Rise of Dictators

1. Rise of Dictators David Cleary & Joe Prinzo

2. Adolf Hitler Hitler was the leader of the Nazi party, and was also the Fuehrer of Germany. Hitler orchestrated the Holocaust under the Third Reich. Born on April 20, 1889 in Braunau am Inn, Austria the life of the infamous tyrant began. He spent his childhood in Linz, his favorite place on earth, he lived with his dad who he feared and a mom he loved. Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933 by Hindenburg, and when Hindenburg died Hitler was not only the Chancellor but also became the Fuehrer. He established an absolute dictatorship and ruled with an iron fist. Before the war other nations grew suspicious of Germany and rightfully so because Hitler was making war machines, and lied about it. Then in 1939 Hitler was ready for war and invaded Poland, thus starting World War II. In 1945 when Soviet soldiers marched on Berlin, Hitler panicked and committed suicide ending his cruel reign.

3. Joseph Stalin Joseph Stalin, a.k.a Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, was born on December 21, 1878 in Gori, Georgia. In 1903 he joined the Bolsheviks, his activities in this group would put him in jail on and off between 1908 and 1917. In 1905 Stalin acts as a delegate from Caucasus in a conference for Russian Social Democrats, this is where he meets Vladimir Lenin. In 1912 Stalin’s friendship with Lenin gets him in first Central Committee of Bolshevik party and on the editorial board for Russia national newspaper, “Pravda.” in 1917 on November 6 the “Bolshevik Revolution” takes place and takes control of St. Petersburg, Russia then backs out of WWI, they become communist party. In 1925 Lenin dies, Stalin takes control of Russia with Lev Kamenev, and Grigorii Zinoviev, Stalin breaks off from them and comes out supreme leader of Soviet Union. He ruled over Russia from then to his death on March 5, 1953.

4. Benito Mussolini Benito Mussolini was born in Forli, Italy in 1883. By 1914 Mussolini was active in socialist movement but stopped when the Italian government could not support the Triple Alliance, he did not want to support the Allies. After WWI Mussolini organized right-wing groups and riots for Italy’s failure in achieving the objectives at Versailles Peace Treaty. King Victor Emmanuel III could do nothing but give him power to prevent communist revolution. Mussolini also, in an attempt to show Italy’s power attacked Ethiopia which Italy had previously failed in doing, this angered the League of Nations and they banned the selling of arms and metals to Italy. This caused him to turn to Hitler and the Nazi party as an ally, and after Mussolini conquer Ethiopia and Hitler gained complete power they signed a non-military alliance. In 1940 Italy was hit hard by Greece, North Africa, and Britain, Italy now completely relied on Germany. In 1943 Mussolini would lose Sicily and because of his poor leadership his power was stripped and he was put under arrest. Hitler got him freedom, but in vain for on April 27, 1945 he was captured by the allies and shot the day after

5. Emperor Hirohito Michinomiya, later to become Emperor Hirohito, was born April 29, 1901, as a boy he knew he was destined to be an emperor, even though he wanted to be a marine biologist. He doubted that emperor’s were gods as a kid, yet he said he would also hold up this tradition, but only because it was obligated. This was realized on December 25, 1926 when he was crowned emperor. His reign would be known as “Showa,” or “Radiating Peace,” however he began buildup on his army which he put to war after the “Attack on Pearl Harbor.” On September 1945 he surrendered on behalf of Japan, ending the war, but he demanded he kept the throne and his 100 billion dollar fortune. Also at the end of the war emperors were no longer thought of as gods. The rest of his life was mainly spent in the Imperial Palace in Japan until he died of cancer on January 7, 1989.

6. Francisco Franco Francisco Franco was born December 4, 1892 in El Ferrol, Spain, as a child he close to his mom but his dad was eccentric, wasteful, and believed in serious discipline. At age 14 he joined the army, though he had originally wanted to be in the navy, they did not accept him. He swiftly moved up the ranks in the army, from first lieutenant, to captain, to second in command, the full command. Finally in 1926 he was promoted to brigadier general at age 33. After being briefly demoted he soon rose back up and became chief of the Spanish arm’s general staff. Military conspiracies against the poorly structured government starting poking up, at first Franco wanted nothing of it but Soon he joined the rebels. In 1936 he was made head of state of the Nationalist regime, also he was appointed Commander in chief by Hitler and Mussolini who saw promise in him. Being in his seat of power and having friends like Germany and Italy gave him an easy victory in a civil war that broke out in Spain. He wished to restore Spain to its former glory after this, unfortunately WWII broke out soon after this victory in 1939. Though the war was hard on him even after Spain went neutral as the allies ascended, the aftermath was even worse. He was labeled a hostile foreigner, “The last surviving fascist dictator,” he was the most hated of Western heads of state. Luckily with the tension between the Soviets and the Westerns, and the 10 year military pact with the U.S started his rehabilitation back into power. His newly made domestic Policies earned him some respect but at his death on November 20, 1975, no one was heart broken.

7. Hideki Tojo Hideki Tojo was born in Tokyo in 1884, he decided as a kid in a career in the army. He became the leader of militarists in Japan, his views that the army should be held in greater esteem then politicians was shared within the public, especially with their victories in Manchuria. He became Minister of War in 1940 and knew Japan’s future lay in the hands of dictators like Hitler , not lazy decadent countries like America. On October 14, 1941 Tojo became the Prime Minister, he used his power to bomb Pearl Harbor on December 1941. This move strengthen Tojo’s power in Japan, especially when Britain surrendered Singapore and America withdrew from the Philippines. Though America and the Allies soon reorganized themselves and America reduced Japan to rubble. Hirohito forced Tojo to resign seeing him unfit to control military on July, 9, 1944. In 1948 he was put on trial as a war criminal and was found guilty and hanged.

8. Movie Clip: Rise of Dictators

9. Bibliography http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/hideki_tojo.htm http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/216925/Francisco-Franco http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/2WWmussolini.htm http://www2.dsu.nodak.edu/users/dmeier/Holocaust/hitler.html http://www.moreorless.au.com/killers/stalin.html http://www.angelfire.com/ia/totalwar/Hirohito.html