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THE RISE OF TOTALITARIANISM AND THE CAUSES OF WWII
The War After the “War to End All Wars”
BLAME IT ON THE DEPRESSION
Lead to political upheaval
Allowed charismatic men, promising solutions to emerge
Promised end to woes of citizens
Emerged as dictators
Lead to Rise of
Totalitarianism
Both communist and
fascist styles are seen
during this period
TOTALITARIAN CHARACTERISTICS
Remember: Brainstorm characteristics of a Totalitarian State.
Gov’t control of all aspects of society
Politics, economy, culture
Everything done to benefit the state
Violence and intimidation to take power
Police force to maintain power
No toleration for opposing ideas
Propaganda used to enforce party message and control society
One leader with unlimited, absolute power
Soviet Union, Italy, and Germany
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SOVIET UNION
JOSEPH STALIN
Leader of Communist Party – 1924
Has complete control by 1928
Competitors are eliminated – Great Purge, 1930
Goal was modernization of Russia
Implemented a series of Five Year Plans
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FIVE YEAR PLANS
Economic focus – gave gov’t complete control
The plan involved:
1. Collectivization of agriculture
Seized all private owned property
Peasants became paid workers on state owned farms
2. Build up industry and military
Heavy industry – steel and coal, armaments, railroads, ports, highways
Ignored consumer goods
Those who resisted were killed or sent to gulags (labour camps in Siberia)
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TERROR
Use of secret police
Anyone who spoke out – seen as enemy
Many disappeared
Others publically tried and executed
Millions killed (ranged from 3-60 million – most accepted is 20 million)
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ITALY
BENITO MUSSOLINI
Called – Il Duce
Leader of Fascisti Party
Formed militia group – Blackshirts
Marched on Rome
Demanded control of gov’t
Took control – no shots fired
support from middle class
Implemented gov’t control of agriculture, labour, industry and communication
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GERMANY
WEIMAR REPUBLIC
Democratic gov’t setup after Kaiser abdicated
People distrusted gov’t – they had signed the Versailles Treaty
Germany was suffering under huge economic strain
failed to make reparations – France occupied Ruhr Valley (resources and factories)
Hyper-inflation – German mark became worthless – many lost all their earnings
Great Depression
Unemployment grew steadily
Communists and Nazi parties gained more support
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ENTER, ADOLF HITLER
Joined National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazis), 1920
Leader of party by 1921
Criticized gov’t and Versailles Treaty
Persuaded people he could save the country
Took power democratically
1932 – Nazis were largest party in Reichstag (Parliament)
1933 – Hitler becomes chancellor of Germany
Called: Der Fuhrer
Master of propaganda
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NAZI PARTY CHARACTERISTICS
Extreme Nationalism
Citizens purpose was to serve the state
Anti-Democratic
Made it clear he would end democracy in Germany if he came to power
Anti-Semitism
Dislike and hatred of Jewish people
Blamed Jews for Germany’s problems (scapegoat)
Created atmosphere of hatred
Never announced his plan to exterminate Jews
Militarism
Began re-building Germany’s military
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GERMANY UNDER HITLER
June 1934 – Night of the Long Knives
Enemies of Nazis and the state murdered
Approx. 1,000 people
Laws discriminating against Jews
Ex. Kristallnacht (Night of Broken Glass) – Nazi gov’t encouraged Germans to attack
Jewish people and their property.
Shops and homes attacked, windows smashed
Some Jewish people publically beaten, and many imprisoned for no reason
Human Rights abolished – no one had any rights at all
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GERMANY UNDER HITLER CONT.
Secret Police – Gestapo and SS (Schutzstaffel)
Unrestricted power to deal with threats to the state
Responsible for most of the crimes against humanity during war
Poured money into public works subsidized farmers
Unemployment decreased and economy improved
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WWII CAUSES
Fundamental Causes (underlying reasons, making war more likely)
The Treaty of Versailles
The Great Depression
The Rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party
Failure of the League of Nations
Extreme Nationalism
Democratic governments unwilling to intervene
WWII CAUSES CONT.
Immediate Causes - Events directly contributing to war beginning
Hitler’s Imperialistic Ambitions
Appeasement
Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact
HITLER’S IMPERIALISTIC AMBITIONS
Desired to make Germany powerful again
Uniting the “master race” of Germanic people
Aimed to take territory that should “belong” to Germany
Re-militarize Rhineland
March 1936, troops sent into Rhineland (Treaty of Versailles, stated no military in
this zone)
No response from Britain or France
Annexation of Austria
Anschluss – political union of Austria and Germany
March 1938, Germany moves in at takes over Austria
Made it part of Germany
No opposition from democratic countries
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IMPERIALISTIC AMBITIONS CONT.
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IMPERIALISTIC AMBITIONS CONT.
Annexation of the Sudetenland
October 1938
Far western side of Czechoslovakia
Conference in Munich (Munich Agreement) – British and French leaders went to
negotiate with Hitler
Hitler promised not to invade rest of Czech.
Wanted Sudetenland in exchange - He got it
Czech people not consulted – desires were ignored
APPEASEMENT
Making concessions to maintain peace
Not acting after Rhineland re-militarization
Not acting after Austria is annexed
Exchanging the Sudetenland for promise to leave rest of Czech. alone
PM of Britain – Neville
Chamberlain led
“appeasement movement”
Declared Munich
Agreement, would secure “peace for
our time”.
Felt Hitler’s promise was sincere
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March 1939
Hitler invades Czechoslovakia
Appeasement obviously didn’t work
Summer 1939
Danzig and “Polish Corridor” threatened
Would connect Germany to East Prussia again
Why didn’t appeasement work?
Stalin tried to get Britain and
France to act against Hitler –
was turned down
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NAZI-SOVIET PACT
Hitler and Stalin sign non-aggression pact
Would not fight each other if either one went to war
Agreed to divide Poland b/w them
REASON FOR THE PACT
Hitler and Stalin hated each other
The Pact was a ploy to gain time
Neither intended to honour the pact
Hitler wanted to avoid a two-front war
Stalin needed time to build up his military
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