintain control.

Made it illegal to organize any other political party. Made all local politicians Nazi’s. Passed the Law of Professional Civil Service, which forced non-aryans/Jews out of politics, schools, and courts; Replaced with Nazis. Established the Gestapo to suppress dissent.

Name examples of legal methods Mao used to maintain control.

Wrote the state Constitution of 1954, which made a legal system. Made Committee of NPC, which could appoint/dismiss judges. Made China a one-party Communist state. replaced Courts with party committees. Created vague categories of people to disenfranchise.

What was the Night of the Long Knives?

The SA was planning a revolt—> Hitler made the SS to purge them—>many died and propaganda painted Hitler to be a hero.

What was the SS?

Hitler’s police force. Targeted groups, ran concentration camps, exploited fear, used torture, held people without trial, disappeared people.

What did Hitler’s propaganda do?

Made him seem to be the solution of all German problems, spread his Ideology, increased war enthusiasm, reinforced hatred towards opposition, placed him above politics.

What were reunification campaigns?

The PLA would invade land, specifically Tibet, to convert and spread their ideology.

What was Thought Reform?

A campaign initiated by the Chinese Communist Party aimed at reshaping individual beliefs and ideologies to align with socialist principles, often involving intense reeducation programs and political indoctrination.

What was the Little Red Book?

A collection of quotations from Mao Zedong, widely distributed in China to promote his ideology and mobilize the populace during the Cultural Revolution.

What was Mao’s main method of control?

Encouraged people to spy on eachother and report any dissent against the Party's ideology.

What was the Reign of Terror?

A campaign against Tibet thatr aimed to suppress dissent and enforce loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party, characterized by severe repression and human rights violations.

How did people oppose Hitler?

People would read banned literature, protect Jews. Socialist groups distributed anti-Nazi slogans/leaflets. Some emigrated and joined SDP (resistance group network). Some judges and churchmen refused to administer Nazi Justice. Formed the Kreisau Circle, which was a group of educated people who discussed how to rid of Hitler. Several attempts on his life

How did Hitler deal with opposition?

Used the Gestapo and the SS to find and kill dissidents. Had a security police to execute people. Sent people to prison with no trial. Most notably, Concentration Camps.

How did people oppose Mao?

He had many opps, including the GMD, Mongols, Muslims, Christians, landlords, but barely any significant resistance attempts were made. Tibet Uprising: a revolt against the great famine that led to the Dalai Lama to flee and Garner attention to issue—> thwarted by the CCP.

How did Mao deal with opposition?

Had the Suppression of Counter-Revolutionaries Campaign, which publicly denounced, arrested, and executed percieved threats. Mao mostly relied on people to snitch on other people.

What were successful foreign policies under Hitler?

Defied treaty and rearmed the nation. Expanded more territory to increase influence.

What were unsuccessful foreign policies under Hitler?

His attempt to invade Poland led to WW2, which led to the fall of the Nazi regime.

What were successful foreign policies under Mao?

He gained prestige through his victory in the Korean war. Treaty of Friendship: alliance with the Soviet Union that facilitated military and economic support.

What were unsuccessful foreign policies under Mao?

His Great Leap Forward resulted in economic disaster and strained relations with the USSR.

What was Hitler’s economic plan?

He had no clear plan, but did claim to restore Germany economy, wanted to help small farmers, and build a wartime economy.

What is ‘guns and butter’?

The balance between money spent on arms vs. civilian needs. Ex.) Hitler spending too much on rearmament, while people were lacking basic needs.

What was Mao’s first 5 year plan?

It was an economic initiative aimed at rapidly industrializing China through collectivization and state control, leading to significant disruptions and failures.

What was the ‘Great Leap Forward’ and why did it fail?

Peasants would increase food supply to be exported and that money would be used for industry. But, Mao didn’t have the knowledge to make the plan work so their economy and food supply dropped.

What was Hitler’s education reform?

It aimed to create a loyal youth supportive of Nazi ideals, focusing on physical education and Nazi ideology, while undermining traditional education methods. Made Hitler Youth compulsory —> more soldiers.

Why did the Great Famine happen?

Mao focused on collectivization, but when that didn’t work, he switched to USSR farming methods, which caused the Great Famine that killed 45 million, while the government did nothing.

How did Mao’s policies effect women?

Mao's policies aimed to improve women's rights by promoting gender equality, encouraging women to join the workforce. Passed marriage reform law in 1950 that aimed to eliminate arranged marriages and promote women's autonomy. Female infanticide was still a problem and the famine forced mothers to leave their kids.

How did Hitler’s policies effect women?

Claimed they were only meant for children, kitchen, and church. Incentivized women to have children and shut down birth control/abortion methods. Not allowed in judiciary or jury service, and initially encouraged to stay at home.