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.
◦
• 1st Reich: medieval holy roman empire
• 2nd rreich: OVB 1871
• 3rd Reich: hitler who wanted to dominate europe for1000 years