The Rise of The Rise of Fascism & Fascism & Nazism in Nazism in

EuropeEuropeCauses for World War II and

the Holocaust© nperskine 2013

In the 1930's dictators in Germany, Italy, and Japan sought global power. Democracy everywhere was threatened!

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IntroductionIntroduction

After WWI, economic instability, After WWI, economic instability, inflation, and inflation, and unemploymentunemployment plagued nations everywhereplagued nations everywhere

Countries like Germany and Countries like Germany and ItalyItaly were ripe for take over were ripe for take over

Dictators promised to restore Dictators promised to restore the humiliated nations to the humiliated nations to positions of glorypositions of glory

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Fascism

• Mussolini coined the term but fascists had no single unifying set of beliefs. Many forms emerged in the 20s and 30s.

• Today - we use the term to describe any authoritarian government that is not communist.

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All forms of fascism shared some basic features:

1. Rooted in extreme nationalism2. believed that all nations must

struggle – peaceful states were doomed to be conquered

3. pledged loyalty to an authoritarian leader

4. wore uniforms of a certain color, used special salutes, held mass rallies for their beliefs

5. Glorified action, violence, discipline, and, above all, blind loyalty to the state.

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basic features cont.

6. Antidemocratic7. Rejected Enlightenment

emphasis on reason and the concepts of equality and liberty spread by the French Revolution.

8. Believed democracy led to greed, corruption, and weakness; it destroyed feelings of community

9. Pursued aggressive foreign policy - Social Darwinism - glorified warfare as a necessary struggle for survival

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Similarities between Fascism and Communism

1. Both flourished during economic hard times by promoting extreme programs of social change.

2. Dictators imposed totalitarian governments

3. Party elite claimed to rule in the name of the national interest

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Totalitarian Rule

• Mussolini built the 1st totalitarian state - a model for others (Hitler, Stalin)

• Appeal of totalitarianism- promised a strong, stable government and an end to political feuding that paralyzed democracy

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Basic Similar Features of a Totalitarian State (Communism, Fascism, Nazism):

1. Single-Party dictatorship

2. State control of the economy

3. Police spies and state terrorism

4. Strict censorship and government control of media

5. Use of schools and media to indoctrinate and mobilize citizens

6. Unquestioning obedience to single ruler© nperskine 2013

Three systems of government competed for power in postwar Europe.

• Democracy - Britain & France

• Communism in Russia

• Fascism in Italy

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ITALY

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ITALY• In Italy, people were disappointed that

Italy had been shortchanged by the Treaty of Versailles – didn’t get the territorial gains they were promised

• There was rising inflation and unemployment that led to social unrest

• Many feared a Communist revolution, as in Russia

• A growing number of Italians lost faith in their democratic government (it seemed helpless) and desired a strong leader who would take action

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A. MUSSOLINI BECOMES "THE LEADER"

• Mussolini (school teacher, journalist, political activist, politician who was wounded in WWI)

• He was a dazzling orator

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3. In 1919 he formed the Fascist party with a group of war veterans

a. revolutionary party / fascism is a political philosophy that values the nation over the individual

b. From Latin "fasces" - bundle of sticks wrapped around an ax (symbol of authority in ancient Rome)

c. Fascism emphasized loyalty to the state and obedience to the leader

d. promised to revive the economy, punish those responsible for hard times, restore national pride, and rebuild the armed forces

e. vowed to give Italy strong leadership

4. Mussolini publicly criticized Italy’s government and began a campaign of terror, attacking Communist and Socialists in the streets – this weakened his opponents

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5. In 1922 Mussolini and about 30,000 Fascists marched on Rome demanding to King Victor Emanuel III that Mussolini be put in charge of the government

6. The king made Mussolini the prime minister to avoid civil war (power through legal means, not through war) – he took power “legally”

7. 1925 he called himself Il Dulce (the leader) and declared a dictatorship

8. He attempted to promote Italian power, in spite of serious political & economic instability in Italy after WWI

9. He said that efficiency & order were necessary to make Italy as great as before

10. He abolished democracy by suppressing rival parties, muzzling the press, limiting the # of votes, rigging elections, and replacing elected officials with fascist supporters

a. secret police jailed all his opponentsb. govn’t censors forced radio stations and publications

to broadcast or publish only Fascist doctrines

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In theory, Italy remained a parliamentary govn't, but in reality it was a dictatorship upheld by fascist violence

and terror.

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B. ECONOMIC POLICY

1. Brought the economy under state control (not full socialism b/c capitalism was preserved)

2. "corporate state" - heads of business, labor, industry, and fascist party controlled economy together

3. helped business, but strikes were forbidden and pay remained low

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C. SOCIAL POLICY

1. the individual was unimportant except as a member of the state

2. men urged to be warriors for Italy

3. women were to "win the battle of motherhood"

• 14 kids = medal of honor from Il Dulce himself• women pushed out of jobs and into homes

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D. YOUTH

• Shaping the youth was a major Fascist goal

• Fascist youth groups toughened kids and taught them to obey strict military discipline

• Taught the glory of ancient Rome• By the 1930's Mussolini had a

generation of obedient young soldiers!

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"Hitler's rise to

power is one of the

most significant events of

our century" © nperskine 2013

Germany

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II. Germany 1. At the end of WWI Germany was chaotic - Kaiser Wilhelm

II abdicated in 19182. 1919 Germany drafted constitution in city of Weimar,

creating a democratic government - Weimar Republic (WR)

a. WR was weak b/c many different political parties that attacked the government

b. The people blamed WR for the Versailles Treaty and they longed for a strong leader

c. German people, in their bitterness, looked for a scapegoat to blame for Germany's problems (imagined a conspiracy plot to betray Germany)- Marxists, Jews, etc.

3. Economic disaster in Germany fed the unrest, western powers helped, but Germany never prospered as they had in the past

4. When the Great Depression hit, Germany once again spiraled downward into misery - they needed "something" or "someone" to save them

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A. Adolf Hitler 1. Hitler was a poorly

educated Austrian painter who dropped out of high school and failed as an artist

2. When he was 18 he went to live in Vienna (Hapsburg rule) where he developed strong Anti-Semitism feelings

a. Austria had a small German pop., but they felt superior to Jews, Serbs, Poles, etc.

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3. He moved to Germany andfought in WWI - wounded and temporarily blinded, but won the Iron Cross for bravery twice

a. he felt enraged by Germany's defeat in WWI

b. like many Germans, he hated the WR and he thought the peace treaty was degrading

4. 1919- he moved to Munich and in 1920 he joined the 40 member German Worker's Party

a. it was a right-wing political group that believed that Germany had to overturn the Treaty of Versailles and combat communism

b. supported by people in middle and lower middle class© nperskine 2013

5. He was a powerful, charismatic, passionate speaker & soon he became the leader and he changed the name to National Socialist German Worker's Party (Nazi Party)

a. Nazism was the German brand of Fascism

b. adopted the swastika, or hooked cross, as a symbol

i. the swastika means “well-being” in Sanskrit and was an ancient symbol for good luck

c. The Nazis also set up a private militia called the storm troopers or Brownshirts

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THE SWASTIKA• The text on the card back reads: • GOOD LUCK EMBLEM • "The Swastika" is the oldest cross

and emblem in the world. It forms a combination of four "L's" standing for Luck, Light, Love and Life. It has been found in ancient Rome, excavations in Grecian cities, on Buddhist idols, on Chinese coins dated 315 B.C., and our own Southwest Indians use it as an amulet.

• It is claimed that the Mound Builders and Cliff Dwellers of Mexico, Central America consider "The Swastika" a charm to drive away evil and bring good luck, long life and prosperity to the possessor.

•This postcard, copyright 1907 by E. Phillips, a U.S. card publisher, speaks for the universally high regard in which the swastika was held as a good luck token before use by the Nazis corrupted its meaning.

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The Original Meaning

• The word "swastika" comes from the Sanskrit svastika - "su" meaning "good," "asti" meaning "to be," and "ka" as a suffix.

• Until the Nazis used this symbol, the swastika was used by many cultures throughout the past 3,000 years to represent life, sun, power, strength, and good luck.

• Even in the early twentieth century, the swastika was still a symbol with positive connotations. For instance, the swastika was a common decoration that often adorned cigarette cases, postcards, coins, and buildings. During World War I, the swastika could even be found on the shoulder patches of the American 45th Division and on the Finnish air force until after World War II.

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Change in Meaning

• In the 1800s, countries around Germany were growing much larger, forming empires; yet Germany was not a unified country until 1871. To counter the feeling of vulnerability and the stigma of youth, German nationalists in the mid-nineteenth century began to use the swastika, because it had ancient Aryan/Indian origins, to represent a long Germanic/Aryan history.

• By the end of the nineteenth century, the swastika was the official emblem of the German Gymnasts' League.

• In the beginning of the twentieth century, the swastika was a common symbol of German nationalism and could be found in a multitude of places.

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Hitler and the Nazis

• In 1920, Adolf Hitler decided that the Nazi Party needed its own insignia and flag. For Hitler, the new flag had to be "a symbol of our own struggle" as well as "highly effective as a poster." (Mein Kampf, pg. 495)

• On August 7, 1920, at the Salzburg Congress, this flag became the official emblem of the Nazi Party.

• In Mein Kampf, Hitler described the Nazis' new flag: "In red we see the social idea of the movement, in white the nationalistic idea, in the swastika the mission of the struggle for the victory of the Aryan man, and, by the same token, the victory of the idea of creative work, which as such always has been and always will be anti-Semitic." (pg. 496-497)

• Because of the Nazis' flag, the swastika soon became a symbol of hate, anti-semitism, violence, death, and murder. © nperskine 2013

• There is a great debate as to what the swastika means now. For 3,000 years, the swastika meant life and good luck. But because of the Nazis, it has also taken on a meaning of death and hate.

• Unfortunately, the Nazis were so effective at their use of the swastika emblem, that many do not even know any other meaning for the swastika. Can there be two completely opposite meanings for one symbol?

Counter-ClockwiseSauvastika

ClockwiseSwastika

•In ancient times, the direction of the swastika was interchangeable.•Some cultures in the past had differentiated between the clockwise swastika and the counter-clockwise sauvastika.•In these cultures the swastika symbolized health and life while the sauvastika took on a mystical meaning of bad-luck or misfortune.

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• But since the Nazis use of the swastika, some people are trying to differentiate the two meanings of the swastika by varying its direction - trying to make the clockwise, Nazi version of the swastika mean hate and death while the counter-clockwise version would hold the ancient meaning of the symbol, life and good-luck.

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6.6. Nov. 1923- with 55,000 members Nov. 1923- with 55,000 members Hitler & Nazi's attempted to seize Hitler & Nazi's attempted to seize power in Munichpower in Munich

a.a. rebellion put down quickly rebellion put down quickly (even though many supported (even though many supported Hitler)Hitler)

b.b. Hitler was found guilty of high Hitler was found guilty of high treasontreason and spent 9 months in and spent 9 months in jail where he wrote jail where he wrote Mein Mein KampfKampf (my struggle) which (my struggle) which was his autobiography & his was his autobiography & his diagnosis of Germany's diagnosis of Germany's problems and how he planned problems and how he planned to cure them – the Nazi to cure them – the Nazi blueprint or plan of actionblueprint or plan of action

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7.7. Mein Kampf was the "holy book" of Nazi Mein Kampf was the "holy book" of Nazi goals and ideology - reflected Hitler's goals and ideology - reflected Hitler's obsessions of extreme nationalism and obsessions of extreme nationalism and racismracism

a.a. Germans were the superior Aryan race Germans were the superior Aryan race and non-Aryan races like the Jews, and non-Aryan races like the Jews, Slavs, and Slavs, and GypsiesGypsies were inferior or were inferior or subhuman and were their enemysubhuman and were their enemy

b.b. He felt that Germany should expand and He felt that Germany should expand and others should bow to their needsothers should bow to their needs

i.i. Vowed to regain lands taken in Vowed to regain lands taken in Treaty of VersaillesTreaty of Versailles

ii.ii. Germans needed more Germans needed more LebensraumLebensraum (living space)(living space)

iii.iii. They would get this by conquering They would get this by conquering eastern Europe and Russiaeastern Europe and Russia

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8.8. In In 19241924 when he left prison he revived the Nazi party when he left prison he revived the Nazi partya.a. most people ignored them until the Great most people ignored them until the Great

depression ended the nation’s brief postwar depression ended the nation’s brief postwar recoveryrecovery

9.9. 20's - 30's Nazi's continued their crusade appealing 20's - 30's Nazi's continued their crusade appealing to Germans ravaged by the Great Depression to Germans ravaged by the Great Depression

a.a. nearly nearly 6 million6 million were unemployed (30% of were unemployed (30% of workforce)workforce)

10.10. Hitler promised to stabilize Germany, rebuild the Hitler promised to stabilize Germany, rebuild the economy, & revive the German Empire that had been economy, & revive the German Empire that had been shattered in WWIshattered in WWI

a.a. result = huge following of result = huge following of HitlerHitler & Nazi party & Nazi party (appealed to people who were miserable - HOPE)(appealed to people who were miserable - HOPE)

11.11. Hitler's tremendous personal magnetism swayed the Hitler's tremendous personal magnetism swayed the people to his sidepeople to his side

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B. Hitler becomes "Der Fuhrer"

1. by 1932 the Nazi party was the largest group in the Reichstag (German Parliament)

2. in 1933 conservative leaders mistakenly believed they could control Hitler and use him for their own purposes, so they advised President Paul von Hindenberg to name him chancellor

a. They believed that only Hitler could stand up to the strong Communist party in Germany

3. Hitler becomes chancellor in Jan. 1933 (power through legal ways)

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4. In Feb. he called for new elections, hoping to win a parliamentary majority

a. 6 days before the election a fire broke out in the Reichstag and the Communist party was blamed and the Nazi’s won the majority in the election

b. with majority control, Hitler, in an act of Parliament made himself dictator in his new government - the "Third Reich" - Master of Germany!

i. called the Enabling Act: gave Hitler absolute power for four years

5. Called self "Der Fuhrer" (the leader) and used his new power to turn Germany into a totalitarian state

a. banned all other political parties and had his opponents arrested

Adolf Hitler Casts His Vote © nperskine 2013

C. The Third Reich

1. 1st - Holy Roman Empire; 2nd - Bismarck Empire

2. to achieve goals, he organized brutal system of terror, repression, and totalitarian rule

a. Nazi's controlled all areas of life in Germany

b. His elite, black-uniformed secret police called the SS or Gestapo , rooted out any and all opposition

i. they were loyal only to Hitler and in 1934 arrested and murdered hundreds of his enemies

ii. the brutal actions of the Gestapo shocked most Germans into total obedience

3. Although they were frightened, few were concerned - they cheered Hitler's accomplishments in ending unemployment and reviving German power

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D. Economic PolicyD. Economic Policy

1.1. Brought big business and labor under Brought big business and labor under govn't control but preserved govn't control but preserved capitalismcapitalism

2.2. The standard of living rose – hundreds of The standard of living rose – hundreds of jobs were created through factory jobs were created through factory construction, highway building, construction, highway building, manufacturing of manufacturing of weaponsweapons, and the , and the military (unemployment went from 6 military (unemployment went from 6 million to million to 1.5 million1.5 million in 1936) in 1936)

3.3. Independent labor unions were dissolved Independent labor unions were dissolved and strikes were bannedand strikes were banned

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E. Social Policy1. Hitler turned the press, radio,

literature, painting, and film into propaganda tools

a. books not conforming to Nazi beliefs were burned in huge bonfires

b. churches were forbidden to criticize the Nazis or the government

2. Like Mussolini, Hitler indoctrinated the youth with his racist ideology

a. Schoolchildren were forced to join the Hitler Youth (for boys) or the League of German Girls

b. Women were dismissed from high level jobs and universities like in Italy - to raise birthrate and spread the Aryan race - rewards

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3. Hitler's appeal to the nation & his "program"

a. deep rooted prejudice in western civilization known as Anti-Semitism (hatred of Jews) was a key part of Nazi ideology

b. as a scapegoat, the Nazis blamed Jews for Germany's problems (although they were less than 1% of the population)

c. ordered boycott of Jewish shops, burning of Jewish books, & imprisonment of Jews in concentration camps.

d. Used arts and education as propaganda tools to purge Germany of Jews

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F. Holocaust Beginnings1. Hitler set out to drive the Jews from

Germany a. 1935 Nuremberg laws placed

severe restrictions on Jews, depriving them of most of their rights

b. Nov. 1938 a German was shot by a Jew; Hitler used this as an excuse to attack all Jews

2. Kristallnacht (night of the broken glass) - Nov. 9-10th Nazi led mobs attacked and destroyed Jewish communities

a. Kristallnacht signaled the real start of the process of eliminating all Jews from Germany

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KristallnachtKristallnacht

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3. Jews were sent to concentration camps - detention centers for civilians considered enemies of the state

4. Before long, Hitler & his henchmen were making plans for what they would call the "final solution" - the extermination of all the Jews

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III. Other Countries Fall to DictatorsIII. Other Countries Fall to Dictators

A.A. HungaryHungary1.1. In 1919, after a brief Communist regime, In 1919, after a brief Communist regime,

military forces and wealthy landowners joined military forces and wealthy landowners joined to make Admiral Miklós Horthy the first to make Admiral Miklós Horthy the first European postwar dictatorEuropean postwar dictator

B.B. PolandPoland1.1. Marshal Joseph Pilsudski seized power in Marshal Joseph Pilsudski seized power in

19261926C.C. The BalkansThe Balkans

1.1. In Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, and In Yugoslavia, Albania, Bulgaria, and Romania, kings turned to Romania, kings turned to strong-man rulestrong-man rule by by suspending constitutions and silencing foessuspending constitutions and silencing foes

D.D. By 1935 only one democracy remained in By 1935 only one democracy remained in eastern Europe – eastern Europe – CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia

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