Political Crisis and Political Crisis and DictatorshipDictatorship

-Key Concepts--Key Concepts-

I. The Spread of DictatorshipI. The Spread of Dictatorship

By 1938, only 10 out of By 1938, only 10 out of 27 European countries 27 European countries remained democraticremained democratic

For the most part, these For the most part, these were dictatorships in were dictatorships in the traditional sense of the traditional sense of the wordthe word

Three of these Three of these dictatorships made the dictatorships made the jump into totalitarianismjump into totalitarianism

II. What is Totalitarianism?II. What is Totalitarianism?

A Whole Set of ValuesA Whole Set of Values Individual ceases to have any role an Individual ceases to have any role an

rights whatsoeverrights whatsoever Total rejection of liberalism and Total rejection of liberalism and

liberal valuesliberal values By the 1930’s, liberalism seemed By the 1930’s, liberalism seemed

spent, a thing of the pastspent, a thing of the past

III. Features of Modern III. Features of Modern TotalitarianismTotalitarianism

Absolute Domination Absolute Domination over every area of lifeover every area of life

The worship and The worship and cultivation of violencecultivation of violence

--War is noble--War is noble

--The need for an --The need for an enemyenemy

The centrality of the The centrality of the Party and a LeaderParty and a Leader

----il Duceil Duce and and der Fuhrerder Fuhrer

III. Features of Modern III. Features of Modern Totalitarianism (cont)Totalitarianism (cont)

A mass movement, A mass movement, but especially but especially appealing to the lower appealing to the lower middle classmiddle class

Heavy reliance on Heavy reliance on propagandapropaganda

--leader image based --leader image based on sex appealon sex appeal

--Truth is what the --Truth is what the Party says it isParty says it is

IV. The Pervasiveness of IV. The Pervasiveness of FascismFascism

Presents itself as the only Presents itself as the only alternative to communismalternative to communism

Right-wing revolutionary Right-wing revolutionary conservatismconservatism

European-wide movementEuropean-wide movement—not restricted to Italy —not restricted to Italy and to Germanyand to Germany

Different forms of fascism Different forms of fascism throughout Europe—throughout Europe—influence of nationalisminfluence of nationalism

V. General Characteristics of V. General Characteristics of FascismFascism

An ideology, a An ideology, a program of action, and program of action, and a mood as wella mood as well

Seen as a way out of Seen as a way out of disillusionment and disillusionment and uncertaintyuncertainty

The primacy of actionThe primacy of action Powerful appeal to Powerful appeal to

youthyouth

--Hitler Youth--Hitler Youth

V. General Characteristics of V. General Characteristics of Fascism (cont)Fascism (cont)

Middle and lower-Middle and lower-middle class supportmiddle class support

Support from Support from traditional traditional conservative elite of conservative elite of EuropeEurope

Support from the Support from the rural population as rural population as wellwell

VI. The Ideology of FascismVI. The Ideology of Fascism

Action for action’s sakeAction for action’s sake

--Italian --Italian squadristisquadristi or or “Blackshirts”“Blackshirts”

--German SA or --German SA or “Brownshirts”“Brownshirts”

The Significance of The Significance of National CultureNational Culture

--The “Volk”--The “Volk” The Superiority of The Superiority of

National Culture and National Culture and RaceRace

VI. The Ideology of Fascism VI. The Ideology of Fascism (cont)(cont)

The Aryan MythThe Aryan Myth Male Leader Male Leader

WorshipWorship Conspiracy Theory Conspiracy Theory

of Historyof History A Religious-A Religious-

Psychological Psychological PhenomenonPhenomenon--Nuremberg Party --Nuremberg Party RalliesRallies

Nuremberg Party Rally, Nuremberg Party Rally, 19351935

Nuremberg Party Rally, Nuremberg Party Rally, 19381938

VII. The Life of Adolph HitlerVII. The Life of Adolph Hitler

His Early YearsHis Early Years The development The development

of his racial of his racial attitudesattitudes

His World War I His World War I experienceexperience

After the war, After the war, moves to Munich in moves to Munich in BavariaBavaria

VII. The Life of Adolph Hitler VII. The Life of Adolph Hitler (cont)(cont)

The Nazi Party: The Nazi Party: National Socialist National Socialist German Worker’s German Worker’s PartyParty

The Munich The Munich PutschPutsch (1923)(1923)

Mein KampfMein Kampf: “My : “My Struggle”Struggle”

VIII. Reasons for Hitler’s Rise VIII. Reasons for Hitler’s Rise to Powerto Power

The weaknesses of The weaknesses of the Weimar Republicthe Weimar Republic

Political resistance Political resistance to the Weimar to the Weimar governmentgovernment

Continuing Rise of Continuing Rise of Nationalism and Nationalism and Hatred for the Treaty Hatred for the Treaty of Versaillesof Versailles

VIII. Hitler’s Rise to Power VIII. Hitler’s Rise to Power (cont)(cont)

The Great Depression The Great Depression of the 1930’sof the 1930’s

Increase in Nazi Increase in Nazi Political PowerPolitical Power

Fear of CommunismFear of Communism--The Burning of the --The Burning of the ReichstagReichstag

The “Enabling Act” The “Enabling Act” (1933)(1933)

Hitler’s own skills and Hitler’s own skills and charismacharisma

IX.IX. The Actions of The Actions of the “Third Reich”the “Third Reich”

The Suspension of Civil The Suspension of Civil RightsRights

Nazi Party Purge (1934)Nazi Party Purge (1934)

--Night of the Long --Night of the Long Knives (June 30Knives (June 30thth))

Establishment of the SS Establishment of the SS and the Gestapoand the Gestapo

--Heinrich Himmler--Heinrich Himmler Creation of a Creation of a

centralized, unified centralized, unified statestate

SS Troops on Parade in SS Troops on Parade in PolandPoland

Hitler Reviews SS TroopsHitler Reviews SS Troops

SS Troops Guard Members of SS Troops Guard Members of Jewish Resistance in WarsawJewish Resistance in Warsaw

IX. “Third Reich” (cont)IX. “Third Reich” (cont)

A Program of Anti-A Program of Anti-SemitismSemitism

--Nuremberg Laws of --Nuremberg Laws of 19351935

--The “Final Solution”--The “Final Solution” Mobilization of a Mobilization of a

Wartime EconomyWartime Economy

-- “Lebensraum”: -- “Lebensraum”: “Living Space”“Living Space”

--Four-Year Plan (1936)--Four-Year Plan (1936)

IX. “Third Reich” (cont)IX. “Third Reich” (cont)

Alliance of Nazi Party Alliance of Nazi Party with Big Businesswith Big Business

Elimination of Elimination of UnemploymentUnemployment--Autobahn--Autobahn

Tremendous and Tremendous and Growing PopularityGrowing Popularity-- “Strength through -- “Strength through Joy” programJoy” program-- “People’s Car”: -- “People’s Car”: VolkswagenVolkswagen

Adolph Hitler and the Volkswagen: Adolph Hitler and the Volkswagen: “The Strength through Joy” Car“The Strength through Joy” Car

(1932 Drawing done in Munich Restaurant (1932 Drawing done in Munich Restaurant and passed on to head of Daimler-Benz)and passed on to head of Daimler-Benz)

X. Stalinist RussiaX. Stalinist Russia

Joseph Stalin the manJoseph Stalin the man Lenin’s view of StalinLenin’s view of Stalin ““Socialism in one Socialism in one

country”country” A Strategy for Rapid A Strategy for Rapid

IndustrializationIndustrialization Collectivization of Collectivization of

AgricultureAgriculture--The problem of the --The problem of the KulaksKulaks

Chaos in the Chaos in the countrysidecountryside

X. Stalinist Russia (cont)X. Stalinist Russia (cont)

Crop Failures in 1932-Crop Failures in 1932-19331933

Collectivization: A Collectivization: A Revolution from AboveRevolution from Above

KolkhozKolkhoz : The : The Collectivized FarmCollectivized Farm

Surplus industrial laborSurplus industrial labor The First Five-Year PlanThe First Five-Year Plan Impact of Five-Year Impact of Five-Year

PlansPlans Whole new industrial Whole new industrial

cities sprang up behind cities sprang up behind the Ural Mountainsthe Ural Mountains

XI. Stalin’s Terror and Political XI. Stalin’s Terror and Political Purges (1934)Purges (1934)

The purpose of the The purpose of the terror and purgesterror and purges

““Socialist Realism” in Socialist Realism” in artart

Assassination of Sergei Assassination of Sergei Kirov (1934)Kirov (1934)

Moscow Show TrialsMoscow Show Trials Purge of the Red ArmyPurge of the Red Army Atmosphere of Paranoia Atmosphere of Paranoia

and Suspicionand Suspicion Impact on Soviet Impact on Soviet

leadership for leadership for generationsgenerations

XI. Fascist ItalyXI. Fascist Italy

Sense of Betrayal after Sense of Betrayal after World War IWorld War I

Economic Problems and Economic Problems and Social UnrestSocial Unrest

Governmental ParalysisGovernmental Paralysis Mussolini’s Rise to Mussolini’s Rise to

PowerPower Consolidation of a Consolidation of a

DictatorshipDictatorship ““Il Duce” and the Il Duce” and the

Doctrine of the StateDoctrine of the State Increasing International Increasing International

PrestigePrestige