20 th Century Rejections of Liberalism

1. 20th Century Rejections of Liberalism Social Studies 30-1 Chapter 5

2. Introduction • In 1905, a small uprising took place in Russia. • There was a march upon the Imperial Palace in St. Petersburg, in which workers were protesting terrible working conditions and lack of food. They also saw this as an opportunity to ask for more input, as Russia was still run by a Monarchy. • The protest, Bloody Sunday, was a massacre and a turning point in Russian history. It started the resolve by certain leaders in which the ideas were planted for a revolution in 1917.

3. Issue in the chapter • We have been looking at the ideologies of the rejections, and now we are moving into the actual actions that took place. • If you have a response, there will usually be a rejection. • We have a formed opinion on certain types of ideologies (communism and fascism) but to really understand the ideology, you have to get to know why people adopted it. • That is what we are going to look at – Communism in Russia and Fascism in Germany.

4. The two most influential • Communism and Fascism were the two most radical rejections of classic liberalism. • Both utilized the ideas of a totalitarian leader. • A totalitarian leader is one that rules with the iron fist. If you remember V for Vendetta you see what that was like. A police state where they controlled both the public and private life.

5. Totalitarianism • You have control of the public and private life. • Controlled by one man, but as well as an hierarchically organized society with a single political party run by a leader or small group of elite. • Mussolini said … Everything with the state, nothing outside the state, nothing against the state

6. Nature of Totalitarianism • The rise of a totalitarian is the people responding to what they see as dangerous and destabilizing changes. • Radical in the Soviet Union – change was to the left of center, with a classless society and public ownership with the rejection of the traditions of the past. • Reactionary in Nazi Germany – A change to the ideals of the past, and the acceptance of economic inequality (some people are better than others)

7. Nature of Totalitarianism • In the rejections, there is a need to look at the past, what is happening in the present and what will happen in the future, and a totalitarian regime will do the same. • There was a turning away from the worth of the individual and the principle of a limited government in favour of a all-powerful collective state where the people served the interests of the state. • Each area, Russia and Germany, got to their points in history as outside influences pushed them over the edge.

8. The Spectrum Political Spectrum Freedom USA Canada Economic Spectrum Control Freedom Soviet Commumism – the state controlled all resources and controlled the majority of the aspects of economic and political life Nazi Germany – a degree of private business ownership was allowed as long as it was in the interest of the state Control

9. As We go on

10. Your Job • Pages 168 (Bottom starting with Time for Change in Russia) and finishing at the bottom of 177, you are to make notes on what happened in Germany and Russia. • For tomorrow be prepared.