REJECTION OF LIBERALISM

By Griffin, Ashleigh, Caitlyn, Clarice, and Brad

Positive Aspects of Liberalism

Grants and enshrines some individual and most collective rights and freedoms

Ensures equality

Negative Aspects of Liberalism

Things that are good for the individual are not always good for the nation and individual rights may be sacrificed

USSR

How Stalin Came to Power

Stalin became the head of the communist party in 1924 after the death of V.Lenin. But the dictatorship didn’t start until the 1930’s when he banned all private business, eliminated began using purges to get rid of opportunists or counter-revolutionary infiltrators and either assassinating or executing the heads of his opposition (Trotsky, Kamenev and Zinoviev)

Rejecting Liberal Ideas

Right to a fair trial- NKVD Troika would sentence people to imprisonment or execution without trial, were used as an instrument of extrajudicial punishment. Used during the great purge

Prisoners rights- Four centuries Russian leaders used their vast Siberian wilderness as a place of exile for political prisoners as well as common bad people. Prisoners life with biting hunger intense, isolation, beatings and petty indignities. Sometimes they just lay down and die.

Religious freedoms - religious practice was discouraged in accordance with Marx’s belief that it served a counter-revolutionary purpose. Traditional social institutions such as Marriage were intentionally undermined to facilitate a shift of loyalties from family and the church to the state, atheism was promoted and churches were closed and some times burned down.

Why?

The Soviet Union frowned upon the these liberal ideal and human rights because they wanted to keep their people in a state of conformity using fear of imprisonment or execution and by ensuring that the idea that they were enforcing were counteracted by anything.

Was it Justified??

In our opinion: It depends on the perspective. Generally, Stalin’s plan did work. He was able to turn the country and it's holding into an industrialized state, but on the other hand in order to be successful he had to sacrifice the lives of the people of his country through Famines and deportation through purges. In the eyes of the leaders, the heads of the soviet union it was worth while. In the eyes of the other people involved and onlookers. The end didn't justify the means

Nazi Germany

How the Nazis Came to Power

The Nazi Party came to power through a democratic election. They won the election because they had a platform that appealed to the majority of the working class. This included points that favored workers over business owners, as well as laying blame for the economic depression Germany was going through, and the rejection of communist ideals. Hitler was later appointed Chancellor of Germany. Once appointed, Hitler began using the secret police (the SS) to intimidate and persecute political opponents. He also began restricting the power and ability of other political parties until the Nazi Party was the only one allowed.

Rejecting Liberal Ideas

Hitler began restricting basic individual rights with the Reichstag Fire Decree (Reichstagsbrandverordnung)

Began eliminating equality through anti-Semitic and ultranationalist policies

Why?

Rights and freedoms were restricted to ensure there would be no political resistance

Equality was eliminated to give “Aryans” a feeling of superiority, and to provide a scapegoat for the shortcomings of the government.

Was it Justified??

We believe that these restrictions were not justified because it took almost all political power away from the people and eliminated most individual rights and freedoms. However, from the Nazis’ perspective, these restrictions were essential to take control over the German people.

Fascist Italy

How They Came to Power “Fascist Italy" was the era of the National Fascist Party rule from 1922 to 1943 with Benito Mussolini as

totalitarian leader Italy's government began with democracy, but very few people had the right to vote and elections were

usually rigged. Before Italy became united the Pope ruled large areas of land called the Papal States. When Italy became

united the new government took the Pope's land, leaving him with only the Vatican. Due to this act the Pope disliked the government and banned all Italian Catholics to be involved in the

government. Because of this most Italians never understood or liked democracy. The Pope lifted his ban in 1905, but the

damage was done. Many parties tried to change the way Italy was (e.g. The Futurists, The Nationalists, The Socialists) Mussolini was thrown out of the Socialist Party in 1914 because he wanted Italy to join WWI On March 23, 1919 he formed a Fascio di Combattimento (fascist party). They were ready to kill and die in

fighting communism. War lasted between the Fascists and Socialists from 1920-1922 Mussolini was elected into power in 1922 used the army to deal with his opponents and he created a fascist dictatorship (e.g. strongly funded the

church, made posters of himself depicting that he was never wrong ,etc) In 3 years, 4 attempts on Mussolini's life had been made. This caused him to ban all other political parties. In 1938 he abolished parliament and replaced it with a 'Chamber of Fasci and Corporations.' This was a new

type of government which represented people according to their type of work rather than to where they lived.

he indoctrinated the young and people with propaganda He joined forces with Germany in WWII When Italy was captured he tried to escape, but was caught and shot, then his corpse was hung by its feet

and pelted with insults and rotten fruit.

Rejecting Liberal Ideas

Land was taken from Pope During the war against socialists groups

of socialist peasants were abused (e.g. castor oil was forced down their throats until ill, men were forced to eat live toads, they were beaten with clubs, etc)

Mussolini enforced totalitarianism Voting was rigged

Why?

Voting was rigged because a government that would change Italy's economic structure for the better was desired

Ideas would have weakened Mussolini's indoctrination and his reign

Was it Justified??

These rejections were not justified from my opinion, but in order to create a dictatorship these actions were necessary.

References Information: http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005204 "The Holocaust Library: The Nazis" - William W. Lace http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingdom_of_Italy Italy and Mussolini Italy 1900-45 by Josh Brooman   Pictures: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

File:Coat_of_Arms_of_the_Italian_Social_Republic.svg http://endthelie.com/2011/11/28/bank-robbery-italian-style-the-fiscal-

fascists-are-back-and-hungry-for-your-money/#axzz2QpQlVoGO http://prettylittleresearchers.wordpress.com/2012/06/14/nazi-germany-

article-political-aspect-by-alessandra-garcia-narrea/ http://stpaulscollege.ie/history/essays-dictatorship-democracy http://www.fm-base.co.uk/forum/transfer-updates-custom-leagues-

editing/89551-ussr-yugoslavia-leagues-national-sides-database.html http://www.marxists.org/history/ussr/