The Rise of the Dictators

1. The Rise of the Dictators Honors US History

2. Why does it matter? • Don’t just think about the outcome of the war… • How were the mentalities and ideas of people changed because of these individuals? • What happened to the actual country? • Focus of the Lesson: Why were dictators able to come to power after World War I and what impact will they have?

3. Totalitarian States • Feelings left after WWI: bitterness, emptiness, anger, frustration, despair • TOTALITARIANISM– a theory of government in which a single party or leader controls the economic, social, and cultural lives of the people

4. Totalitarian States con’t • There are three major components to totalitarian states: • Ideology – this sets society’s goals and glorifies the rise of the state • Charismatic leadership – this doesn’t always mean a compelling speaker, but it is someone who seems larger than life and has a powerful force of will • State Control – Individual Rights give way to Societal rights • It becomes more important to improve the STATE than the PERSON • Leads to a police state, indoctrination, censorship

5. Why were they able to rise to power? • Versailles • Why is Germany angry? • Why is Italy angry? • Brest-Litovsk • Why is Russia angry? • Imperialism and Social Darwinism • Why is Japan angry? • What does NATIONALISM have to do with all this?

6. The Founding of the Soviet Union…formally known as Russia

7. Chaos at the Helm • Russia = backward • Ex: Serfdom (abolished around 1400 in the rest of the world) lasted until 1861 in Russia • The leader of Russia, Tsar Nicholas II was very out of touch with his people • These people are starving while he is attempting to modernize the country • With the heavy losses of WWI coupled with the humiliating loss in the Russo-Japanese War, the people lose their patience

8. Chaos at the Helm • Trotsky - leader of the Red Army vs. Stalin – General Secretary of the Communist Party • Lenin dies in 1924 because of stroke he had suffered two years earlier • Result: Civil War between Stalin and Trotsky, starvation, famine, and death for millions of people • Stalin defeats Trotsky forcing him to sign a letter of submission to him • Trotsky (and his high-ranking supporters) is eventually sentenced to exile and death

9. The Purges • Stalin was not afraid to use violence against rivals and innocent people • This became known as the GREAT TERROR and it resulted in the deaths or imprisonments (a slower death) of over a million people • This included many high ranking military officers in the Red Army • The infamous order was #00486 • It was used to kill socially dangerous people and their families

10. The Purges con’t • The NKVD (Cheka) was the organization in charge of hunting down enemies • Methods: Secret courts, immediate death, torture

11. The Culture of Terror • Stalin and his NKVD create this constant fear in the people of Russia • Children are encouraged to spy on their parents • Neighbors spy on each other because if they were caught you could also be accused and taken in • Officials denounce each other for political and monetary gain • Millions of “signed confessions” are produced • Over 20 million people are killed

15. Life in Stalin’s USSR • All the media was controlled and used to glorify Stalin • Communications were monitored to ensure no one was speaking against the state • Education was remade to glorify Stalin • League of Militant Godless replaced religion • Oddly Progressive thing: Women were equals

16. Stalinization and Collectivism • Stalin attempts to change all that with his first FIVE-YEAR PLAN • This is aimed at increasing farm output, building heavy industry, and improving transportation • Developed COMMAND ECONOMY – government officials make all basic economic decisions • You didn’t have a choice for meeting your goal…bad things happened if you didn’t • Hard Life • Consumer goods were rare

17. Stalinization and Collectivism con’t • All agriculture was brought under government control • Wanted more grain produced to sell out of country • COLLECTIVES – large farmed owned and operated by peasants as a group • Some farmers resisted • KULAKS – wealthy farmers; this was who Stalin thought was responsible • Result – “liquidate the kulaks as a class” • The crop yield in 1932 was bad and combined with this policy, it lead to the deaths of between 5-8 million people in Ukraine area alone

19. The Effects of the Purges • The “Cream of Russia” (military leaders, scientists, economists) are wiped out • Lavrenty Beria, head of the NKVD, convinces Stalin to use Labour Camps instead of simply killingeveryone – 1939 • 12 million people will die here

20. Stalin by the late ‘30s • Complete control of the country • Individual creativity is punished because it is a threat to Stalin’s control and forced conformity • Spread the Faith – the Comintern • COMINTERN – international association of communist parties led by the Soviet Union for the purpose of encouraging worldwide communist revolution

21. Why did the people put up with this?

22. The Whipping Boy of Europe:Germany

23. Weimar Republic • At the end of WWI Germany was on the verge of total collapse • The Kaiser abdicates, leaving the country to more moderate leaders • The Weimar Republic is created • Set up a parliamentary system of government with a chancellor • They became the scapegoat for all the country’s problems because they were not doing enough to please every side

24. They got 99 problems… • Inflation • Unsurprisingly, Germany fell behind on reparations payments so…France decided to occupy the Ruhr Valley, a coal-rich area • Workers resisted passively by refusing to work so the government paid them by printing a massive amount of money • German money quickly became worthless • Salaries rose by billions of marks!

25. …but culture ain’t one • Attracted authors and artists from around the world, the same a Paris • The Three-Penny Opera openly criticized middle-class values • George Grosz pointed out the failures of the Weimar Republic through scathing drawings and pictures • But this became an issue of degrading nationalism: was Germany too good for this?

27. Queue Adolf Hitler • Born in Austria • Failed artist • Decorated WWI Hero • Resented Treaty of Versailles • He tried to take over Germany from the Weimar Republic via a small- coup, which promptly ended with jail-time • But the jail-time resulted Mein Kampf

28. The Ideas of Hitler • He despised the Weimar Republic – thought it was weak • Anti-Semitic • Wanted to return Germany to greatness: Hyper-nationalism • Believed in Fascism • Aryan Race – “master race” made up of light-skinned Europeans • Greatest Enemy: guess? • Oddest Thing: Hitler got this Anti-Semitism from history, the Jews had been kicked around from place to place for a long time • LEBENSRAUM – living space for the pure German people

29. Hitler’s Rise, 1933 • As the problems in parliament worsened, Nazis and Communists were able to gain more seats but not enough for a majority until… • Conservative politicians were worried about the communists so they turned to Hitler • In 1933 he was appointed chancellor • Hitler Speech

30. Hitler Legally Rises through the Ranks • 30 January 1933 – Hitler elected • 27 February 1933 – The Reichstag (German Parliament) is destroyed by arson • The Communists are blamed • 5 March 1933 – Chancellor Hitler calls for an emergency election for new parliament members • Seems a bit dodgy… • Naturally, the Nazi’s take the majority of the seats • Why?

31. Suddenly…dictator • Within a year, Hitler had control of Germany • His actions: • Suspended civil rights • Destroyed the socialists and communists • Disbanded other political parties • Outlaw strikes and unions • Depression Solutions: • Foreign Expansion (hey it worked for the Romans…) • Military build-up (clash with Versailles?) • Massive public works projects

32. Hitler in Power • Once he has control of the Reichstag and the Chancellery, Hitler starts to implement his totalitarian reign • SCHUTZSTAFFEL (SS) – military unit loyal only to Hitler • GESTAPO – secret police used to ensure obedience • People still cheered because Hitler was ending employment and restoring German pride • Starts his campaign against the Jews (1935): • NUREMBERG LAWS – deprived German Jews of citizenship and placed severe restrictions on them • Prohibited from: attending or teaching at German schools, marrying non-Jews, holding government jobs, practicing law and medicine, publishing books

33. Kristallnacht • 7 November 1938 • A Jew shoots and wounds a German diplomat in Paris and Hitler uses it to attack all the Jews in Germany • “The Night of Broken Glass” – 9 & 10 November 1938 • Nazi-led mobs attacked Jewish communities all over Germany • They burned synagogues, stole registers • Destroyed Jewish homes and businesses • Beat any Jewish people they found

34. A New German Social Order • Propaganda • Nazi Youth • Book burning • Criticism of the government was outlawed • League of German Girls • Why?

35. Nazi Book Burning

36. ITALY: The Flip-Flopper

37. Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) • Son of a self-educated blacksmith • Went to school until he was 18, unusual in rural Italy • Received a diploma for teaching • Voluntary isolation in Switzerland • He was expelled from two districts and the university where he was studying • Returned to Italy because he was called on to fight in WWI

38. Italy after Mussolini gets back • Mad because they did not get any of the land they wanted from Versailles • Sept 1911 – Italy goes to war with Turkey over Libya • Sabotage, disruption of rail lines • Mussolini is captured and thrown in jail (instant rock star status) • Socialist faction in Italy was causing problems for the government • Mussolini used this • 1914 – Mussolini breaks from the Socialists • He creates his own paper named Popolod’Italia and it gave him the voice he wanted

39. The Aims of Mussolini • Restore the damaged national pride • Beginning in Ethiopia – lost to Menelik II • Return Italy to the height of the Roman Empire • Since they were, of course, the natural heir • Build up the country of Italy so it did not need to bow to any other power

40. Rise of the Italian Fascist Party • After WWI: • Most soldiers were simply labors and wanted nothing to do with war but… • ARDITI – militarized sect of soldiers who believed in the honor of war • When Mussolini gets ahold of them, they become the SQUADRISTI • 1922 – Fascism becomes official movement • The March on Rome • Mussolini has this grand plan to bring Fascists to Rome from all over Italy • They would take over all important public buildings • Demand the resignation of the government

41. Coup with no bloodshed • Victor Emmanuel (King at the time) gives in to Mussolini’s threats • 29 October 1922 – Mussolini is summoned to meet the King • 30 October 1922 – Mussolini is sworn in as Prime Minister • 5 years before this: Mussolini was a corporal in the Italian Army in WWI

42. What was their appeal? • Pride • Prosperity • Strength • Charisma • Dynamism

43. JAPAN: Ready to prove its Right

44. Meiji Restoration • 1868 – the fall of the traditional Shogunate • This ended 700 years of warrior rule and the emperor took power • Reasons: • Urbanization • Rise of the Merchant Class • Discontentment of average samurai • Goals and Westernization: • Politics • Military (based on the German model)

45. Meiji Oligarchy • Takes control of the country – decides the only way to survive is to basically give up all things Japanese • Start taking from other countries: • France – law • Prussia (soon to be Germany) – Military, steel, medicine • Britain – navy • US – mechanized agriculture • Managed to make Japan competitive with the world in 20 years

46. Japanese Expansion • 1874 – Ryukyu Islands • 1876 – Korean Ports • 1894 – Sino-Japanese War • Wanted deep-water ports for their navy • Changed balance of power in the Pacific • Move into N. Manchuria • Didn’t fight to get it: the Koreans rise against their gov’t and Japan send aid so when China asks them to leave the refuse • 1905 – Russo-Japanese War • Got Sakhalin • Portmouth Treaty – stick it to the Russians after they sink their the fleet at Port Arthur • Got recognition in the west as well • 1910 – Annexed Korea • US cuts immigration

47. The Depression of 1929 • Japan is weak in natural resources (it is an island) • Economy is collapsing • Meiji expand their influence in Manchuria • Fails to bring any relief • Lose the credit of the people

48. Militarist Coup and the Dawn of World War II • 1931 – Army attack Manchuria without government approval • Sneaky sneaky…this is what happened: • Japanese wanted global sympathy so they blow up a train that has Japanese citizens on it • Manchuria to blame and when the army goes in without orders, the government can’t stop them • They get the sympathy own Manchuria as well with Pu Yi as their puppet ruler • Army=people’s support • Launch a coup against the government

49. Changes to Japan • 1937 – The Rape of Nanjing, China • Looking to expand land and resources they look to China • More than 200,000 people were brutally killed and Japan took control of the land in China • 1938 • Draft instituted • Political parties unified • Education and culture de-westernized • Unions outlawed • Preparing for war

50. On the Path to War • GREATER EAST ASIA CO-PROSPERITY SPHERE – imperial concept created for Asian populations during Japan’s occupation • Promoted cultural and economic unity of the East Asian race • Useful propaganda wise because so many European nations were moving into the area …lesser of two evils • Hideki Tojo – Minister of War and then Prime Minister of Japan during WWII