Rise of New Leaders and Ideas in Europe during the 1930s

1. Rise of New Leaders and Ideas in Europe during the 1930s

2. Who Would You Vote For? 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

3. Who Did You Vote For? Contestant #3 Contestant #2 Contestant #1

4. Black Tuesday 1929- stock market crashes Treaty of Versailles Great Depressionduring 1930s Totalitarianism Increasing influence of new political parties that emphasize state control-For example: Communism, Nazism, Fascism Total Controlof State by aDictator

5. Totalitarianism • What is it? • Describe its characteristics…

6. Totalitarianism • 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

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

8. Communism • I am Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union from 1922-1953. • What is Communism? • LEFT WING • based on theory by Karl Marx • revolutionary idea of a political, economic and social system that creates a “classless society” • state ownership and control of the means of production (no private ownership) • Soviet Communism or “Stalinism”, was more of a totalitarian and military state combined with elements of communism

9. Fascism • 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 from the fasces, an ancient Roman symbol of authority consisting of a bundle of rods and an ax

10. Nazism • 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

11. Nazi Controls

12. Nazi Military State • GESTAPO: the Secret State Police • SS(Schutzstaffel): Defense Corps “black shirts”, an elite guard unit formed out of the SA • SA (Sturmabteilung): Stormtroopers "brown-shirts" early private Nazi army that protected leaders and opposed rival political parties • Lebensraum (living space): concept that emphasized need for territorial expansion of Germany into east • Wehrmacht: German army • HJ (Hitler Jugend): Hitler Youth • Einstazgruppen: Nazi Death Squad; mobile killing units • Volk:all inclusive concept of nation, people and race, implying the superiority of German culture and race; led to policy of Volksgemeinschaft (idea of a harmonized racial Nazi community in government policies and programs)

17. “The Eternal Jew”Depiction of a Jew holding gold coins in one hand and a whip in the other. Under his arm is a map of the world, with the imprint of the hammer and sickle. Posters like this promoted a sharp rise in anti-Semitic feelings, and in some cases violenceagainst the Jewish community. This Nazi propaganda poster reads, ‘Behind the enemy powers: the Jew.

19. Policy of Appeasement Appeasement • willingness to surrender to an aggressors’ demands to avoid war • reduction of international tensions through removal of causes of friction; concessions to disgruntled nations to lessen their tendency to take aggressive actions How was it used prior to World War II? • Acceptance that Hitler could not be stopped and needed to be negotiated with (even at the expense of the smaller independent countries) • Accepted because of sympathy and guilt felt by Britain and USA of unjust Treaty of Versailles Reality • Blindness to true nature of Hitler’s agenda program for Eastern Europe • Positive and Negatives Reasons for appeasement? From W. Robson, “Twentieth-Century History”, 1973. There had been nothing weak or foolish about the attitude of the Western leaders. They tried to settle differences by discussion and conciliation, methods that had been highly successful in the 1920s. Their failure was due to the fact that Hitler took consolation for weakness and found that he could get his own way. He could have been stopped earlier but only at the risk of war. Discussion was the method of gentlemen, which explains why Chamberlain and the Western leaders favoured it and Hitler did not

20. Steps to War • Was the Treaty of Versailles truly the cause of World War II? • How did appeasement contribute to World War II? • Why did the League of Nations fail? • What role did “isolationism” play? • Could Hitler have been ‘contained’ at any time prior to 1939? • How did World War II begin? What were the steps to war?