1920 – 1939

(Chapter 31)

TotalitarianGovernment with complete

control over peoples livesFascism

Political movement based on extreme nationalism and militarism

Usually led by a single party and one leader with ultimate power

NazismGermany’s fascist movementIncluded a belief in racial

superiority

Focused on extreme nationalism with loyalty and sacrifice for your state

Loyalty to a leader who brought order and structure

Often had unique uniforms, salutes, and would hold large rallies

Similarities to Communism1 political party with a dictator (no democracy)Both denied individual rights and put the state first

Differences to CommunismFascists didn’t want a classless societyFascists were usually nationalists, while

Communists were internationalists

Did not gain large amounts of territories from the Treaty of Versailles

Rising inflation and unemployment caused the people to be upset

Felt their democracy was not doing enough to fix the country’s problems, looked for a strong leader

Newspaper editor, politician and founder of the Italian Fascist Party (1919)

Promised to improve the economy and rebuild the military

“Black Shirts” attacked Communists and Socialists

Gained support of the middle class, aristocracy, and industrialists

Promised to return Italy to the time of the Roman Empire

October 192230,000 Fascists

marched on RomeKing Victor Emmanuel

III appointed Mussolini Prime Minister to avoid further violence

Il Duce (“the leader”)After gaining power,

Mussolini takes near complete control

Outlawed all political parties (except the Fascist)

Censored the radio and newspapers

Took control of the economy

Italy failed to take over Ethiopia in the 1890sOctober 1935, Italy invades with a modern

army of tanks, planes, and machine gunsEthiopia’s emperor Haile Selassie asked for

help from the League of NationsLeague condemned the attack, but did nothing

to stop itGreat Britain allowed Italy to use the Suez

Canal to move troops into EthiopiaWanted to avoid fighting (appeasement)

1920s JapanDemocracy was growing1922 – treaty to respect China’s borders1928 – signed the Kellog-Braind Pact that was to

outlaw the use of warAfter the Great Depression starts

People blamed the government for economic problems

Military took over the government, but kept Emperor Hirohito in charge as the face of the government

Planned to expand the empire for new markets, raw materials, and room for its population

1931 – Japan takes control of Manchuria (northeast province of China) League of Nations

condemned the invasion, but did nothing

Japan withdrew from the League in 1933

July 1937 – Japan invades China Rape of Nanjing Jiang Jieshi’s army forced

to retreat Mao Zedong’s

Communists fight a guerilla war against the Japanese

1919 – National Socialist German Workers’ Party formed (Nazi Party)Wanted to overturn the

Treaty of VersaillesWanted to fight

CommunismCreated a private army

called the Brown ShirtsHitler becomes a leader

of the Nazi PartyBeer Hall Putsch (Nov.

1923)Hitler leads attempt to

overthrow the government

Fails and sent to prison for 5 years (serves 9 months)

Hitler explains his beliefs and goals in a book he writes in prison

Aryan Race Claimed Germans were the

“Master Race” and should rule the world

All “non-Ayrans” were inferior and should be destroyed

Treaty of Versailles Wanted to gain back all of

Germany’s lost territoriesLebensraum (“living room”)

Claimed Germany was overcrowded

Would take over Eastern Europe and Russia

Third Reich

After his prison term, Hitler took back control of the Nazi Party

When the Great Depression starts, the German economy further collapsed and support of the Nazi Party grew

January, 1933 – President von Hindenburg makes Hitler Chancellor of Germany

After Nazis win a parliamentary election, Hitler turns Germany into a totalitarian state

Hitler’s SS (Schutzstaffel) and Gestapo force German peoples into obedienceSS = Hitler’s private armyGestapo = private police forceBoth groups arrested and murdered rivals to the Nazis

and HitlerHitler takes economic control and cuts

unemploymentHitler forced propaganda to create a loyal nation

Controlled the press, radio, literature, and artBurned books that didn’t fit Nazi beliefsPrevented churches from speaking bad about NazismSchoolchildren joined the Hitler Youth or League of

German Girls

Nazis blamed the Jews for many of Germany’s problems (anti-Semitism)

1933 – Nazi party begins to strip rights from the Jews

1935 – Nuremburg LawsTook away legal rights to

Jews and other minoritiesNovember 9, 1938 – KristallnachtThe “Night of Broken

Glass”Nazis attacked and

arrested Jews in large numbers

Jewish owned homes and businesses were destroyed

March 1935 – Hitler begins make his army larger League of Nations does nothing

March 7, 1936 – Germany invades the Rhineland France and Great Britain begin

practicing appeasement Appeasement = giving into the

demands of an aggressor to avoid war

October 1936 – Germany and Italy create the Rome-Berlin Axis

November 1936 – Germany, Italy and Japan create the Axis Powers (Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis)

July 1936 – Francisco Franco leads a Fascist revolution to overthrow the republican government

Hitler and Mussolini send troops, tanks, and planes to help Franco’s forces in the 3 year civil war

Western Democracies supported the Republican side, but did not send any help (except the Soviet Union)

Franco’s fascist forces win in 1939

March 1938 – Germany annexes Austria (Treaty of Versailles prohibited this)

September 1938 – Germany demands that the Sudetenland be given to GermanySudetenland was a German speaking section of

CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia asked France to help

September 29, 1938 – France, Great Britain, Germany, and Italy meet to discuss the Sudetenland and CzechoslovakiaHitler promised to not take any more of

Czechoslovakia if he got the SudetenlandGreat Britain’s Prime Minister again follows

the idea of appeasement and gives in“I believe it is peace in our time.”

March 1939 – Germany annexes Czechoslovakia

Every body say “appeasement”!

Munich Conference

Mussolini seized AlbaniaHitler looks to take over

PolandGreat Britain and France

threaten war if Germany invades Poland

August 23, 1939 – Germany and the Soviet Union sign a nonaggression pactThis would keep the Soviet

Union from joining the war and prevent a two-front war

September 1, 1939 – Germany invades Poland