1920 – 1939
(Chapter 31)
TotalitarianGovernment with complete
control over peoples livesFascism
Political movement based on extreme nationalism and militarism
Usually led by a single party and one leader with ultimate power
NazismGermany’s fascist movementIncluded a belief in racial
superiority
Focused on extreme nationalism with loyalty and sacrifice for your state
Loyalty to a leader who brought order and structure
Often had unique uniforms, salutes, and would hold large rallies
Similarities to Communism1 political party with a dictator (no democracy)Both denied individual rights and put the state first
Differences to CommunismFascists didn’t want a classless societyFascists were usually nationalists, while
Communists were internationalists
Did not gain large amounts of territories from the Treaty of Versailles
Rising inflation and unemployment caused the people to be upset
Felt their democracy was not doing enough to fix the country’s problems, looked for a strong leader
Newspaper editor, politician and founder of the Italian Fascist Party (1919)
Promised to improve the economy and rebuild the military
“Black Shirts” attacked Communists and Socialists
Gained support of the middle class, aristocracy, and industrialists
Promised to return Italy to the time of the Roman Empire
October 192230,000 Fascists
marched on RomeKing Victor Emmanuel
III appointed Mussolini Prime Minister to avoid further violence
Il Duce (“the leader”)After gaining power,
Mussolini takes near complete control
Outlawed all political parties (except the Fascist)
Censored the radio and newspapers
Took control of the economy
Italy failed to take over Ethiopia in the 1890sOctober 1935, Italy invades with a modern
army of tanks, planes, and machine gunsEthiopia’s emperor Haile Selassie asked for
help from the League of NationsLeague condemned the attack, but did nothing
to stop itGreat Britain allowed Italy to use the Suez
Canal to move troops into EthiopiaWanted to avoid fighting (appeasement)
1920s JapanDemocracy was growing1922 – treaty to respect China’s borders1928 – signed the Kellog-Braind Pact that was to
outlaw the use of warAfter the Great Depression starts
People blamed the government for economic problems
Military took over the government, but kept Emperor Hirohito in charge as the face of the government
Planned to expand the empire for new markets, raw materials, and room for its population
1931 – Japan takes control of Manchuria (northeast province of China) League of Nations
condemned the invasion, but did nothing
Japan withdrew from the League in 1933
July 1937 – Japan invades China Rape of Nanjing Jiang Jieshi’s army forced
to retreat Mao Zedong’s
Communists fight a guerilla war against the Japanese
1919 – National Socialist German Workers’ Party formed (Nazi Party)Wanted to overturn the
Treaty of VersaillesWanted to fight
CommunismCreated a private army
called the Brown ShirtsHitler becomes a leader
of the Nazi PartyBeer Hall Putsch (Nov.
1923)Hitler leads attempt to
overthrow the government
Fails and sent to prison for 5 years (serves 9 months)
Hitler explains his beliefs and goals in a book he writes in prison
Aryan Race Claimed Germans were the
“Master Race” and should rule the world
All “non-Ayrans” were inferior and should be destroyed
Treaty of Versailles Wanted to gain back all of
Germany’s lost territoriesLebensraum (“living room”)
Claimed Germany was overcrowded
Would take over Eastern Europe and Russia
Third Reich
After his prison term, Hitler took back control of the Nazi Party
When the Great Depression starts, the German economy further collapsed and support of the Nazi Party grew
January, 1933 – President von Hindenburg makes Hitler Chancellor of Germany
After Nazis win a parliamentary election, Hitler turns Germany into a totalitarian state
Hitler’s SS (Schutzstaffel) and Gestapo force German peoples into obedienceSS = Hitler’s private armyGestapo = private police forceBoth groups arrested and murdered rivals to the Nazis
and HitlerHitler takes economic control and cuts
unemploymentHitler forced propaganda to create a loyal nation
Controlled the press, radio, literature, and artBurned books that didn’t fit Nazi beliefsPrevented churches from speaking bad about NazismSchoolchildren joined the Hitler Youth or League of
German Girls
Nazis blamed the Jews for many of Germany’s problems (anti-Semitism)
1933 – Nazi party begins to strip rights from the Jews
1935 – Nuremburg LawsTook away legal rights to
Jews and other minoritiesNovember 9, 1938 – KristallnachtThe “Night of Broken
Glass”Nazis attacked and
arrested Jews in large numbers
Jewish owned homes and businesses were destroyed
March 1935 – Hitler begins make his army larger League of Nations does nothing
March 7, 1936 – Germany invades the Rhineland France and Great Britain begin
practicing appeasement Appeasement = giving into the
demands of an aggressor to avoid war
October 1936 – Germany and Italy create the Rome-Berlin Axis
November 1936 – Germany, Italy and Japan create the Axis Powers (Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis)
July 1936 – Francisco Franco leads a Fascist revolution to overthrow the republican government
Hitler and Mussolini send troops, tanks, and planes to help Franco’s forces in the 3 year civil war
Western Democracies supported the Republican side, but did not send any help (except the Soviet Union)
Franco’s fascist forces win in 1939
March 1938 – Germany annexes Austria (Treaty of Versailles prohibited this)
September 1938 – Germany demands that the Sudetenland be given to GermanySudetenland was a German speaking section of
CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia asked France to help
September 29, 1938 – France, Great Britain, Germany, and Italy meet to discuss the Sudetenland and CzechoslovakiaHitler promised to not take any more of
Czechoslovakia if he got the SudetenlandGreat Britain’s Prime Minister again follows
the idea of appeasement and gives in“I believe it is peace in our time.”
March 1939 – Germany annexes Czechoslovakia
Every body say “appeasement”!
Munich Conference
Mussolini seized AlbaniaHitler looks to take over
PolandGreat Britain and France
threaten war if Germany invades Poland
August 23, 1939 – Germany and the Soviet Union sign a nonaggression pactThis would keep the Soviet
Union from joining the war and prevent a two-front war
September 1, 1939 – Germany invades Poland