Rejection of Liberalism Flashcards

Why reject a liberal democracy?

False hope - liberal democracy automatically leads to a utopia.

Dictatorship

Ruled by an elite, often authoritarian.

Junta

Military dictatorship - military general comes into power (Pinochet)

One-party state

Only one party is allowed to exist and run for government.

Theocracy

Led by religious leaders - Iran, Ayatollah, Vatican.

Oligarchy

Govt ruled by extremely rich and powerful. Russia. US might be led into one.

Totalitarianism

PPls entire lives are dictated by govt - hitler.

Carlyle

‘great man theory’ history is driven by great individuals who influence society solely through their actions.

Nizche

Democracy creates equality, but at the cost of crushing superiority and individuality, leading to a herd mentality. Mediocrity.

Social Darwinism

Weak countries will be conquered by the stronger countries. War should be embraced for the sake of war.

Charisma

Tap into the spirit of the people, be engaging, passionate, popular.

Indoctrination

All forms of media are taken over to spread a message - follow dictator w/o question.

Conrolled Participation

Elections - ppl are told HOW to vote. Illusion of democracy.

Fear and Terror

Secret police - opposition would be humiliated and used as an example. Loyalty to govt above family.

Direction of Popular Discontent

Scapegoat - direct blame to other groups, xenophobia.

Interwar Italy

Devastated - loss of many lives, high unemployment, food shortages, out of control inflation. Threat of communist revolution.

Mussolini Origins

Newspapers - blamed Treaty of Versailles for humiliation of Italy and democracy. Traces back to Treaty of London.

March on Rome

Mussolini and Blackshirts violently overthrew italian govt. Mussolini was appointed PM.

Lateran Treaty 1929

An agreement between papal state and Italy to create vatican city and to side with the country.

Public works projects

People got back to work, massive construction jobs, roads, farming.

Matteotti

Politician killed by blackshirts, who would be found innocent due to Mussolini’s influence and fear of him.

‘Trains ran on time.’

Fought corruption, got things done, and provided jobs with efficiency.

Italy’s return to past glory

Return to the roman empire - make italy a world power. Invaded abyssinia.

OVRA

Italy’s secret police - spied on Italians, created fear.

Interwar Germany

Devastated, unemployment, food shortage, ooc inflation, civil war w/ a fear of communist takeover.

Weimar Republic

Attempt by Germany to use liberal democracy - slow inefficient, corrupt, and had to bind to treaty of versailles.

Hyperinflation

Printing of too much money made the currency of Germany useless - caused by reparations.

Ruhr Invasion

France’s invasion of the Ruhr to utilize Germany’s natural resources and gather money through there.

Dawes Plan - Youngs Plan

Dawes - US lent money to Germany to stabilize its economy. Worked

Youngs - reparations would be paid over a span of 60 years.

Stab-in-the-back myth

German military was winning the war, however the german government sold them out to the triple alliance.

Nationalist Socialist Workers Party

NAZI - not socialist at all, had their own militia, brown shirts (SA). Targetted jews, minorities, communists, opposition.

Beer Hall Putsch

Attempt by Hitler to emulate the March on Rome. Failed.

Mein Kampf

Book by Hitler which expressed his ideologies.

Third Reich

Greatest Empire of the world - would last 1000 years.

Autarky

Lack of natural resources, which would be secured.

Lebensraum

Expansionism - expand east, use the natural resources of slavs who were inferior.

Reichstag Fire 1933

Reichstag was intentionally set on fire - utilized by Hitler to enact emergency powers, blamed on communists.

Enabling Act

Allowed Hitler to create laws without having to go through the reichstag first.

Night of the Long Knives

Hitler went after the leaders of the SA - killed leaders, including Ernst Rohm, out of fear of an overthrow.

Nuremberg Laws

State laws to discriminate against Jews. Qualified who was a jew, couldn’t work as a public servant, doctor, nurse, teacher, or in govt. Had to wear star of david publicly on person and on stores. Couldn’t marry a german, and germans couldnt go to jewish stores.

Kristallnacht

Night of broken glass - frustration unleashed on Jewish ppl and stores. Money was seized, and foreshadowed holocaust.

Reichskonkordat

Germany made peace with the Catholic Church.

Economics of Nazi Germany

Utilized make work projects like autobahn, which made Germany prosper. Showed off in 1936 Olympics to contrast GD and show aryan superiority.

Ministry of Propaganda and Public Enlightenment

Brainwash ppl - media, schools were taken over. Union is to celebrate hitler, and schools taught from mein kampf.

Hitler Youth

Boy scout esque group for young boys who sang praises to hitler.

Gestapo

Secret police of Nazi Germany who spied on German citizens.

Eugenics

Belief of analyzing DNA to find ppl who could give disabled offspring, sterilize them.

NKVD

USSR Secret Police - spied on russians and those against Stalin.

Old Bolsheviks

½ targetted by Stalin. Former actors with Lenin who elected Stalin. Familiar to Night of Long Knives.

Red Army Generals

Stalin feared they would remain loyal to Trotsky and surmount him.

Nikolai Yezhov

#1 Officer of NKVD and head of NKVD. Stalin believed he was being too good and was a part of the opposition, and had him executed. Erased from photos.

1936 - Constitution of USSR

Guaranteed fair trial, rights, freedom of speech, but was never actually enforced. Enacted for the appearance of good.

Democratic Centralism

Decision-making process in USSR before Gorbachev. Party members can disagree in secret about policies, but in public all members are in full agreement. Communist party was the elite in Russia.