Rise of Fascism in Europe

1. Rise of Fascism in Europe Chapter 31 Sect. 3 & 4

2. Many democracies remained strong during the Great Depression • Others lost faith & turned to fascism Introduction

3. Fascism- militant political movement emphasizing loyalty to state & obedience to the leader • No clearly defined theory but shared several ideas • Extreme Nationalism • Nations must struggle or be doomed to being conquered • Loyal to an authoritarian leader who guided the state • Wore uniforms of a certain color, used special salutes & held mass rallies. Fascist Beliefs & Policies

4. Like Communism • Dictators • One political party • Denied individual rights • State was supreme • No democracy • Unlike Communism • Believed each class of people had its place and function (not classless) • Fascist parties made of rich, war veterans and lower middle class (not working classes) • Nationalists Fascist Beliefs & Policies cont’d

5. Fascism gained power because: • People bitter about not getting land after WWI • Inflation & unemployment led to social unrest • Upper & middle class feared a Communist Revolution • Democratic gov’t could not solve the problems • Wanted strong leader Mussolini Comes to Power in Italy

6. 1919 Fascist Party funded by Benito Mussolini • Gained popularity when economy got bad • Followers wore black shirts and attacked/ terrorized opponents • October 1922: 30,000 Fascists marched on Rome, demanded that King Victor Emmanuel III make Mussolini leader of gov’t • King agreed & Mussolini took power legally Rise of Mussolini

7. IL Duce= The Leader (Italian) • Abolished democracy and all other political parties • Secret police, censorship & controlled the economy • Never had total control like Stalin & Hitler IL Duce’s Leadership

8. 1920’s- Adolf Hitler was little known political leader • Dropped out of high school & failed as an artist • WWI- joined army & twice won the Iron Cross for bravery Hitler Takes control in Germany

9. Munich (1920) Hitler joined a small right-wing political group that wanted to overturn the Treaty of Versailles & fight communism • Later called the party- National Socialist German Workers’ Party, Nazi for short. • Used Swastika as symbol • Storm troopers/ Brown Shirts- their private militia • Hitler became der Führer (leader- German) of the party because he was an organizer and could speak well publicly Rise of the Nazis

10. 1923- Nazis tried to take power in Munich & failed so Hitler spent 9 months in jail & wrote Mein Kampt (My Struggle) a book about his beliefs and plan of action. • Master Race- Germans (blonde & blue eyes) he called Aryans • Non- Aryans- subhuman, inferior like Jews, Slavs & Gypsies • Regain land lost by Treaty of Versailles • Germany needed Lebensraum (living space) he would take from Eastern Europe & Russia • 1924- out of prison but few people listened to his Nazi party until 1932 when people were unemployed Rise of Nazis cont’d

11. 1932 Nazi Party largest and Conservative leaders thought they could control Hitler • 1933- Conservatives asked President Paul von Hindenburg to name Hitler as Chancellor because only he was strong enough to stand against the Communists • Hitler was named Chancellor and took power legally • Elections were held and Nazis won a slim majority • Demanded and received absolute power through the Enabling Act Hitler Becomes Chancellor

12. Hitler used power to turn Germany into a totalitarian state • All other political parties banned • Opponents arrested • Schutzstaffel (SS)- elite, black-uniformed protection squad loyal only to Hitler • Gestapo- secret police were brutal and terrorized Germans into total obedience • Took control of the economy- millions put to work and unemployment dropped by 1936 Hitler Becomes Chancellor cont’d

13. Hitler wanted control over all parts of German life • All communications used for Nazi propaganda • Hitler Youth (boys) or the League of German Girls • Influenced by Social Darwinism- victory went to the strong • Twisted philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche to support brute force. De Führer is Supreme

14. Anti-Semitism key part of Nazi ideology • Blamed all of Germany’s troubles since WWI on less than 1% of the population • 1933- Passed laws depriving Jews of most of their rights • Kristallnacht- Nov. 9.1938 “Night of the Broken Glass” attacked Jews and destroyed 1000’s of Jewish owned buildings • Marked the beginning of the process of eliminating Jews from German life Hitler Makes War on the Jews

15. Eastern Europe Fell • Hungary, Poland, Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania run by dictators. • Only one country remained democratic- Czechoslovakia (1935) in Eastern Europe • Democracies- Britain, France, Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden, & Denmark) • Mid 1930’s- powerful nations divided into 2 antagonistic camps: democratic and totalitarian • Fascist dictators were willing to use military aggression. Other Countries Fall to Dictators

16. Introduction- Mid 1930’s Germany & Italy headed towards military conquest • Britain, France, & U.S.- distracted by economic problems at home & wanted peace • Soviet Union not siding with either group • People hoped League of Nations could keep peace Aggressors on the March

17. Democracy struggles in Japan • 1920’s Japan became more democratic • Parliament system had weaknesses: • Strict limits on power of prime minister & cabinet • No civilian control of armed forces • Military leaders reported only to the emperor. World Drifts Towards War

18. 1930- Great Depression- Military leaders won control of country. • Wanted to restore traditional control of the gov’t to the military • Kept Emperor Hirohito as head of state • Wanted to solve economic problems with foreign expansion Militarists Take Control of Japan

19. Manchuria has rich deposits of iron & coal • 1931- Japanese army took it over despite Parliament’s objections • This was the first direct challenge to the League of Nations • They condemned Japanese aggression but had no power to enforce decisions. Japan Invades Manchuria

20. July 7,1937- Japanese forces invaded northern China • Japanese killed 10’s of thousands of soldiers and civilians in Nanjing • Communist guerrillas under Mao Zedong continued to fight in the conquered areas Japan invades China

21. Wanted colonial empire in Africa • October 1935- massive Italian invasion with superior weapons • Emperor Haile Selassie asked League of Nations for help but they did nothing. Mussolini Attacks Ethiopia

22. March 1935- Hitler would not follow the restrictions on the size of his military and rebuilt his forces • March 7, 1936- German troops moved into the Rhineland and occupied it • French did not want a war • British urged appeasement: give in to the aggressor to keep peace • Rhineland- turning point in march to war • Strengthened Hitler’s power and prestige in Germany • Balance of power in Germany’s favor • France & Belgium open to attack • Hitler sped up military and territorial expansion • Mussolini wanted alliance with strong Hitler • October 1936- the dictators made an agreement called Rome-Berlin Axis • November 1936- Germany made agreement with Japan • AXIS Powers- Germany, Italy, & Japan Hitler Defies Versailles Treaty

23. July 1936- army leaders wanted Fascist gov’t & joined Gen. Francisco Franco’s revolt • Civil War lasted 3 years • Hitler & Mussolini sent troops & weapons to help Franco’s Nationalists • Republicans- supporters of the elected gov’t got no help from Western democracies • 1939- Franco’s forces won & he became Spain’s Fascist dictator. Civil War erupts in Spain

24. Britain and France in 1930’s did not stand up to Fascists • Dealing with the economy and wanted to avoid war U.S. Follows Isolationist Policy • Many Americans resisted accepting the new position of the U.S. as world leader • Isolation- belief that political ties to other countries should be avoided • Did not want another world war • Neutrality Acts- did not allow loans or sale of arms to nations at war Western Democracies Fail to Halt Aggression

25. Third Reich (German Empire) • Anschluss- union between Austria & Germany prohibited by Versailles • March 1938- Hitler sent the army & annexed Austria • Sudetenland- region of German-speaking people in western border regions of Czechoslovakia • Was main defense against Germany • September 1938- Hitler demanded it be given to him • Czechs refused & asked France for help. German Reich Expands

26. Munich Conference- September 29, 1938 • Germany, France, Britain, Italy met • British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain gave in to Hitler’s demand to keep peace • Winston Churchill- (a member of British Parliament)- disagreed with the agreement • Less than 6 months after Conference Hitler took Czechoslovakia & demanded the port city of Danzig from the Poles Britain & France Again Choose Appeasement

27. Britain & France tried to get Stalin’s Soviet Union to help them stop Hitler’s aggression • Stalin bargained with Hitler at the same time • August 23, 1939- Germany & Russia signed a non-aggression pact pledging to never attack one another Nazis & Soviets Sign Nonaggression Pact