Rise of Totalitarian Dictators

A. Post-war Years

1. 40 million worldwide casualties (15 million deaths) as a result of WW1

2. League of Nations - organization established to maintain peace and solve world problems

   1. Wilson’s 14th point - over 60 nations joined

   2. Wilson tried to get the American people to support the U.S. joining the League

   3. U.S. did not join the League because the people did not want to get involved in future European problems

3. Locarno Pact (Switzerland 1925) - series of agreements among nations in Europe to prevent war

   1. main result - Germany was invited to join the League of Nations

4. U.S. emerged from WW1 as the world’s leading economic power

   1. 1929 - Great Depression began and spread worldwide

5. France - victorious but unstable due to being the major battleground of WW1

   1. Main concern - protection against Germany

   2. Maginot Line - defensive fortifications built along their borders to stop future invasions

6. England - victorious but faced social and political problems

   1. Main problem - Ireland wanted self-government

   2. Ireland - divided into Northern Ireland and The Irish Free State

B. Italy - political issues after WW1 caused them to look for a new leader

1. King Victor Emmanuel III - named Benito Mussolini as Prime Minister

2. Fascist Party - new political party led by Mussolini

3. Fascism - dictatorship of state over people through force and censorship

C. Benito Mussolini - called “Il Duce” (the leader)

1. WW1 veteran and extreme nationalist

2. Began as Prime Minister but overthrew the government and took over as dictator

3. “March on Rome” (1922) - led troops into Rome and began his rule of terror

4. Promised to revive Roman greatness

5. Slogan of Italian people: “believe, obey, fight… Mussolini is always right”

6. Disbanded all other political parties

7. Invaded Ethiopia and Albania (weak countries) to make Italy look strong

8. Organized the Black Shirt Army - they used violence to stop any opposition

9. Used propaganda to make him look like a hero

D. Germany - major political, economic, and social problems after WW1

1. Main problem - suffered greatly due to being punished for the war

2. Weimar Republic - 5 man branch of government that was weak and unpopular

   1. they ruled from the end of WW1 until Hitler took over

3. National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi Party) - new political party that began to influence the German people

4. Germany people - didn’t support the Weimar Republic and looked for a new leader

E. Adolf Hitler - called “Der Fuhrer” (the leader)

1. Born in Austria, then moved to Germany before WW1

2. Fought for Germany in WW1 and was a war hero

3. After the war - was angry about Treaty of Versailles and that Germany lost the war

4. Associated with the Weimar Republic and then plotted to overthrow them

5. 1923 - led 2,000 Nazis to try to overthrow the Republic but failed and was arrested for treason

6. “Mein Kampf” (means ‘My struggle’) - book that he wrote while in prison about his goals and beliefs

7. Capitalized on Germany’s search for a leader and was appointed chancellor

   1. good speaker and actor

   2. blamed Jews and Communism for Germany’s problems

   3. wanted revenge for WW1 and Treaty of Versailles

8. Took over as dictator and had total control

9. Organized the Brown Shirt Army - aka Stormtroopers

10. Gestapo - secret police that used brutal methods to carry out his plans

11. Heinrich Hammler - leader of Gestapo and one of Hitler’s main people

12. Joseph Goebbels - minister of propaganda - convinced the people to follow the Nazi Party

13. 3rd Reich - 1933-1945 - name for Hitler’s empire

14. Axis Powers - alliance formed with Mussolini/Italy

F. Russia

1. Revolution 1917-1921 - caused by opposition to the Czar, weak government, and military losses (in WW1)

   1. Nicholas II and his family were executed

2. Civil War - 2 groups fought for control of Russia

   1. Bolsheviks - Red army - communists

   2. Mensheviks - White army - non-communists

3. Bolsheviks won civil war and communists took over

4. U.S.S.R. = Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Soviet Union) - new name for Russia after the revolution

5. V.I. Lenin - one of the leaders of the revolution and first leader of the Soviet Union

   1. Ruled 1917-1924 - very popular but died after several strokes

6. Joseph Stalin - General Secretary of Soviet Union who took over after Lenin died