Transcript The Rise of Totalitarianism

The Rise of
Totalitarianism
1919-1939
Ohio Standards
 Topic: From Isolation to World War (1930-1945)
 The isolationist approach to foreign policy meant U.S.
leadership in world affairs diminished after World War I.
Overseas, certain nations saw the growth of tyrannical
governments which reasserted their power through aggression
and created conditions leading to the Second World War. After
Pearl Harbor, the United States entered World War II, which
changed the country’s focus from isolationism to international
involvement.
 16. During the 1930s, the U.S. government attempted to
distance the country from earlier interventionist policies in the
Western Hemisphere as well as retain an isolationist approach
to events in Europe and Asia until the beginning of WWII.

I will know the following…
Why the western democracies were
having difficulties after the win in
WWI.
Who the western democracies were.
How WWI led to the Great Depression
and the rise in Totalitarian states.
The Search for Peace after WWI
 Countries are pursuing
disarmament, reduction
of armed forces and
weapons.
 US, Britain and France
sign a treaty to reduce
size of navies– not
armies
 League of Nationsencourage cooperation.
 Treaty of Versailles- not
working- nobody is
happy
The weakness of the League
 Set up in the Treaty of
Versailles
 Powerless to stop
aggression between
countries.
 1931- Japan invades
Manchuria. The League
could do nothing to stop
it.
 So now…ambitious
leaders note the
Leagues weakness and
begin aggressive foreign
policies.
Postwar economy of the 20’s
• Because of the Treaty of Versailles
• Germany owes reparations to…
• (but they have no money)
• Great Britain and France- owe $ to US
• (both heavily hurt due to WWI)
• US waiting for $
• (very much needed by 1931)
The 3 Western Democracies
 Great Britain in debt
 Factories in bad shape
 Unemployment high
 Wages low
 Worker unrest
strikes
 France- recovering but
politically
unstable
 US- loaning money to
Europe. (China?)
 Will kill us in the 30’s,
but what else can we
do?
Then along comes the Great
Depression.
 Uneven wealth
 Overproduction 
unemployment
 1929 people nervous sell
stocks
 Stock Market crashes 
businesses close
widespread unemployment
Depression spreads throughout
Europe, because we are a global
economy!!!!
The democracies react
Great Britain- 25% unemployment
France- people begin to demand change
US- FDR and the New Deal
The New Deal did not end
the Great Depression it
eased the suffering.
So now…
People lose faith in democratic
governments.
Extremists come out and promise
radical solutions!!!
Quiz time
1. Who were the 3 western
democracies after WWI?
2. What kind of difficulties
were they facing?
3. How did these difficulties
lead to the rise in totalitarian
states?
New focus
What is fascism?
How did Mussolini get control of
Italy?
How are fascism and
communism alike and different?
Fascism in ItalyMussolini’s Rise
After WWI- Treaty of
Versailles- Italy was
promised areas of
Austria-Hungary if
they won.
After the win- only
received a few
areas.
Hate begins and so
does intense
nationalism.
Benito Mussolini
 Organized veterans and the
many discontented into the
Fascist Party.
 Promises to end corruption
and bring order to Italy.
Mussolini gets organized
 Supporters put into “combat
squads” called “black
shirts”
 Rejected democracy
 Violent
 Ousted elected officials
 1922- March on Rome- the
king is scared and asks
Mussolini to form a
government as prime
minister
1925- Mussolini assumes even
more power
 Suppressed rival parties
 Rigged elections
 Replaced elected officials
with fascist supporters
 Censored the press
 Critics thrown into prison
 Secret police
 Propaganda
 Italy is now under a
dictatorship.
What is fascism?
 The state is more important
than any individual
 It is a centralized
authoritarian government
that is not communist.
 Policies glorify the state,
not the individual
 Destructive to basic human
rights
 Nationalistic- blind loyalty to
the state
Expectations
Men are to fight for
the glory of Italy!!!
Women are to win
the battle of
motherhood.
If you have 14
children you will
earn a medal!!!!
What’s the difference?
Fascism
Nationalistic goals
Society with
classes
Communism
International
change
Classless society
What do they have in
common?
Flourish during
hard times
Inspire blind
devotion to state
Terror to guard
power
Promote extreme
programs of social
change
Quiz
How did the Treaty of Versailles lead to
Mussolini’s rise?
Name a few things Mussolini did to be
considered a dictator?
What do fascism and communism have in
common?
New Focus
Know the difference between
Communism and Totalitarian states.
Good and bad points of the 5-year
plans.
Good and bad points of agriculture
plans in USSR.
Stalin and the Soviet Union
 Jan. 1924- Lenin dies
and is put on
permanent display in
Red Square for 65
years.
 Now it is Stalin’s turn
to carry on the goals of
the communist
revolution.
A Totalitarian State
 In true communismthe government
withers away
 Under Stalin- Soviet
Union turned into a
totalitarian state
controlled by a
powerful and complex
bureaucracy.
5 Year Plans
 Aim
 building heavy industry
under government
control
 Improve transportation
 Improve farm output
 All businesses owned
by the government and
the government
distributes all
resources
 =command economy
The results of the 5 year plans
 Industry and
transportation had high
production goals.
 Pushed workers.
Bonus for success.
Punishment for
failures.
 1928-1939- large
factories built,
hydroelectric power
stations built, oil, steel
and coal production is
up, railroads are built
 Russia is getting
better, the workers are
not. Standard of living
is very low.
 Central planning is
inefficient. There are
shortages and low
quality of goods
because workers are
concerned about
quotas not quality.
 wages low and unable
to strike.
Forced collectivization in agriculture
 Farmers need to produce
more for the Soviet
population and to sell
abroad.
 Stalin puts peasants on
state owned farms or
collectives.
 Government provides
tractors, seeds…
 Peasants learn modern
farming techniques.
 Peasants could keep their
belongings but farm
animals and implements
become state owned.
problems
 Peasants don’t like the
collectives.
 They don’t want to give up
their land.
 They resist by killing their
farm animals.
 Destroy tools
 Burn crops
Stalin is mad
 Believe kulaks, wealthy
farmers were behind the
resistance.
 So he declares his intention
to “liquidate” kulaks as a
class.
 Government takes their
land and sends them to
labor camps.
 Thousands were killed from
overwork.
So now the peasants react
Grow only enough food
to feed themselves
Government seizes their
grain.
Peasants starve.
Then there were poor
harvest years thrown in
there.
Terror Famine- 5-8
million dead from
starvation.
Agriculture
Farm output is
bad
Short supply of
food
Feeding the
population a
major problem in
USSR
Quiz
1. How is a totalitarian state and true
communism different?
2. Stalin’s 5 year plans.
Discuss 2 good and 2 bad points.
What would you change to make
them better?
3. Why did the agriculture plan fail?
New focus
How were people terrorized in
the USSR?
How were people manipulated
in the USSR?
Terror in the USSR
 Secret police
 Torture
 Violent purges
 Spies- open private letters, listening devices,
 Official government approval over all printed
material
 Protesters were sent to gulags, labor camps.
The Great Purge- 1934
Crack down on “old Bolsheviks”, army
hero's, industrial managers and
writers.
Charged with many crimes.
1936-38- “show trials”. Former
communist leaders confessed to
crimes after tortured and their families
threatened.
4 million purged.
Results of the Purge
 Stalin’s power is
increased.
 Everyone knows what
will happen if you are
disloyal.
 Purged experts in
industry, military
leaders, writers and
thinkers.
 When Germany
invades in 1941, the
Soviet Union will be in
trouble.
Communists attempt to control
thought
Propaganda
Censorship
Imposing culture
Replace religion
with communist
ideology.
Propaganda
 Boost morale and faith in
communism.
 Stalin- god-like figure.
 Comrade Lenin
Cleanses the Earth of
Filth"
What was done?
Radios and
loudspeakers
blared in towns and
factories, movies
and schools. They
always talked about
the evils of
capitalism.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
TTdTcKqAeGM&feature=relmfu
secret police
 http://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=nFB9G1HINXI&featu
re=related
 Show trials
 http://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=aMwbvIVh2EQ
 Capitalism v communism
Censorship of the Arts
 Government controlled
what books were published
 What music was heard
 What art displayed
 Stalin requires artists to
create socialist realism,
portray soviet life as
positive.
 Those who did not conform
were persecuted.
 Roses for Stalin. Stalin-era (1949). Painted by Boris
Ieremeevich Vladimirski. Oil on canvas
Celebration. Stalin-era (1950s).
Painted by T.S.Naumova
(Ukraine). Oil on Canvas
 Lenin With Villagers. Post-Stalin (1959). Painted by
Evdokiya Usikova (Ukraine). Oil on canvas,
Drama in Soviet Court. Post-Stalin
(1955). Painted by Solodovnikov.
Oil on Canvas
Russification
 Making a nationality’s
culture more Russian.
 The purpose of
Russification was to
unite all Soviet ruled
countries under a
single heritage to
produce solidarity. It
was an attempt at
assimilating all people
into the Russian
culture to create an "us
versus them" mentality.
War on
religion
 Atheism, belief in no god is the official
state policy.
 the sacred texts is the writings of Marx and
Lenin.
 No religious icons in homes only pictures
of Stalin
Soviet society
 New elites emerge as the
ruling class
 Members of the communist
party headed this new class
 Also comprised of industrial
managers, military
leaders…
 All got benefits
 But on the flip side…
Stalin’s purges often fell on
the elite.
The common people under
communism
benefits
 Free communist built
schools. Educated workers
were needed for the new
industrial state.
 Sports programs.
 Free daycare, medical care,
inexpensive housing
drawbacks
 Schools taught the love of
Stalin, atheism, glory of
collective farming…
 Sport picked for you.
Olympics. Family ties.
 Central planning is terrible
Foreign policy
 The communists want worldwide revolution. 1919 comintern
encouraged worldwide revolution and encouraged colonial
people to rise up against imperialist powers.
 The soviets want support from other countries for their own
security.
You can’t have both!!!
Stalin dies in 1953
 During his reign the Soviet Union became a world leader in
industry and was a military superpower.
 Unfortunately it was on the backs of the common people.
Quiz
 The Great Purge and “show trials” tried to eliminate_______.
anyone Stalin saw as a threat
 What was the goal of Comintern?
encourage worldwide revolution
 Wealthy Russian farmers were called __________.
kulaks
 Map of countries that declared themselves or were
declared to be socialist states under the Marxist-Leninist
or Maoist definition between 1979 and 1983
 A map showing the current (2012) states with self-declared
communist governments. They are China, Cuba, Laos,
Vietnam, and North Korea.
Osip Mandelstam
Described by one critic as the
sixteen lines of a death sentence,
this is perhaps the twentieth
century’s most important political
poem, written by one of its greatest
poets against the man who may well
be said to have been the cruelest of
its tyrants.
Sentenced to a prison camp in Siberia- Died in 1938
EPIGRAM AGAINST STALIN
We live without feeling the country beneath our feet,
( citizens live in fear)
our words are inaudible from ten steps away. ( People talk quietly, afraid of gov’t)
Any conversation, however brief, ( citizens in constant rush )
gravitates, gratingly, toward the Kremlin’s mountain man. (People irritated with the gov’t )
His greasy fingers are thick as worms, ( lack of respect for Stalin)
his words weighty hammers slamming their target. (Stalin struggled with Russian language)
His cockroach moustache seems to snicker, ( Makes him comic like)
and the shafts of his high-topped boots gleam. (distinctive uniform of the Bolsheviks)
Amid a rabble of scrawny-necked chieftains, (People who surrounded Stalin)
he toys with the favors of such homunculi. (miniature man)
One hisses, the other mewls, one groans, the other weeps; (He is forseeing the “show trials”)
he prowls thunderously among them, showering them with scorn. (He talks nonsense)
Forging decree after decree, like horseshoes, (rapidly and without thought)
he pitches one to the belly, another to the forehead,
a third to the eyebrow, a fourth in the eye. (his decrees have fatal consequences)
Every execution is a carnival ( brings joy)
that fills his broad Ossetian chest with delight. (His chest is made of iron and inside it
millions of victims rage)
Osip Mandelstam/N. Khazina
primary source documents
 After Osip Mandelstam's death, Nadezhda Khazina wrote about
their experiences of living in the Soviet Union during the 1930s
in her book, Hope Against Hope (1970)
 In the period of the Yezhov terror - the mass arrests came in
waves of varying intensity - there must sometimes have been no
more room in the jails, and to those of us still free it looked as
though the highest wave had passed and the terror was abating.
After each show trial, people sighed, "Well, it's all over at last."
What they meant was: "Thank God, it looks as though I've
escaped. But then there would be a new wave, and the same
people would rush to heap abuse on the "enemies of the
people."
 Wild inventions and monstrous accusations had become an end
in themselves, and officials of the secret police applied all their
ingenuity to them, as though reveling in the total arbitrariness of
their power.
 The principles and aims of mass terror have nothing in
common with ordinary police work or with security. The only
purpose of terror is intimidation. To plunge the whole country
into a state of chronic fear, the number of victims must be
raised to astronomical levels, and on every floor of every
building there must always be several apartments from which
the tenants have suddenly been taken away. The remaining
inhabitants will be model citizens for the rest of their lives this was true for every street and every city through which the
broom has swept. The only essential thing for those who rule
by terror is not to overlook the new generations growing up
without faith in their elders, and keep on repeating the
process in systematic fashion.
Stalin ruled for a long time and saw to it that the waves of
terror recurred from time to time, always on even greater
scale than before. But the champions of terror invariably
leave one thing out of account - namely, that they can't kill
everyone, and among their cowed, half-demented subjects
there are always witnesses who survive to tell the tale.
Hitler and the Rise of Nazi
Germany
Focus on…
What were the problems of the
Weimer Republic?
What were the Nazi party’s
political, social, economic and
cultural policies?
Let’s go back to Nov. 1923
 Adolf Hitler
 German army veteran
 Leader of an extremist
party
 led a small coup in Munich
 It failed
 Sent to prison
 Within ten years he would
be back
Questions to ponder
1. Why did Germany, who
had a democratic
government in the 20’s,
become a totalitarian
state in the 30’s?
2. How could a ruthless
dictator gain the enthusiastic
support of many Germans?
The Weimar Republic
 After WWI Germany was in
chaos
 Kaiser abdicated
 Moderate leaders come in
and sign the armistice and
Treaty of Versailles.
 Drafted a constitution and
created a democratic gov’t.
 They have a parliamentary
system led by a chancellor,
or prime minister
 Bill of Rights
 Women given the right to
vote.
Political struggles
 Weak after the war, to many
small parties
 Communists want radical
changes like in the USSR
 Conservatives felt the new
gov’t was to liberal and
weak
 Everyone blamed them for
the Treaty of Versailles
problems.
 Scapegoats needed
Jews
Economic problems
 1923- Germany
falling behind in
reparation payments.
 So they printed more
money  inflation
 What cost 100 marks
in 1922, cost 944
marks in 1923.
Achtung- it’s quiz time
 Why did the Weimar
Republic fall apart?
 Runaway inflation and to
many political parties.
 Why does printing money to
pay your bills end up in
disaster?
 It makes the money
worthless. inflation.
US steps in
 We helped bring their
inflation under control.
 We helped reduce their
reparations payments.
Dawes Plan
 But then… our Great
Depression
 And Germany falls back
again.
 Now a leader is needed to
solve the economic crisis.
Adolf Hitler
 Went to Vienna, Austria at
18
 German Austrians felt
superior to others there
 This is where he
developed his antiSemitism, or prejudice
against Jews.
 Fought in WWI
 Hated the Weimar Republic
 Became the leader of the
National Socialist German
Workers, or Nazi Party.
 Organized fighting squads
Hitler
 Coup
 Prison
 Mein Kampf
 Germans were the “master
race” and their enemies
were the Jews
 Extreme nationalism 
pride in Germany’s past.
 Hitler viewed Jews as a
separate race not a religion
 To revive Germany, they
must expand and have a
fuhrer.
Hitler comes to power
 Released after less than a
year from prison
 Gave speeches
 As German unemployment
rose so did Nazi party
membership.
The promises
 End reparations
 Create jobs
 Rearm Germany
The fears
 Fearing the growth of
communist political power,
conservative politicians
turned to Hitler.
 They despised him, but felt
they could control him.
 Hitler appointed chancellor
in 1933
 Dictator within a year.
 Suspends civil rights
 Purges Nazi’s he felt were
disloyal.
 Hitler demands
unquestioned obedience.
Quiz
 What was the Nazi Party’s ideology? 3 things…
 Anti-Semitism
 Nationalism
 Revenge for the Treaty of Versailles
 What was Hitler’s plan for ruling Germany? 3 things…
 Defy the treaty
 Create jobs
 Bring Germany back to greatness
The Third Reich
 Hitler wants to revive
Germany’s greatness by
remembering past glories.
 The First Reich (empire)
was in the medieval Holy
Roman Empire
 Second Reich in 1870’s by
Bismark
 The Third Reich would be
under Hitler.
To combat the 30’s depression
Did public workshis version of the
New Deal
Began rearming
Germany
Wanted to reunite
Germany with
Austria
To get it done
 Began an efficient yet brutal
system of government
 They controlled everything.
(religion, gov’t, education)
 Enforcers were the SS
 Gestapo- rooted out
opposition
 But, if you question the
gov’t you die!!!
The Jews
 Wanted to drive them from
Germany
 1935- passed the
Nuremberg laws. No
German citizenship and
many restrictions.
 Many Jews will flee
Night of Broken Glass
 A young Jew, whose
parents were mistreated in
Germany, shot a diplomat in
Paris. (Nov. 7, 1938)
 Hitler sees this as an
opportunity to attack all
Jewish communities
 Kristallnacht (Nov. 9-10)
 They smashed windows of
Jewish homes and
businesses.
 Looted shops
 Burned synagogues
 Jews were dragged from
their homes and beaten
Hitler Youth
 Pledge absolute loyalty to
Germany
 Physical fitness programs
to prepare for war.
 Pure blood Aryan girls were
rewarded for having more
children.
Purging Culture
 No modern art- corrupted
by Jewish influences
 No jazz- corrupted by black
influences
 Christianity- weak.
Combine all Protestant
sects into one state church.
No Catholics.
 Book burnings
That’s the set up WWII begins