The Rise of FascismHirohitoMussoliniHitlerSSWH17.C

Emperor Hirohito of Japan

•The Role of a Japanese Emperor:▫As Emperor, Hirohito had supreme

authority, but his role in government was traditionally not an active one. Emperors usually just approved the ideas of the ministers.

▫His position as Japanese emperor always gave him a huge amount of influence on the Japanese people.

Emperor Hirohito of Japan•He was the first Japanese emperor who had

traveled widely outside of Japan.

•Trouble in Japan:▫Uprisings in Tokyo▫Advisors urge the Emperor to remain separate

and “above” politics in order to maintain the status of the imperial family.

▫Hirohito began to give quite consent to whatever measures his ministers proposed. These ministers led the nation towards war.

How Responsible for Japan’s Actions in World War II was Hirohito?

Benito Mussolini• Raised by parents who

were political radicals

• His first job was as a school teacher, but he was fired for failing to control his classroom

• After joining the Italian Social Democratic Party, Mussolini found his new occupation:▫ Agitating:

Forming Unions Organizing strikes

Benito Mussolini

•In 1912, Mussolini was hired as the editor of the official journal of the Socialist Party in Italy.

•During World War One, Benito was fired from the paper and thrown out of the Socialist Party for his interventionist ideas:▫“Neutrals have never dominated events…It

is blood that moves the wheels of history.”

Mussolini’s FascismItaly’s Problems Mussolini’s Solutions

• unemployment

• Weak government

• Too many political parties

• Corruption

• This was job #1 in the minds of Italians, but it was never fixed.

• Benito Mussolini

• Outlaw every political party except the Fascists

• The “Black Shirts”

The Rise of the Fascists•At the beginning, there was only one Fascist

belief: ▫COMPLETE devotion to Mussolini (Il Duce)

•Black Shirts = squads of men (supported by extortion) who fought against Socialists and Communists throughout Italy in 1921, 1922.▫For his fight against Communism, Mussolini

was praised as a great and wise leader by both Winston Churchill and the Pope.

The Rise of Fascism• When the Fascists encountered violence, they

reacted with even greater violence.

• October, 1921: 10,000 Fascists march to Rome and demand that Mussolini be named as the Premier of Italy by King Emanuel III.

• In November, the Italian Parliament (which was afraid of the Fascists) voted to give complete power to Mussolini for one year. He kept that power for 21 years.

What Was Fascism?

•Fanatical devotion to Mussolini•One party rule•State control of economy•Extreme nationalism•Censorship•No individual rights•Use of violence:

▫“Words are beautiful things, but muskets and machine guns are even more beautiful.”

Mussolini’s Mistake

The Rise of Hitler in Germany

The Rise of Hitler in Germany

•Immediately after the Treaty of Versailles had been signed, the National Socialist German Worker’s Party began with 2 goals:▫Overturn the Treaty of Versailles▫Fight against the Communists

•The shorter name for this group = Nazi Party

The Rise of Hitler in Germany

•Adolf Hitler was recognized for his skill as a public speaker. The Nazis chose him as their leader and gave him the name “der Fuhrer.”

•1923, Hitler tried to take power but fails. Hitler is sent to prison.

•While he was in prison, Hitler wrote “Mein Kampf.”

Hitler’s Ideas

•Mein Kampf – “my struggle”

▫Master Race (Aryans) Jews, Gypsies, Slavs – all considered very

inferior

▫Lebensraum – “living room” There is only one way to get more living

space.

How Hitler Gained Power

•At first, most of the German population paid no attention to Adolf Hitler or the Nazis, but…

•When the American economy crashed in the Great Depression it took the German economy with it.

•The German people began to believe that firm leadership (Hitler) was their best option.

How Hitler Gained Power

How Hitler Gained Power

How Hitler Gained Power

•By 1932, the Nazis had become Germany’s largest political party.

•In 1933, Hitler was named as the new German Chancellor. The Nazis also gained majorities in the Reichstag (German Parliament).

•Hitler immediately began to change Germany into a totalitarian state.

Hitler’s Power

•Adolf Hitler took control of:

▫Newspapers▫Radios▫Movies▫Books▫Art▫Churches

How Hitler Gained Power• Propaganda campaigns

aimed at uniting German behind a hatred of the Jewish people.

• All of the problems that Germany was facing were blamed on the Jews (about 1% of the German population).

• This hatred broke out in violence in 1938.

The Night of the Broken Glass

The Night of the Broken Glass