The document summarizes the political developments in Europe after World War 1, including the rise of totalitarian dictators like Stalin, Mussolini, and Hitler. Several countries experimented with new forms of government like democracy, communism, and socialism in the aftermath of WWI. However, the economic devastation of the war led to instability. Fascist leaders took advantage of the situation to rise to power, consolidating control and aggressively expanding their empires, threatening the peace established by postwar treaties. Britain initially pursued a policy of appeasement in response.

1. Rise of Dictators Review

2. New Governments/Coalition
Governments
 World War I left many countries
questioning whether an absolute
leader is right for them and trying
out democracies.
 Russia/Soviet Union becomes
communist.
 Denmark/Norway/Sweden become
socialist.
 Germany attempts democracy

3. Economic Issues
 World War I left a lot
of countries in a bad
financial position.
 Germany is hit the
hardest and
experiences a
depression and
inflation due to the
government printing
money.
 They are bailed out by
the US through the
Dawes Plan.

4. “Peace” Treaties
 As the economic
situation in various
countries improve
there is hope that
peace will be long-
lasted.
 Germany gets
admitted to the
League of Nations
after agreeing not to
fight with France at a
meeting in
Locarno, Switzerland.
 The Kellogg-Briand

5. Rise of Fascist and Totalitarian
Dictators
 When Joseph Stalin came to power in the
Soviet Union he became a totalitarian
dictator, meaning he controlled every aspect
of public and private life and used censorship
and secret police to keep his people in line.
 Benito Mussolini came to power in Italy as a
fascist leader. He made people fear a
worker’s revolt and was able to gain support
of his people. He also used censorship and
propaganda to keep people loyal.
 Adolf Hitler came to power in Germany as
the fascist leader of the Nazi party. He was

9. Aggression and Appeasement
 Army leaders began ruling Japan in place of the
emperor. Similar to Hitler and Mussolini they had
extreme nationalist pride and began building their
empire in Manchuria.
 Mussolini begins building an empire in Italy.
 Hitler begins to build an empire by reclaiming land
taken from Germany in the Treaty of Versailles.
 Germany, Italy, and Japan form an alliance known
as the Axis Powers.
 The British (Neville Chamberlain) want to avoid
war so they encourage appeasement giving in to
enemy demands to keep the peace.
 The League of Nations scolds these countries,