the rise of totalitarianism communism in russia fascism in italy, germany, and japan

The Rise of Totalitariani

smCommunism in Russia

Fascism in Italy, Germany, and Japan

Totalitarian states have governments that have complete control over every aspect of people’s

lives.

Why did people turn over their control to a

totalitarian government?

How did totalitarian governments come to

power?

How did totalitarian governments keep

control over the people?

Could a totalitarian government take over the United States of America?

Hitler did not get elected by promising the German people that he would lead them into another World War… kill millions of Germans… start the Holocaust… create Death Camps… destroy German cities…

Hitler was elected because he promised to improve German

education… provide child care for working mothers… improve the

economy and get more jobs… and restore German pride

Secret Police

Laws to “Protect” citizens

Scapegoating evil enemies of the people

encouraging informants

Convinced the German people to trade their freedoms for

protection from evil enemies

fear of terrorists

Totalitarian states are ones where

the governments have complete control over all

aspects of people’s private and public lives.

In this unit we will be studying the

rise of totalitarian states after World

War I in Russia, Italy, Germany,

and Japan.

In Russia, hundreds of years of rule by the Czars was replaced by revolutionaries. Vladimir Lenin tried to modernize Russia before Joseph Stalin created a

totalitarian state.

In Japan, Emperor Hirohito lost power to the military who came to dominate Japanese society.

Japanese militarism would lead to war with Europe and the USA.

After a series of weak governments in Italy, Benito Mussolini and the Fascist Party come to

power. They create a totalitarian society.

Germany struggled to repay the debts from the Treaty of Versailles. Hatred of the treaty (and War Guilt Clause) and enormous economic troubles

leads to the rise of Adolf Hitler.

Rise of Totalitarian States (1919-1941)

These leaders used secret police, fear of foreign attack, and propaganda to take total control over every aspect of their people’s public and private

lives.

Rise of Nationalism after world war I

The Russian Revolution

• a feudal society (farmer based)

• Russian Czar not able to adapt to a changing world

• poor leadership and extreme hardships during the First World War

• bloody death of the royal family

• symbol of hope for the poor people of the world as the Russians started democratic reforms

• seen as a threat by Western leaders

• betrayed by leaders seeking power who turned Russia into a totalitarian society

Rise of Russian Nationalism

For over 300 years the Romanov

family ruled Russia.

In 1917, the rule of the

family came to a violent end.

Czar Nicholas II (1894-1917)• disastrous military leader • abdicating in 1917, he

was imprisoned by the Red Army

• he and his family were killed in the Ural Mountains

Czar Alexander II (1855-81)• abolished serfdom on

March 3, 1881, and introduced many reforms

• he was assassinated in 1881

Czar Alexander III (1881-94)

• more police and new laws

• he also undid many of the reforms that his father had introduced

Russia struggled to find a balance

between the desire to industrialize and the reality of having a country that was mostly made up of peasant farmers.

By 1900, a small industrial revolution

was started in Russian cities.

This led to more problems as

Russians tried to understand the new

changes…

The Russian Revolution

Russian Revolution and Rise of Fascism

1. Two Revolutions in RussiaA. March 1917, political,

economic, and social conditions in Russia started a revolution that overthrew the Czar

The end of the Russian Monarchy

In 1917, the Czar

abdicated.

Democracy came to Russia.

The Russians set up Soviets

– the local branches of

workers parties.

In November 1917 Lenin

and the Bolsheviks took over power in Russia.

Lenin’s Bolshevik party changed its

name to Communists –

after Karl Marx’s classless society.

Lenin was a dynamic leader.

Democracy spread…at first…

Lenin takes control of Russia

1. Two Revolutions in RussiaA. March 1917, political, economic, and social conditions

in Russia started a revolution that overthrew the Czar

B. Bolsheviks (Communists – led by Lenin) seized power in OCtober 1917 i. ended private ownership of landii. gave land to peasantsiii.gave workers control of factories

and minesiv.ended Russia’s involvement in

World War I

When Russia withdrew from World War I, a civil war broke out.

The Revolution was opposed by some Russians (they

became known as “White Russians”)

A Civil War devastated Russia

The Russians at first think that

their Revolution would be

welcomed by the American and French people

(who had also had successful

revolutions for freedom and democracy)

The Russians write letters of goodwill to the Americans…

who immediately send troops into Russia to put down the Revolution…

Over 15 million

Russians die

during the Civil War…

Russia would have a difficult

time trusting

the Allies again…

American and Allied

forces invade

and occupy much of Russia

In Russia

equality

everyone voted

workers were given control of factories

peasants were given land

In the USA

discrimination

white men voted

rich industrialists owned everything

sharecropping

How did Western Nations respond to the Russian Revolution?

Western countries were controlled by wealthy leaders who saw the new ideas that the Russians

had as dangerous.

The Russian Revolution might become a dangerous example to the poor in the west.

Western leaders sent their armies into Russia to overthrow the revolution and

restore the Czar.

Russia fights Civil War and is attacked by Western Powers

1. Two Revolutions in RussiaA. March 1917, political, economic, and social conditions in

Russia started a revolution that overthrew the Czar

B. Bolsheviks (Communists – led by Lenin) seized power in October 1917i. ended private ownership of landii. gave land to peasantsiii. gave workers control of factories and minesiv. ended Russia’s involvement in World War I

C. three year civil war between the Communist Red Army and the Whites, people who were loyal to Czar

The Revolution and Civil War left Russia poor and

destroyed.

To improve the economy, Lenin started the NEW

ECONOMIC POLICY (NEP). Lenin wanted the economy to

develop before Russia could move

to a communist state.

By 1900, Europe enjoyed the benefits of the Industrial Revolution.

But, what about

Russia?

The Industrial Revolution brought about huge changes in society.

Philosophers tried to explain the way that the world had changed. The most influential thinker of the times was a

German named Karl Marx...

Lenin tries to modernize Russia

Much of the success of the

Russian Revolution comes from the work of Lenin.

He is charismatic and dynamic.

He realizes that the proletariat society does

not exist in feudal Russia.

A classless society could only exist once the

urbanized working class took control of Russia.

But Russia had never been through a capitalist

phase.

So Lenin introduces the NEW ECONOMIC POLICY,

making the state develop a kind of capitalist society.

2. From Lenin to StalinA Under Lenin, the Communist Party

used the army and secret police to enforce its will. In economics, Lenin mixed capitalist and socialist ideas.

Lenin is followed by Joseph Stalin.

Stalin creates a totalitarian society in Russia.



B. After Lenin died, Joseph Stalin took over

i. tried to make USSR a modern industrial state

Russia had missed the Capitalist phase

Stalin tried to skip Capitalist phase by allowing the state

to develop the Russian economy

eventually the state would “hand over” control of the

economy to the “dictatorship of the proletariat”…

huge factories were built with millions of

people being encouraged to work to

make the state stronger

farm land was taken away by the government and peasants forced to

work on huge collectivized farms

Stalin introduced 5-year-plans for industrial and

agricultural improvements





ii. all economic and agricultural activity under government control

iii. 5-year-plans to increase production

Stalin’s Great Purge

In 1934 Stalin targeted his enemies

for elimination.

By 1939 Stalin had complete control of

the country.

Historians estimate that Stalin was responsible for

between 8-13 million Russians.





ii. all economic and agricultural activity under government control

iii. 5-year-plans to increase production

C. In 1934 Stalin started terror - Great Purge (4 million people were purged and almost 800,000 were executed).

How did Stalin maintain control over the USSR?

Propaganda• government

controlled all media

• encouraged obedience to the state

Secret police• arrested

opposition

• spied on people

• even family members spied

Censorship• against the

law to criticize

• government controlled everything people heard, saw, or read

Terror• Great Purge

• constant fear of midnight “knock on the door”

• sent to labor camps - gulags

3. Life in a Totalitarian StateA. Stalin used secret police,

propaganda, censorship, and terror to establish a totalitarian state.

B. Leaders were Communist Party members, industrial managers, military, scientists, and some artists and writers.

“Literature, the cinema, the arts are levers in the hands of the proletariat which must be used to show the masses positive models of initiative and heroic labor.”

Socialist Realism

3. Life in a Totalitarian StateA. Stalin used secret police,

propaganda, censorship, and terror to establish a totalitarian state.

B. Leaders were Communist Party members, industrial managers, military, scientists, and some artists and writers.

C. Artists and writers forced to use “socialist realism” (tried show Soviet life in a positive way).

While the Russians

struggled to adapt to the changes

that the ending of their monarchy

brought, the rest of the world also

struggled to understand what had happened in

World War I.

After World War I, people everywhere questioned old ideas about religion, leadership, and even

science.

Men like Sigmund Freud developed new ideas about what motivated people.

Albert Einstein develops the Theory of Relativity which upsets scientific beliefs held since

Isaac Newton.

4. A Culture in ConflictA. new ideas and science changed

ideas about the world i. atomic theoryii. theory of relativityiii.psychoanalysis



B. new literature and the arts lead to a sense of uncertainty

After women won the right to vote in Russia, western nations that claimed to be democratic finally were

forced to give women the vote.



B. new trends in literature and the arts contributed to a sense of uncertainty

C. women made progress in education and politics but still lagged behind men in career opportunities and pay

International Relations

The War to End All Wars ended on November

11, 1918

Europe was left to wonder what had happened…

Over 65 million men were mobilized…

There were 37,500,000 casualties…

Over 8,500,000 men died

Over 21 million men

returned injured

The war cost over $31,000,000,000

someone had to pay…the question was who…

Futility

Nihilism

Despair

Distrust of government

Hopelessness

Anger

Atheism

Leadership failure

Suicide

Frustration NEVER AGAIN

5. The Western DemocraciesA. after World War I diplomats worked

hard to make:i. treaties that ended war

After World War I, President Woodrow Wilson proposed the 14 Points for peace.

One of Wilson’s ideas was to create a

League of Nations.

The League excluded Germany and Russia.

Most importantly, Americans did not seem sure that the League was a good

idea.

The League of Nations

The U.S. Senate decided to reject Wilson’s plans

for the League.

The USA never joined…


hard to make:i. treaties that ended war ii. cooperation in the League of

Nations



NationsB. leading democratic powers faced

difficult political and economic challenges at home and abroad

The Great Depression begins

Black Tuesday

Hoovervilles



NationsB. leading democratic powers faced

difficult political and economic challenges at home and abroad

C. the Great Depression created financial turmoil and widespread suffering throughout the industrialized world

Rise of Fascist Italy

Italians were furious that they were not given more land after World War I.

They also feared a Communist Revolution like Russia.

Many were attracted to the idea of a strong leader.

• preached extreme nationalism

• nations must struggle – peaceful nations were doomed

• no clearly defined program for improvement

• citizens lose individual rights

• state is supreme

Benito Mussolini

6. Fascism in ItalyA. Benito Mussolini and his Fascist

Party took advantage of political and economic unrest to seize power in the 1920s.

Mussolini’s Aggression

6. Fascism in ItalyA. Benito Mussolini and his Fascist

Party took advantage of political and economic unrest to seize power in the 1920s.

B. Fascism was rooted in extreme nationalism and glorified action, violence, discipline, and loyalty to the state.

C. As Il Duce, Mussolini established the first totalitarian state which served as a model for others.

Rise of Adolf Hitler

7. Hitler and the Rise of Nazi GermanyA. Weimer Republic weakened by

disunity and inflation. Many blamed the government for the hated treaty of Versailles

Adolf Hitler



B. Hitler appealed to extreme nationalism, anti-Semitism, anti-communism, and resentment of the Treaty of Versailles

Hitler’s Rise to Dictator

• in 1933 Hitler became Chancellor of Germany (Weimer Republic)

• he did not have a majority

• he called for new elections

• six days before the elections, the Nazis burned down the Reichstag and blamed Communists

• Hitler won a small majority and declared a one-party state




C. Hitler and the Nazis used terror, repression, and one party rule to create a totalitarian society




C. Hitler and the Nazis used terror, repression, and one party rule to create a totalitarian society

D. Economic problems and ethnic tensions in Eastern Europe helped fascist dictators gain power there

the rise of totalitarianism communism in russia fascism in italy, germany, and japan

Documents

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totalitarian society

rise of totalitarian

german people

russia fascism

rise of nationalism

poor people

world war bloody death