Between WWI and WWII, Rise of Fascism, Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini

1. 1919-1939

2.  After the war, European countries were in bad
shape. European influence in world affairs was
declining.
 Many of the new republics that had formed out of
the old empires of Europe often had shaky
governments.
 Even nations that had had democracy for many
years experienced problems. They had so many
political parties that no one party could rule
alone. There were so many governments formed
that it was difficult to develop policies.
 The situation was worst in Germany.

3.  The people felt little
loyalty to the newly
established democratic
government, the
Weimar Republic
(officially the German
Empire), mainly
because Germany was
in such economic
depression.

4.  Many Germans were
outraged at the terms of
the Treaty of Versailles
and felt that it was unfair.
 The $5 billion in
reparations the Germans
had to pay was equal to
around $60 trillion in
today’s economy.
 This sent Germany’s
economy into a severe
depression and Germany
could no longer pay.

5.  The peace
settlement also
created repeated
border disputes
among the new
nations.

6.  The French, who suffered great
losses in WWI, demanded that the
Germans be punished and the
Treaty of Versailles be strictly
enforced.
 When the Germans couldn’t pay
their reparations, the French
army marched into and occupied
the Ruhr Valley (Rhineland) in
Western Germany, an industrial
and mining center.
 The French planned to take the
reparations by operating German
industries themselves.

7.  In response, German workers
went on strike.
 The government paid them by
printing more money.
 This devalued the German
currency (the mark) and
increased the inflation that
had begun before the end of
the war.
 The German mark became
completely worthless.
 By the end of 1923, it took
more than 4 trillion marks to
equal one U.S. dollar!

8.  German children
using stacks of
money as building
blocks.

10.  The huge
inflation meant
that people
suffered
terribly.
 The economic
problems led to
political unrest
in Germany.

11.  Many countries actually
stepped in to aid Germany as
they paid their reparations.
 Even American investors saw
an opportunity to assist as
well as making a profit.
 American banks opened
themselves to Germany and
loaned them money.
 This was known as the Dawes
Plan.
 By 1929, German factories
started to produce as much
as they had before the war.

12.  As Germany began to recover, the French and Germans
became more cooperative.
 France and Germany even promised never to attack one
another.
 It was seen by many as the beginning of a lasting peace.
 In fact, most countries of the world signed a treaty in which
they pledged not to use war to gain their goals.
 However, there was no way to enforce the treaty, however,
which made it weak.
 And while Germany had been forced to reduce its military,
no other European nation was willing to take this step.
 The trust of European countries for each other did not go
that far.

13.  The United States was
experiencing a booming
economy in the 1920’s.
 But this growth hid problems.
 Workers were unable to buy
all the goods produced, and
when their purchases slowed,
factories slowed production.
 Farmers faced falling food
prices and slow sales.
 They were unable to repay
loans and lost their farms.

14.  Just as things were starting to look up for
Germany and the rest of Europe, the brief
period of prosperity ended in 1929 with
crash of the American stock market and the
onset of the Great Depression.

15.  Since 1924, Germany had
been borrowing money
from U.S. banks to make
reparations payments.
 After the stock market
crashed, American banks
and investors quickly
pulled their money out of
Germany.
 This weakened banks in
Germany and other
European countries.

16.  Though there had been
depressions in Europe
before, the Great
Depression was far worse.
 Unemployed and homeless
people filled the streets of
many countries.

17.  Governments did not know how to deal with the
depression.
 They tried to lower wages and raise tariffs on foreign
goods to promote sales locally. This backfired.
 Worldwide trade between countries nearly stopped
altogether.
 As trade and industrial production slowed, huge
numbers of people lost their jobs.
 Not only were the United States and Europe affected,
the world suffered.
 Japan, especially was weak where the rice crop also
failed. Latin American nations had similar problems.

18.  Some governments, such as in the United States,
became more involved in the economy by creating
public works or controlling priced and wages.
 In the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt became
president in 1932.
 He began a program that he called the New Deal. The
government spent large amounts of money on building
public works—roads, dams, bridges, airports, and
buildings.
 This effort created jobs for millions. Businesses and
farmers also got help from the government.
 The American economy got better but the recovery was
slow.

19.  The Great Depression led
many people
to follow political leaders
who proposed simple
solutions in return for
complete power.
 Communism became popular
in many countries.
 Democratic governments
were challenged
everywhere.

20.  Between 1919 and 1939, all the major countries of Europe
except France and Great Britain had adopted some form
of dictatorial government.
 The best examples of this style of government was
Germany, Italy and the USSR.
 Hungary, Poland, Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, and
Romania all had dictators—or kings who ruled like
dictators.
 A new form of dictatorship was the modern totalitarian
state.
 Totalitarian governments aimed to control all aspects of
their citizens’ lives.
 Totalitarian governments wanted to control the hearts
and minds of everyone and used mass propaganda and
modern communication to achieve their goals.

21.  A single leader and a single party led the new
totalitarian states.
 There were no individual freedoms or limits to
government power.
 Individuals were considered subservient to the
collective will of the masses, which was controlled by
the state.
 The state demanded that its citizens actively support
any of its goals.

23.  The country of Italy suffered
greatly after WWI.
 When they had switched alliances
from the Central Alliance to the
Triple Entente, they were
promised land, glory and riches.
 This was not the case.
 Italy played a small role in
negotiating the Treaty of
Versailles and received little of
what they were promised.
 As a result, the country had
severe economic problems.

24.  Many people were
unhappy with the
Treaty of Versailles and
at the socialist
government.
 There was a great deal
of social and political
upheaval.
 This unrest led to new
ideals and the creation
of a new style of
government – Fascism.

25.  Fascism is a political
ideology founded in Italy
during WWI.
 Fascism is a type of
government which glorifies
the state of above the
individual.
 A strong central
government and a single
dictator run the state.
 Fascism gained popularity
following WWI.

26.  The best example of early Fascism is
Benito Mussolini.
 Mussolini and his political party, the
“Blackshirts”, used violence and
intimidation to come to power.
 Despite these tactics, Mussolini
appealed to nationalist pride among
Italians.
 Mussolini was also a great public
speaker.
 He demanded that Italy get more
land from the peace treaties WWI and
promised to revive the economy and
armed forces of Italy.

28.  Once he had enough
followers, Mussolini
overthrew the
government.
 Under his
leadership, Italy
established the first
Fascist government
in 1926.

29.  Mussolini gave extensive power to the
government.
 He outlawed any opposition.
 He gave the police the authority to arrest
anyone.
 He also created a “secret police” to control
the people.
 The government also controlled all media
outlets.
 They used the media to spread Fascist
propaganda.

31.  Mussolini also
created Fascist
youth groups that
focused on military
activities.
 The Italian Fascists
tried to create
a new nation of
fit, disciplined,
and war-loving
people.

33.  The USSR suffered
as much as anyone
else during the
Great Depression.
 Millions of people
were jobless and
starving.
 Many died due to
famine.

34.  In 1924, Vladimir Lenin,
the first leader of the
Soviet state died and
Joseph Stalin assumed
power.
 Stalin enacted plans to
industrialize his nation and
bring it out of the
depression.
 The government seized
control of all aspects of the
economy including farms
and factories.

35.  Urban housing for millions of workers was very
poor and wages were not high.
 Many of the people resisted these changes and
government control.
 The government dealt with these problems by
using propaganda to boost morale.
 Stalin also started purging his government of any
opposition and any citizen who resisted his
programs would be executed or sent to the
Gulags in Siberia.
 The Russian people had no choice but to accept
these changes.

37.  During the Soviet regime, the GULAG was a
government agency that administered several
prison/labor camps in Siberia.
 These camps housed a wide range of convicts,
from small time criminals to political prisoners or
anyone resisting government control.
 Some people were even sent there for petty
theft, unexcused absences at work or anti-
government jokes.
 More than half of the prisoners were sent to the
Gulag without even going on trial.

39.  Over one million
prisoners in the
Gulag system
would die from
inhumane working
conditions and
hunger.

42.  Adolf Hitler was born in
Austria in 1889.
 As a young man, Hitler
wanted to become an artist.
 His father was violently
abusive and disapproved of his
ambitions.
 Following his father’s death,
he dropped out of high school
and moved to Vienna to
pursue a career as an artist.

43.  Around age 18, he tried to get into
the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts.
 He was rejected.
 Many people on the admissions
board were Jewish and he blamed
them for his failure to gain entry.
 He eventually sold all his
possessions and became a
homeless drifter who slept on park
benches and ate at soup kitchens
throughout Vienna (age 19).

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46.  As WWI approached, Hitler
left Austria and joined the
German army.
 Hitler was excited to fight
for Germany.
 He found a home fighting
for the “Fatherland”.
 He was a regimental
messenger, not an easy job
at all.
 At his highest, he held the
rank of corporal.

47.  Was awarded the Iron
Cross twice. (5 medals
overall)
 Highest military honor
in German Army.
 Single handedly
captured 4 French
soldiers.
 Was temporarily
blinded by a gas attack
towards end of the
war.

48.  Hitler was devastated when he heard the
news of the German surrender.
 He was appalled at the anti-war
sentiment among the German civilians.
 Believed there was an anti-war conspiracy
that involved the Jews and Marxists.
 Also, felt that the German military did
not lose the war, but that the politicians
(mostly Jews) at home were responsible
for the defeat.

49.  Hitler was depressed
after WW I.
 Still in the army, he
became an undercover
agent whose job was
to root out Marxists.
 Also, lectured about
the dangers of
Communism and Jews.

50.  Hitler was sent to investigate
the German Worker’s Party
meeting in Munich in 1919.
 He went to a meeting and was
impressed with the group’s
ideals.
 - strong nationalist, anti-capitalist
and anti-Marxist ideas, which favored
a strong active government, a "non-
Jewish" version of socialism
 He gave a speech himself and
was then asked to become a
member, which he did.

51.  Hitler immediately became a leading
member in the group.
 He began to think big for the German
Worker’s Party.
 Began placing ads for meetings in
anti-Semitic newspapers.
 He also changed the name to
Nationalsozialistische Deutsche
Arbeiterpartei (National Socialist
German Workers' Party) or NAZI for
short.
 Within two years, the Nazi Party had
grown to 55,000 people, with 15,000
in the militia.

52.  Hitler drafted a platform
of 25 points:
 - The union of all Germans
in a greater German Reich
 - A strong central
government
 - Revoke the Treaty of Besides changing the party
Versailles. name, the red flag with the
 - Revoking rights of Jews SWASTIKA was adopted as
 - Citizenship determined by
the party symbol
race. No Jews were
considered German.

53.  The swastika has been
used in many cultures
around the world for
thousands of years
prior to the use by the
Nazis.
 In fact, it is considered
a good luck symbol in
Buddhism and
Hinduism.

54.  October 30, 1923
 Hitler held a rally in
Munich beer hall and
declared revolution
 Led 2,000 men to
take over the
Bavarian Government
 It failed and Hitler
was imprisoned

55. • At his trial (Hitler was charged
with treason), he used the
opportunity to speak about the
NAZI platform and spread his
popularity.
• The whole nation suddenly knew
who Adolf Hitler was and what
he stood for
• He was sentenced to five years,
but actually only served about 9
months
• When he left prison, he was
ready to go into action again.

56.  Hitler’s book “My Struggle” -
wrote while in jail
 Sold 5 million copies, made
him rich
 Topics included: Jews were
evil, Germans were superior
race, Fuhrer principal,
dislike of Communism and
Democracy and need to
conquer Russia

57.  When he got out of prison, he
worked to expand the Nazi
Party throughout Germany.
 Hitler realized that the way to
power was through legal means,
not through violent overthrow
of the government.
 Used popularity from failed
revolution and book to seize
power legally.
 Spoke to mass audiences about
making Germany a great nation
again.

58.  Hitler was a war hero and had a celebrity
status since his failed overthrow of the
government and ensuing book.
 He was also an excellent public speaker.
 Amidst the German economic depression,
Hitler promised a return to glory.
 He promised the rich industrialists that he
would end any communist threat in
Germany
 Constantly blamed Jews for Germany’s
problems, not the German people.

59.  Germany’s economic
problems helped
the rise of the Nazi
Party.
 By 1929, the Nazis had a
national party
organization, and by 1931
it was the largest
political party in the
Reichstag,
or parliament.
 230 members of 600

60.  The “Brownshirts” or SA
(Stormtroopers)
 SA was used to put down
opposition parties
 Threatened and beat up
Jews and anti-Nazi voters
 Wore brown shirts, pants
and boots
 Numbered almost 400,000
by 1932

61.  In the presidential election of 1932, Hitler loses to
incumbent president Paul von Hindenburg.
 However, Hindenburg appoints Hitler as Chancellor
of Germany (head of the Reichstag) in 1933.

62.  One night in 1933, the Reichstag
building was set on fire by a
communist.
 Believing that this act of terrorism
was just the beginning, Hitler uses
this opportunity to seize power.
 Hitler convinces Hindenburg and
the Reichstag to suspend the
constitution and give him
emergency dictator powers.
 The Reichstag agrees and votes
Hitler to be “temporary” dictator.

63.  Despite the fire being
blamed on a communist,
it widely believed that the
Nazis themselves set the
Reichstag on fire.
 Hitler and the Nazi party
used this “act of
terrorism” or catastrophe
to seize more power.

64.  Once in power, the Nazis
established control over all
aspects of government.
 All political parties except the
Nazis were abolished.
 Peoples’ liberties were suspended
 Jews were purged from the civil
service, and trade unions were
dissolved.
 Concentration camps were set up
for Nazi opponents.
 The Nazis had set up the basis for
a totalitarian state.

65.  Paul Von Hindenburg
dies, 1934
 Hitler assumes both
chancellor and
president positions
 Adopts the title
Fuehrer, German
word for leader or
one who guides

66.  Hitler had a goal in creating a
totalitarian state.
 Nazis wanted the Germans to
create a new empire as the
Romans had done.
 Hitler thought there had been
two previous German empires
(Reichs): the Holy Roman
Empire under Charlemagne
and the German Empire of
1871 to 1918.
 Hitler called his empire the
Third Reich.

67.  Hitler demanded active
involvement from the
German people.
 The Nazis used
economic policies,
propaganda, mass
rallies, organizations,
and terror to control
the country and further
their goals.
 The Nazis also burned
books that went against
their ideals.

71.  In setting up a
totalitarian state, the
Nazis recognized the
importance of winning
young people over to
their ideas.
 The Hitler Youth, an
organization for young
people between the ages
of 10 and 18, was formed
in 1926 for that purpose.

74.  Hitler put people back to
work through public works
projects and grants to
private construction
companies.
 He also embarked on a
massive rearmament
program (rearming the
military) to stimulate the
economy.
 Unemployment dropped,
and the depression was
ending.

75. Hitler visits a factory and is
enthusiastically greeted. Many
Germans were grateful for jobs after
the misery of the depression years.

77. Defying provisions of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany began rearming itself at a rapid
rate shortly after Hitler came to power in 1933.

78.  One of Hitler’s major
projects was the
completion of the
Autobahn.
 The Autobahn is the
national highway system
in Germany, famous for
it’s lack of speed limits.
 The ambitious project
gave work to over 100,000
German laborers across
the country and providing
a boost in the economy.

80. Whooo hoo! No speed limits…
awwww, shucks!

81.  To control the nation, the
Nazis used the Schutzstaffel
(SS) or “Guard Squadrons.”
 Under the direction of
Heinrich Himmler, the SS
controlled all the police
forces.
 The SS were driven by terror.
 Terror included repression,
murder, and death camps.

83.  Aside from fear, the Nazis also used
mass media to spread propaganda.
 New media such as radio and
motion pictures played an
important role in spreading
propaganda.
 Hitler’s speeches were played over
the air for all the country to hear.
 Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi Minister
of Propaganda, understood that
motion pictures were an excellent
way to influence the masses.
 He created a special propaganda
film division.

85.  Hitler wanted to
develop an Aryan
racial state to
dominate Europe and
possibly the world.
 Aryans were described
as “blonde hair and
blue eyed” and were
the physical ideal of
Nazi Germany.

86.  Hitler misunderstood
what Aryan’s were.
 Aryans are actually
people of
Indian/Iranian heritage
and have dark hair,
dark eyes and a darker
skin complexion.

87.  Once in power, the Nazi Party
enacted programs against
Jewish people.
 In 1935, the Nazis passed the
“Nuremberg laws,” which
prevented Jews from being
German citizens, forbade
marriages between Jews and
German citizens, and required
Jews to wear yellow Stars of
David and to carry
identification cards saying
they were Jewish.

88.  On the night of November 9, 1938, Nazis burned
Jewish synagogues and destroyed thousands of Jewish
businesses.
 They killed around 100 people and sent thirty
thousand Jewish men to concentration camps.
 This night was called Kristallnacht (“night of
shattered glass”).
 After Kristallnacht, Jews were barred from all public
transportation, schools, and hospitals.
 They could not own, manage, or work in a retail store.
 At this time, Jews were encouraged to leave Germany.

91.  Adolf Hitler believed that Germany could build a
great civilization.
 To do this, Germany needed more land to support
the German people.
 He wanted to take back lands Germany had lost in
World War I and more.
 Hitler proposed that Germany be able to revise the
unfair provisions of the Treaty of Versailles that had
ended World War I.
 At first he said he would use peaceful means;
however, the rearmament of Germany’s military
suggested otherwise.

92.  In March of 1936, Hitler
sent German troops into
the Rhineland (western
Germany), which was
supposed to be the
French occupied
demilitarized area.
 This action, along with
the rearmament of
Germany’s military,
were direct violations of
the Treaty of Versailles.

94.  France and Great Britain,
condemned Hitler’s actions
but they were unprepared
to deal with Hitler and
Germany due to the Great
Depression and other
economic problems.
 Hitler knew that the
Germans were more
superior and that he had no
opposition facing him.

95.  Hitler and Germany
also gained new allies.
 In 1936, Germany and
Italy became allies.
 The alliance was known
as the Rome-Berlin Axis.
 Later, a pact with
Japan would make it the
Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis
or just Axis Powers for
short.

97.  By 1937, Germany had
become a very powerful
nation.
 Hitler pursued a long-
held goal, a union with
his native Austria.
 In 1938, Germany
annexed Austria, The arrival of German troops in
Austria is met with enthusiasm.
another direct violation
of the Treaty of
Versailles that stated
Germany and Austria
could not form another

98.  Following the annexation of
Austria, Hitler set his eyes on
a region of Czechoslovakia,
called the Sudetenland.
 In March 1939, he ordered his
troops to take over
Czechoslovakia.
 Many hoped that that this
would be the last conquest of
the Nazis; however, this was
the first true aggressive act
that suggested that a war in
Europe would soon begin. A woman reluctantly salutes the Nazis

100.  Once again, the allies of France and Britain did
not step in to intervene and help Czechoslovakia.
 They did begin to react, though.
 Great Britain said it would step in and protect
Poland if Hitler invaded.
 France and Britain also began negotiations with
Joseph Stalin, the Soviet dictator.
 They knew that they would need the Soviet Union
to help contain the Nazis if war were to break
out.

101.  Hitler was afraid of an alliance between
the West and the Soviet Union.
 In August of 1939, Germany and the
Soviet Union signed the Nazi-Soviet
Non-aggression Pact.
 They promised not to attack each other.
 Hitler offered Stalin eastern Poland and
the Baltic states (territory Russia lost in
WWI).
 This would enabled Hitler to invade
Poland without fear of opposition from
the Soviets.

103. Stalin
Hitler
 The non-aggression pact was surprising. Hitler and Stalin were
seen as natural enemies.
 Despite these peace talks, Hitler knew that eventually he would
break the pact.
 When Hitler talked of taking over new land for Germany, many
thought that he meant Russia.
 Hitler also hated Communism, the form of government in Russia.

106.  On September 1st,
1939, Adolf
Hitler’s German
army invaded
Poland.
 Two days later,
France and Great
Britain declared
war on Germany.
 World War II had
begun. German Troops marching into Warsaw, the
capital of Poland.