Rise of Fascism

Origins of Fascism

• Came out after world war one

• Started in italy with mussolini 

• Old roman symbol recreated

  • Bundle of stick representing unity

• About responding to the failure of democracy and western world

Fascist Traits

• Instinct

• Energy 

• Movement

Opposite traits

• Reason 

• passivity 

• thinking

In a fascist society there is/are ...

• Big Military

• One ruler 

• Censorship 

• Strict laws

• War

• Propaganda

• Male dictator 

• Obedience 

• Nationalism

• Traditional gender roles

In a fascist society there is/are no ….

• Freedom of speech or press

• Elections 

• Democracy

• Individualism 

• Limits on police or government power

In a fascist economy there is/are ...

• Mostly capitalism 

• Money

• Businesses 

• Taxes

• Mixed economy - neither socialist nor free market

• Profit for national good

• Socioeconomic classes 

• Military spending

In a fascist economy there is/are no ….

• Unions 

• Strikes

• No free trade (loved tariffs)

What are Ernst Toller’s views on the German Revolution?

His views are that he's in favor of socialism with want for revolution for the workersto establish a more just society and free themselves from oppressive capitalist structures. He believed in the importance of workers' rights and the necessity of radical change to achieve true equality.

How was Germany on the verge of a socialist revolution led by workers and soldiers?

Some parts of Germany had socialist revolutions, but none of them lasted very long and leaders were executed. But communist revolutions demonstrate unstableness within the country.

Why did France and Belgium occupy the Ruhr?

They wanted to take the industrialization of Germany because they were not able to pay the reparations. This occupation aimed to extract goods and resources to compensate for unpaid reparations from World War I, intensifying economic struggles in Germany.

Why was the Ruhr valuable?

Main and big way for Germany to produce steel, iron, and coal, which took away power from Germany.

What did the Ruhr occupation lead to?

This leads to a collapse in the German economy, leading to mass unemployment and large inflation.

How did it come to an end?

Fixed by american bankers who proposed that germany make annual payments to the Allies, known as the Dawes Plan, which restructured Germany's reparations and provided loans to stabilize its economy.

What was the role of the USA in Dawes Plan?  How successful were the plans?

Dawes' plan was to use banking to increase foreign loans and reorganize the German banks. The young plan was implemented after the Dawes plan failed during the wall street crash. The young plan suggested that reparations should be reduced and annual payments be made to other countries. In the end these plans were not very successful due to hitler and other politicians within Germany.

 Eugenics

 race betterment used to be huge, thought it was to make the race “better”by promoting selective breeding and controlling reproduction. This pseudoscientific belief aimed to improve human populations by enhancing desirable traits.

Nazi Eugenics

was a set of policies implemented by the Nazi regime in Germany that aimed to promote the growth of a "racially pure" Aryan population while excluding and eliminating those deemed inferior. This ideology led to forced sterilizations and the extermination of millions, including Jews and other marginalized groups.

Eugenics in the US

refers to the movement that advocated for the improvement of the human population through controlled breeding and sterilizations. Pioneered in the early 20th century, it influenced immigration policies and was associated with racial hygiene ideals, impacting marginalized communities.

How did the role of women in German society change in the Weimar Republic?

They had gained a lot more freedom, rights, and jobs as they needed someone to fill in the role that men had left from the war.

What barriers to sustaining those changes did women encounter?

They faced many people in society who did not want this change, and who advocated or tried to pressure them to not try for more freedoms. Those people tried to spread propaganda about how being a traditional woman was better.

Why might some people view the changing status of women as threatening, not only to men but to the whole nation as a whole?

They viewed it as a minority rising up and challenging societal norms in a time when everything was already so fragile.

Why might some women also resist changes in women’s roles?

They might've resisted because they were scared they had no life outside of the traditional role, or they were scared of what would happen if these rights got stripped from them.

How can a country be assured that rights accorded to women are sustained? Are laws that grant new rights to women sufficient to change attitudes?

A country can be assured that rights according to women are sustained if their government is confident and sure of sustaining them, however laws that grant new rights to women aren’t always significant or sufficient to change attitudes.

Propaganda Posters for Women in the Third Reich

• Demonstrating that smart, pretty, confident women voted for nazis 

• The women were beautiful with impeccably styled hair and makeup.

Similarities between the Nazi and Soviet Poster Propaganda

• Promoted motherhood

• The idea of supporting the nation

• Both had encouraged some aspects of taking up work

Differences between the Nazi and Soviet Poster Propaganda

• Women are very pretty, very traditional looking blonde hair blue eyes

• Emphasis on motherhood to help the country and taking up the household position instead of factory working or fighting themselves

Nazi Population Policy

A program designed to increase the number of racially pure Germans and eliminate the undesirable groups by making sure men had at least four children.

What was the Lebensborn Program? How successful was it?

It was a program started in 1835 meant to increase the birthrate of racially “valuable” children by promoting women to give birth by providing them with birth homes and things for these children but it was not very successful and did not have that great of an impact.

How did the government use the law to promote racial purity?

Banned interracial marriages, had to have genetic testing for “fitness”, and turned it into obligations

What was the focus of education for girls?

Motherhood and domestic life

How did the war change the role of women?

Tried to push women out of the workforce but the war made that impossible in the end but they were still excluded from leadership and combat roles.

What kinds of work did women do in the war for the Nazis?

Industrial work to create weapons and agricultural work to replace men, clerks, radio operators, nurses and hospital workers, but it was framed as temporary and not permanent.

 Explain the role of women in opposing the Nazis

Hiding jews, anti nazi leaflets, speaking out against euthanasia programs, and refusal to join nazi programs.