IB History HL Test Review - Authoritarian States (Hitler & Kim Il Sung)

What were the two primary economic factors that allowed Hitler’s rise to power?

The Great Depression and the Treaty of Versailles.

How did Hitler exploit Germany’s economic distress?

By promising revitalization through national pride, economic recovery, and employment opportunities.

What did Hitler’s campaign rhetoric heavily emphasize?

The need for strong leadership to restore the economy.

Why did Nazism flourish after the Great Depression?

Because citizens were desperate and disillusioned enough to look past mainstream politics for solutions to their struggles.

Was Germany society fractured post-WWI?

Yes

What ideologies were the German working class sympathetic to?

Leftist ideologies (particularly Communism).

What ideologies were the German middle and upper classes sympathetic to?

Anti-communism ideologies.

How did Hitler capitalize on German political division?

By fostering a narrative that pitted the Aryan population against Jews and other marginalized groups.

Why were Jews and other marginalized groups the target of Hitler’s Nazism?

Because he could blame them for Germany’s problems.

What did Nazi propaganda glorify, and who did it demonize?

The Aryan race and minorities, respectively.

What environment did the Nazi party solidify its grip on power with?

An environment of fear and hatred.

What shaped ideal conditions for Hitler’s rise to power?

The impact of war and militarism.

What sense did WWI instill in Germans?

Humiliation

At the time of Hitler’s rise, was the Weimar Republic weak or strong?

Weak

What was the Weimar Republic struggling with?

Political fragmentation and a lack of stability.

When was Hitler appointed Chancellor?

1933

What did Hitler do after being appointed Chancellor in 1933?

He used the Reichstag Fire to pass the Enabling Act which allowed him to pass any policy without legislative approval, squandering any political opposition and consolidating his source of power.

What did Hitler appeal to in his rise to power?

Anger over the Treaty of Versailles, the need for national pride, and economic despair.

What class of Germans, specifically, was drawn to Hitler’s claims of Jewish and Communist allyship in the destruction of Germany?

The middle class and rural populations.

What two actions dismantled democracy in Germany under Hitler?

The banning of political parties and the disbanding of trade unions.

Hitler was not only presented as a leader, but a ____?

Messiah

What was Hitler’s personal leadership style based on?

“Fuhrerprinzip,” or the idea that all authority emanated from him and that all of his subordinates owed him total loyalty.

What qualities were Hitler’s form of rule?

Chaotic but personal.

Who were the Brownshirts?

The National Socialist German Workers’ Party’s (NSDAP) paramilitary organization.

What did the Brownshirts do?

Act as Hitler’s main paramilitary force, playing a vital role in street battles against communists and intimidating voters and rival parties during elections.

What was the Night of Long Knives?

A purge of Brownshirt leadership and political adversaries ordered by Hitler.

Why did Hitler order the Night of Long Knives?

Because he was increasingly disturbed by the idea of an independent Brownshirt force. He wanted to consolidate his power.

When was the Night of Long Knives?

June 1934.

Who was the SS?

The country’s most feared instrument of terror, under Heinrich Himmler.

What did the SS do?

Oversee political surveillance, arrests, and eventually operate the concentration camps.

Who were the Gestapo?

The secret state police.

What did the Gestapo do?

Operate beyond judicial oversight and used torture and blackmail to suppress resistance.

What role did citizens play in the use of force?

Citizens were encouraged to report their neighbors for disloyalty, with some even resorting to violence against those they deemed dangerous to the regime.

Who oversaw the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda?

Joseph Goebbels.

What was mobilized to promote the Nazi worldview?

Newspapers, radio, cinema, literature, art, and even architecture.

What was one of the most famous German propaganda films?

Triumph of the Will.

What were broadcast regularly to promote Hitler as the infallible Fuhrer of Germany?

His speeches.

What aspect of daily life did Nazi propaganda alter?

Education

What was subsidized in order to ensure that every German citizen had access to Nazi messaging?

Radio ownership.

What were newspapers purged of in Nazi Germany?

Independent journalism.

What event was used as a pretext to arrest thousands of left-wing and Communist individuals in Nazi Germany?

The Reichstag Fire of 1933.

Although religious groups spoke out against some aspects of the Nazi regime, particularly the treatment of Jews, they were usually ____?

Closely monitored or isolated.

What was one of Hitler’s most immediate goals?

To pull Germany out of the Great Depression.

What was one of Hitler’s greatest domestic economic policies?

The construction of a nationwide highway system, or autobahn.

What did the Nazi regime place a strong emphasis on, in terms of gender?

Traditional gender roles.

What were women primarily seen as in Nazi Germany?

Mothers and homemakers.

What did the Nazi regime promote was a woman’s highest duty?

To bear children that would be loyal to and serve the needs of the state.

What were women discouraged to do in Nazi Germany?

Join the workforce, especially in political or professional roles.

How did Nazi Germany ensure women did not join the workforce?

By implementing marriage loans and tax breaks to encourage women to marry and have children.

What economic conditions influenced North Korea’s post-WWII policies?

Severe destruction from WWII and the Korean War.

What type of economy did Kim Il Sung promote in response to economic hardships?

A centralized, state-controlled economy prioritizing heavy industry and collectivization.

What were the physical results of Kim Il Sung’s economic strategy?

Low agricultural yields and inefficiencies.

How did economic failure contribute to North Korea’s political system?

It reinforced authoritarian rule to control dissent and manage scarce resources.