Europe's Response to Post-War Crisis: Rise of Dictatorial Regimes

1. Chapter 15 Western Civilization between the World Wars 1919-1939

2. Key Events • Europe faced severe economic problems • Dictatorial powers developed in Germany, Italy, Russia

3. Response to Post War crisis • Homeless in the streets • Govts didn’t know what to do • They tried to lower wages and increase tariffs, this made it worse • Govts around the world began to have more control over business; even in the US with strong laissez-faire tradition • No govt control of economy

4. It seemed all over Europe that the type of government would be either Communism or Fascism.

5. Remember how the Congress of Vienna met after Napoleon to prevent French Revolution style takeover of other governments? Well, there was not a coordinated event to stop Communism, but the reaction was similar. Each government sought to stop communism because of what happened to Russia.

6. Marxism • Karl Marx had predicted that capitalism would lead to overproduction, and it appeared to be true. • Communism became popular among workers and intellectuals. What is an intellectual? • People started to look at radical leaders and new political parties for a change.

7. Quotes on Communism • “Democracy is the road to socialism.” • “Let the ruling classes tremble at a communist revolution. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Workers of the world, unite! ” • The theory of Communism may be summed up in one sentence: • Abolish all private property.

8. Democratic countries after WWI • Germany: Weimar Republic had been established when William II left (right at the end of the war) • No real good leaders • Many problems • Then serious economic problems, unemployment and low production • This led to a rise in extremist parties

9. Democracies after WWI • France: greatest country after WWI in continental Europe • France had economic problems, but didn’t feel the Great Depression until 1932 • Economic difficulties led to political difficulties. How do the French deal political difficulties? • No, not this time with the executions of leaders, but six different cabinets (govts) were created from 1932-1933 • June 1936 a coalition of leftist parties formed the Popular Front government (communists, socialists, and other radicals)…very French. • Instituted collective bargaining with workers; this is the right of workers to negotiate with employers as a group. • By 1939, the French still did not have confidence in their political system.

10. Great Britain • By 1929, they felt the depression • 1931 the Labour Party fell from power • The Conservative Party won the elections in 1931 and began policies of balanced budgets and protective tariffs. • Britain still was in a recession like the rest of the world

11. USA • 1929 stock market crash • By 1933 US production was half of what it had been in 1929. • 24% unemployment • Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was elected; capitalism had to be reformed if it was to be “saved” • New Deal: program of govt intervention • Public works: Works Progress Administration (we poke along); built roads, parks, bridges, airports • Other programs too: TVA, CCC • Helped ease the day to day troubles of individuals, but not the overall economy • It was not until the buildup for WWII, did our economy recover. (production and lower unemployment)

12. The Rise of Dictatorial Regimes • Lots of economic problems after WWI • New dictators: Germany, Russia, Italy • Totalitarian state: govt controls the economic, political, social, intellectual, and cultural lives of its citizens • subordination of individual liberties in favor of the collective will of the masses • No other political opinions are tolerated • No other political parties are tolerated

13. Italy • Benito Mussolini: first fascist • Fascism: glorifies the state above the individual; strong central govt; suppress opposition; stop communism • Who supported? • Anyone against communism. Landowners, Church, Business owners, middle class. • Everybody was scared of what happened in Russia. • Blackshirts: paramilitary, broke strikes, attacked socialists

14. Italy • Mussolini threatened to take over. The King, Victor Emmanuel III, made him prime minister. • Mussolini established himself as dictator and outlawed other political parties, then set up a secret police • Tried to control media • Became “il Duce” the leader

15. Soviet Union • USSR or CCCP • New Economic Policy helped the bad economy. It allowed for old capitalism and it worked, but Lenin only wanted it for a short term. • Lenin died in 1924. Power struggle in the politburo (committee that led the policy-making in the communist party)

16. Trotsky 1924 was commissar of war End NEP Global communism Rapid industrialism Expelled to Mexico Assassinated by an operative of Stalin Stalin 1924 was party general secretary Position required him to appoint local party leaders; this led him to have total control over the communist party. Eliminated the Bolsheviks from power Established himself as dictator Power struggle in USSR

17. Stalin in charge • 5 year plan: change from agrarian to industrial state • People moved to cities, lived in substandard housing. Wages declined. • Workers were kept under strict control • Collectivism: private farms eliminated, govt owned them now. Peasants didn’t like it; Stalin had them killed. (20 million?) collectivization is the process of establishing… • Anyone who criticized was sent to Siberia • Bolsheviks were tried and executed 1936-1938 • Stalin arrested 8 million opponents • Stalin killed between 8 and 26 million people

18. He ruthlessly consolidated his personal power in a series of purges, between 1935-38, when he killed around 6 million people • Of the Central Committee of 1934, 70% were shot, and of those attending the party Congress in 1934, only 3% were left alive in 1939 • Most of Stalin's victims were Old Bolsheviks who knew how far he had strayed from Lenin's vision of an egalitarian communist society • Stalin also decimated the officer corps on the eve of World War II; three-fifths of the marshals and three-fourths of the full generals were killed (35,000 officers total)

19. Stalin himself told Churchill during World War II that 10 million died when he collectivized agriculture, but the figure may be closer to 14 to 15 million, and this on top of the deaths from the purges • In 1932-1933, 3-4 million died in the Ukraine alone while the grain silos were full and the country was exporting grain

20. Other countries • Most other Eastern European countries tried parliamentary systems, but the fear of communism led to authoritarian governments that preserved the old order. • They had no background in democracy

21. Spain • Started with democracy after WWI • Then a new government (claiming to be a republican form of government) was elected that consisted of communists, socialists, and other radicals. • Since many people feared communist revolution… • General Francisco Franco led the military in a revolt to save Spain.

22. 1936 Spanish Civil War • This was a brutal and bloody civil war, like most civil wars. • Republican Govt (elected communists) vs. Franco (Nationalists) • Foreign intervention played a large part • The government was supported by the Soviet Union and some by the USA. 40,000 non-Spaniards came to fight for the govt. USSR sent trucks, tanks, planes, and military advisors.

23. Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 Republicans (Government) Nationalists Led by General Franco Hated communism Middle class Landowners Church leaders Business owners Military Hitler helped Mussolini helped • Communists and socialists • Soviet Union • International Brigades

24. 1936-1939 Spanish Civil War • General Francisco Franco’s forces were aided by Germany and Italy. (fear of communism and Franco appeared to be fascist) • They sent arms, men, money, and planes • Franco captured Madrid (capital) in 1939 • Established a dictatorship with support from landowners, businessmen, and Catholic Church. • Franco’s government is known as authoritarian rather than totalitarian, because he did not try to control people’s daily lives. • 500,000 died ----- population of 25 million

25. Hitler and Germany • Main ideas: • learn how Hitler established a totalitarian state • Learn how Germans accepted this control

26. Hitler • Born in Austria, high school drop out, not accepted to art school, served in WWI • Stayed in Germany after WWI, joined a new radical nationalist party: German Workers’ Party in Munich. 1919 • 1921 Hitler took control of the Party and renamed it National Socialist German Workers’ Party…became known as NAZI. • Paramilitary group: Storm Troopers or Brown Shirts

28. Hitler gets busy • 1923 Hitler tried an armed revolt in Munich • He was put in prison • There he wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle) • Nationalistic • Anti-Semitic • Anti-communism • Lebensraum (living space) superior nations should expand. • Superior individuals should gain control

31. The Hofbräuhaus in Munich was one of the beer halls used by the Nazi Party to declare policies and hold functions. On February 24, 1920, Hitler proclaimed the 25 Theses of the National Socialist program at the Hofbräuhaus, which reconstituted the German Workers' Party as the National Socialist German Workers' Party, known as the Nazi Party

32. Rise of Nazism • Hitler was released and then he expanded the Party to all parts of Germany • 1929 he helped get delegates elected to the Reichstag; had a majority by 1932 • Bad economic times led to NAZI Party winning elections. • Hitler promised to create a new Germany • National pride and national honor • Very charismatic and enthusiastic

33. Hitler takes over • The government was still controlled by the President of Germany, but his power was not so strong. Certain German elites (businessmen, landowners, military officers, bureaucrats) pressured the President to make Hitler the chancellor and create a new govt. • Then Hitler got the Reichstag to pass the Enabling Act which allowed Hitler to ignore the constitution for 4 years. • Hitler was now in total control. 1933 • Joseph Goebbels: propaganda minister • Hitler was seen as a savior to the German people. Hitler worked to create a bond between himself and the German people.

34. Hitler Youth • Had a pledge to Hitler. • Did some campouts. • Practiced with weapons. • Practiced organization. • What does this sound like?

37. With Hitler in control • Eliminated opposition • Secret police • Concentration camps • Disbanded Unions • Removed from govt members of other parties • Abolished all political parties, except NAZI • 1934 President Hindenburg died, not replaced • Public officials and soldiers were required to swear a personal oath to the “Führer”

38. Hitler 1933 • Speech with Goebbels • Desktop, Realplayer, Library, Adolph Hitler 1933

39. Hitler’s ideas • Aryan: a racial group of blond hair and blue eyes (mostly) • Hitler wanted to create an Aryan Nation that would dominate Europe and the world • Third Reich: was his vision, his govt • 1st was Holy Roman Empire • 2nd was the German Empire of 1871 • Read quote

40. Creation of totalitarian govt • Economic policies, mass demonstrations, established organizations and new organizations helped NAZI goals • Terror was used • Jews were discriminated against, as well as others (Gypsies, Slavs, disabled) • Hitler was the absolute power.

41. SS • SS: Heinrich Himmler was the leader • Created as Hitler’s bodyguards • directed secret police • a group of loyalists who secretly find people who oppose the leader and get rid of them. • directed regular police • Chief goal to Himmler was to further the Aryan race • Terror, ideology, concentration camps, death squads, death camps

42. economics • Govt employed men to build roads, RRs, airports • Gave companies money to build • Started rearmament program (broke Treaty) • Unemployment dropped from 6,000,000 in 1932 to 500,000 by 1937; Hitler took the credit and gained support

43. Control • Mass demonstrations and rallies, especially in Nuremburg • All institutions came under NAZI control: Catholic Church, Protestant Churches, schools, universities, professional organizations • New groups were formed for: teachers, doctors, lawyers, farmers, women, civil servants, youth • Women: child bearers, nurses, social workers, but not professors, not factory workers, not doctors

45. Jews • Jews: anti-Semitic policies, Nuremberg Laws (Jews not German citizens, couldn’t marry non-Jews) • Kristallnacht: November 9, 1938 - night of broken glass, Storm Troopers killed about 100 Jews, destroyed Jewish stores (7,000) and burned synagogues, took 30,000 Jews to concentration camps • Jews were forced to clean up the mess and pay damages caused by Kristallnacht • Desktop, realplayer, library kristallnacht

46. Then Jews were banned from public buildings, schools, hospitals • Jews could not own or manage any store • SS encouraged Jews to leave Germany • Jews couldn’t leave because there was no where to go.

47. Hitler gets aggressive • Starts to build military: beginning of appeasement • Rhineland: March 1936 • Sent arms, planes, etc to Spain (first bombing, 1937) • Austria • Sudetenland • Czechoslovakia • Poland, Norway, Netherlands

48. Italy • Invaded Ethiopia

49. Japan • Gov’t became controlled by military • Invaded China… why? • How did the fight start?

50. Axis Powers • Germany, Italy, Japan