The Authoritarian & Totalitarian States

The Authoritarian & Totalitarian States U14 – Anxiety & Interwar Years AP European History Ms. Tully - UHS

A. The Retreat From Democracy • New distrust for democracy • Postwar societies divided – class, gender • Great Depression  Polarized politics

B. Totalitarian States • Immediate origins in total war of WWI • Expected loyalty & commitment of citizens to goals of the regime • Mass propaganda & communication • Led by single party & gov’t • GR & ITLY – extreme right & nationalism • RS – extreme left & Marxism • New concept of political spectrum

C. Italy & WWI • 700,000 soldiers dead, 148 billion lire expense • Felt it was cheated in peace treaty • Huge unemployment  dissatisfied veterans

D. Birth of Fascism • Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) • Founded FasciodiCombattimento in 1919 • Industrial & agricultural strikes of 1919-1920  class warfare & violence • Middle class industrialists & landowners attracted to fascism

5. Squadristi – bands of armed fascists -> attacked & bullied socialists 6. Fascist Blackshirts threatened march on Rome 7. King Victor Emmanuel III made Mussolini PM of Italy – Oct. 29, 1922

E. Mussolini & the Fascist Italian State • Fascist Party had enormous electoral victory for parliament in 1924 • Mussolini established dictatorship by 1926 – Il Duce • All other parties outlawed • Publications against Church, monarchy, or state banned • No due process for arrests – OVRA as new secret police

6. Fascist education policy & organizations 7. Women into the home” – reduced male unemployment 8. Police state never as effective as Nazi Germany or Stalinist Russia 9. Lateran Accords, 1929 – recognized independence of Vatican City

F. Weimar Germany • New democratic state after defeat in WWI • No outstanding political leader, unstable • Gov’t never fully controlled the army • Economic difficulties • Paved way for Nazi’s

G. Emergence of Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) • Youthful ambition to be an artist • Racist, Anti-Semitic, German Nationalist  belief in need for struggle • Dispatch Runner for GR in WWI – monochrism?

H. Rise of the Nazis • 1921 – Hitler head of National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazis) • Created flags, uniforms, newspaper, police force (SA or Storm Troops) • Hitler’s oratorical skills brought followers • Beer Hall Putsch of 1923 • Mein Kampf – autobiography of Hitler’s life & ideology

I. Hitler’s New Tactics • Nazis would have to use constitutional means to gain power • Fuhrerprinzip– leadership principle  single minded party, one leader • Nazis a national organization by 1929 – 178,000 members • New strategy in policy  pursue middle class & lower-middle class votes in rural areas • 1930 Elections – Nazis won 18% of vote, 107 seats in Reichstag

J. Nazi Seizure of Power • Elections from 1930-1932 increased Nazi power • Effective at developing modern electioneering techniques • Hitler appointed Chancellor Jan. 30, 1933 by President Hindenburg • Hermann Goring – minister of interior, head of police in Prussian state

5. Burning of the Reichstag – Feb. 27, 1933 6. Parliament elections in March 1933 – Nazis now complete majority 7. The Enabling Act of 1933 – no constitutional form of gov for four years 8. Gleichschaltung– coordination of all institutions under Nazi control

9. Nazis offered national awakening 10.Two sources of opposition: armed forces & SA – led by Ernest Rohm 11.Hindenberg died Aug. 2, 1934 – Hitler had army kill Rohm & SA leaders, eliminated office of president  sole ruler of GR 12. Third Reich had begun

K. The Nazi State • Hitler’s goal to create “total state” • Mass demonstrations & spectacle • SS, or Schutzstaffeln – Protection Squad/Secret Police, led by Heinrich Himmler

4. Churches, schools, universities brought under Nazi control 5. Hitler Youth & German Girls Association – Nazi youth groups 6. Women seen as wives/mothers – Annual motherhood ceremony on Aug. 12th • Strong anti-semitism & racism, Nuremberg Laws of 1935 8. KristalnachtNov. 9-10th, 1938

The Authoritarian & Totalitarian States