Chapter 30 The Rise of DictatorshipsThomas Baffuto Pleasantville High School

Post war Social Changes• The Roaring Twenties

– Rebellious young people were disillusioned by war– Rejected the moral values and rules of the Victorian

Age.– Chased after excitement– The Flapper

Postwar Social Changes: Women’s Lives Lady Nancy Astor first woman elected to Parliament. Labor saving devices became common in middleclass

homes Washing machines, vacuum cleaners, and canned

foods. Women pursed careers in many new areas- from sports

to arts.

The New Literature: The Lost Generation Gertrude Stein an American writer coined the term war novels, poetry, plays and memoirs about WWI

flowed off the presses. All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Remarque A loss of faith in western democracy and its moral

breakdown. T.S. Eliot poet: The Waste Land Ernest Hemingway: The Sun Also Rises

New Scientific Theories Marie Curie and radioactivity

Einstein’s Theory of Relativity

Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin

Sigmund Freud probes the mind

Modern Art and Architecture New Directions in painting

Henri Matisse

Cubism

Dada: rejected all traditional conventions of painting

Abstract

SurrealismAbstract Art

Cubism

Crisis of Democracy in the West • Rebuilding war torn countries• Finding jobs for returning vets• Huge debt• Pursuit of peace Treaty of Locarno settled

Germany’s border disputes• Kellog Briand Pact of 1928: “renounced war as

an instrument of national policy

Contestant #1 I am a womanizer, have self-interested policies

and unfortunately suffer from ailing health.

Contestant #2I have a drinking habit and a defiant tongue or attitude

Contestant #3I am a decorated war hero,

do not drink and want to create a stable economy

Contestant #3Contestant #2Contestant #1

Treaty of Versailles

Black Tuesday 1929- stock market crashes

Great Depressionduring 1930s

Increasing influence of new political parties that emphasize

state control-For example: Communism,

Nazism, Fascism

Total Controlof State by a

Dictator

The Rise of Totalitarian Leaders

• European struggles and dissatisfaction during the postwar years had a major effect on European politics.

• Leaders who reflected the people’s bitterness and anger emerged.

• These leaders promised a return to greatness.

• This was very appealing to unhappy Europeans, and many were willing to give up basic freedoms in return for future glory.

• Government establishes complete control of all aspects of the state(political, military, economy, social, cultural)

• Highly nationalistic (flags, salutes, rallies, uniforms)

• Strict controls and laws

• Military state (secret police, army, military)

• Censorship (opposing literature and ideas)

• Propaganda (media – radio, newspapers, posters)

• One leader (dictator); charismatic

• Total conformity of people to ideas and leader

• Terror and Fear

Nazism

FascismCommunism

*These theories, specifically Communism and Fascism, are completely different theories that are bitterly opposed; however they exhibit the same behavior

Totalitarianism

I am Benito Mussolini the leader (Il Duce) of Italy from 1922 to 1943.

What is Fascism?

• RIGHT WING• intense nationalism and elitism• totalitarian control • interests of the state more important than individual rights• maintain class system and private ownership

Interesting Fact: Fascism name was derived Interesting Fact: Fascism name was derived from the fasces, an ancient Roman symbol from the fasces, an ancient Roman symbol of authority consisting of a bundle of rods of authority consisting of a bundle of rods and an axand an ax

I am Adolf Hitler the leader (der Fuhrer) or dictator of Germany from 1933 to 1945. What is Nazism?

• extremely fascist , nationalistic and totalitarian • based on beliefs of the National Socialist German Workers Party• belief in the racial superiority of the Aryan, the “master race”• belief that all Germans should have “lebensraum” or living space in Europe•Violent hatred towards Jews and blamed Germany’s problems on them

Common ideals of Fascism• Government run by dictator• Nationalistic• Imperialistic• Militaristic• Racist • Kill all opposition

Weakness of the Weimar republic• New democratic gov’t setup in the city of Weimar • No single party commanded a majority.• Leading moderate parties differed on economic and

religious matters.• Nazis on the right and communists on the left had more

votes than those groups fighting for the republics survival.

• Unstable gov’t; unable to cope with problems.

• Politically weak• Many economic problems caused by the Versailles Treaty• Weak tradition of democracy

Effect of Hyperinflation

• Germans lost their life savings

• Salaries were paid in worthless money

• Groceries cost billions

• Hunger riots broke out

Cost of Bread in Germany

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cost ofBread

• 1921: 1 mark• 1922: 1 mark• 1923: 60,000 marks

• Value of 42,000 marks in American Dollars

• 1921: $600.00• 1923: 1 cents

Fall of German mark(Hyperinflation)• 1921 four marks to one dollar• 1922 four hundred marks to one dollar• Jan 1923 18000 marks to one dollar.• July 1923 160000 marks to one dollar.• Nov 1923 4,000,000,000 to one dollar.

Cost of Living in Germany

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Cost of living

Factors explaining the Nazi rise to power• Economic Distress

– Instead of raising taxes gov’t prints more money– Value of money declines.– Savings accounts, life insurance policies and

pensions became worthless.– Worldwide depression.– Nazis rose to power “on the empty stomachs of

the German People”.– Support of the middle class, workers,

industrialists.

Fear of Communism• Many Germans supported the German

Communist Party• Property owners, Bankers and industrialists

feared the Communists and supported the Nazis

Appeal to Nationalism• German patriots unable to cope with defeat in WWI• Nazis pledged to

– tear up the Versailles treaty– Rearm Germany– Demand return of Colonies– Denounced War guilt clause– German Army stabbed in back by Jews and

Communists/ November Criminals

Anti Semitism• Scapegoats for Germany’s loss in WWI.• Hated throughout Germany even before WW I.• If Jews were responsible then Germans were

not.• Unprincipled people looked forward to looting

and beating Jews.• Small minority only 600,000 safe to attack.

Lack of Democratic Tradition• Use to autocratic gov’t not a democracy.• Bismarck and the Kaiser unified Germany,

achieved economic growth, and world power=success.

• Weimar republic signed the Versailles treaty= failure.

• Many Germans willing to exchange freedom for Nazi promises of economic security and nationalist glory.

My Struggle: Mein Kampf • Written In Jail • Blueprint for Hitler’s rise to power• Aryans= master race• Jews, Gypsies & Slavs= subhuman• Lebensraum: living space• Versailles Treaty an outrage

Hitler takes control in Germany• German brand of fascism is called Nazism• Hitler a skilled orator • Very organized takes power• Tries to overthrow the government (1923)• Thrown in Jail writes “Mein Kampf”• Nationalist Socialist German Workers (Nazis)• Use of Storm Troopers.• Spectacular mass rallies.

Rise of Nazis• 1928:12 seats.• 1930:107 seats; popular vote from 800,000 to 6.5

million.• 1932: 230 seats.• Hitler named Chancellor on January 30, 1933

Calls for new election.• Week before election day the Reichstag building

caught fire.• Nazis blamed it on the Communists.• Took dictatorial powers suspended freedom of

speech/press.

The Third Reich• 1st Holy Roman Empire• 2nd Bismarck’s Empire• Took the title Fuhrer• Attack on the Jews

Why was Hitler able to gain complete power in Germany from 1929 to 1934?• Oct. 24, 1929 Stock market crash: over

production/over supply/low prices/buying stock on margin

• By 1932 6,000,000 Germans were out of work/business failures/falling wages

• Germans wanted a leader who could provide jobs and rebuild German pride

• Nazis promise to improve the economy/win over the middle class, workers, and unemployed

• Nazis “rise to power on the empty stomachs of the German People.”

Why was Hitler able to gain complete power in Germany from 1929 to 1934?• Fear of communism/ by battling the communist

movement the Nazis win support of bankers, property holders, and industrialists

• Appeal to nationalism• Anti-Semitism• Weakness of the Weimar Republic

Economic Policies that made Hitler Popular• Set up public works: every unemployed German male

had a job with the government for 6 months.• Built up infrastructure of Germany• Banned Jews and women from working giving jobs to

German males• Arms industry was labor intensive need many workers• Banned some labor saving machinery so that more

people could work.• Conscription (draft) into the Military reduced

unemployment• Hitler encouraged mass production of radios /

employment increase/ also used for mass propaganda• Strength through joy program: cheap vacations/public

theater, concerts and sporting events

Party Representation in the Reichstag

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1928 Jul-32

Mar-33

Nazi

GERMAN nationalPeoplesGerman Peoples

Economic

Catholic Center

Socialist

Communist

Party Representation in the Reichstag• May 1928: 12• Sept: 1930: 108• July 1932: 230• Nov. 1932: 196• Mar. 1933: 288• Nov. 1933: 661• Other Parties in the Reichstag: Communists,

Socialist, State, Bavarian peoples, Catholic Center, Economic, German National Peoples, German People

Fascism• Political movement that promotes an

extreme form of nationalism, denial of individual rights,and a dictatorial one party system.

• State above the individual/loyalty to the state/militarism/censorship/state control of the economy/ultra nationalism

Benito Mussolini (Il Duce)• Fascism fueled by disappointment over the Versailles

Treaty/failure to win large territorial gains/ inflation/ high unemployment/ Fear of Communism/ Democratic gov’t too weak

• Newspaper Editor and politician• Black shirts/ October 1922 30,000 fascist march on

Rome/ King Victor Emmanuel III

Rise of Japanese Militarists• Resentment over Versailles treaty• Loss of tradition• The Great Depression• Loss of trade/ high unemployment• Need for raw materials

Effects of rise of militarists• Imperialism need raw materials to fuel industrial

growth• More respect for emperor• Invasion of Manchuria/ withdraws from League

of Nations• Loss of democratic freedoms