Untitled Flashcards Set

Dictatorships and the WW2:

• both conservative and radical dictatorships took over europe

• radical totalitarian dictatorship:

◦ based off of communism and fascism

‣ both rejected parliamentar gov. and liberal (freedom) values

◦ wanted to radically reconstruct society

◦ totalitarianism: “total claims” which used a one party totalitarian state to create political repression and intense propaganda to gain complete power

• Dictators to know:

◦ stalin -soviet union

◦ mussolini -italy

◦ hitler -germany

• fascists:

◦ strive to build a new community on the national level (glorification of war and military)

◦ nation was the highest achievement in society

◦ ok w/ different class levels

◦ eugenics: selective breeding of humans in pursuit to improve tha general characteristics of the national population

• communists:

◦ economic equality (no eugenics)

◦ what is best for all the community

Stalin’s Soviet Union:

• 1928- Stalin imposed the first of several “5 year plans” aimed to create super productive yet unattainable goals b/c russia’s past has been behind

◦ motivated the ppl by giving bonuses to those who succeed and punishing those who didn’t

• command economy:gov officials made all basic economic decisions

◦ opposite of new policies created earlier w/ NEP (New Economic POlicy)

◦ which re-established limited economic freedom to rebuild agriculture and industry

• collectives- contrfollled the food supply

◦ hurt the kulaks (class of well off peasants who benefitted the most from NEP)

• terror tactics:

◦ nothing appears in print w out official approval

◦ police spies didnt hesitate to open or search letters

◦ no free press no safe protesting space

◦ GULAG: a system of brutal labor camps where no one comes back (many died)

• 1936-38: “great purge” more russians died than in WW2

◦ he made false evidence against members of his own Red Army

Fascism in Italy

• During WW1, the Allies (France and Britain) in 1915 secretly promised to give Italy certain Austro-Hungarian territories. —> Italy only received the compromised territories—> soar in unemployment and inflation after WW1

• Mussolini was the son of a socialist blacksmith and a teacher

◦ he was a socialist in his youth but in WW1 rejected it for intense nationalism

• Mussolini organisized his support groups “black shirts” ike Girabaldi’s red shirts

◦ gangs that would terrorize— March on Rome (fascists surrounded capital)

◦ fear of civil war, King Emmanuel 2 asked Mussolini ton form a gov as prime minister, but he eventually took over all power

• Mussolini gained support from many diff sectors of society including the Catholic Church

◦ Lateran Agreement of 1929, he recognized the vatican as an independent state & gave a lot of financial support to the church in exchange for the pope’s support

Hitler and the Rise of Nazi Germany

• 1923 Germany fell behind in reparations

• Ruhr Valley: France occupied, and german workers protested using passive resistant— to support the workers the gov printed paper money and german mark became almost worthless

• Hitler failed to seize power in 1923 and he wrote his Manifesto which is titled Mein Kampf “My Struggle”

• master race- arianism

• He urged Germans everywhere to unite into one great nation to gain Lebensraum- or living space for the people of Germany

• he strived to be the Furher of germany w unlimited power

• gets out of prison and was in a perfect spot to exploit the depression

• he broke the treaty of versailles

• Nazi- National Socialist German Workers' Party

• even tho ppl hated him they thought they could control him so appointed him Chancellor

• he purged nazis he felt were disloyal

• ENABLING ACT: gave hitler power for 4 years and he js never gave it up after

• used arclass to show his power

• SS troops to enforce his will

• HEINRICH HIMMLER : e SS Took over the political police and the concentration camp system

◦ gestapo: secret polic

◦ 1935 the Nazis passed the Nuremberg laws which deprived Jews of German citizenship and places severe restrictions on them.

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• 1st Reich: medieval holy roman empire

• 2nd rreich: OVB 1871

• 3rd Reich: hitler who wanted to dominate europe for1000 years