The Rise of Authoritarianism(Totalitarianism)

Stalin, Hitler and Mussolini in the 1920s-30s

Totalitarianism

• To have “total” control over all aspects of your country.

• 20th century concept• Typically, a bad country to live in because

personal freedom is lost• Famous Totalitarian dictators in history are:– Stalin- Russia (Communist)– Hitler- Germany (Fascist)– Mussolini- Italy (Fascist)

• Lenin died in 1924

• His 2 biggest rivals/supporters for power fought to become dictator– Leon Trotsky– Joseph Stalin

Stalin Becomes Dictator• Joseph Stalin gained complete control

over the communists by 1928• His main rival for power, Leon Trotsky,

was exiled and later assassinated• TOTALITARIANISM:– Government which takes total control over

every aspect of life.– Stalin was this style of leader– Has nothing to do with the fact that USSR

was communist.

Industrial Revolution• Institutes a command

economy- gov’t (Stalin) makes all economic decisions

• 1928, Russia was 50-100 years behind other countries in industrialization

• Stalin developed a plan to catch up in 10 years by forcing constant work– Called the 5-Year Plans

Agricultural Revolution• Stalin seized 25 million farms

and forced the previous owners to work on them.– Farms combined into

larger farms called “collective farms”

• Many workers (peasants) resisted and 5-10 million were killed or sent to prison camps

• Many Kulaks (wealthy peasants) resisted and were sent to gulags (work camps)

Daily Life Under Stalin• Gov’t assigned jobs and

working hours• Education was important • Communist values promoted

everywhere and everyday• Women were given equal

rights• not working hard enough?

=killed or sent to Siberia

Weapons of Terror• Totalitarian dictators like Stalin often use terror to keep

people under control– Read mail and listened to telephone lines– Spies everywhere/Secret police (KGB)– Indoctrination/Brain-washing– Propaganda: biased info meant to sway beliefs

• Socialist Realism: artistic style of the era– Censorship: Gov’t controlled newspapers so nothing bad was

printed about Stalin– Religious Persecution: atheism replaced religion

The Great Purge

• 1934-39, Stalin’s plan to eliminate anybody who threatened his power

• Used phone taps, read mail, and used spies to determine enemies

• Many were arrested and 8-13 million people were killed for “crimes against the Soviet state”

Legacy leading to WWII

• By 1939, Stalin had total control of the country

• The U.S.S.R. was fully industrialized

• They were also political powerhouse

Fascism in Europe

What is Fascism?• Valuing the nation over that of

the individual. *Nationalism and Militarism is focus

• Total devotion to one leader.• Rulers often gain control by convincing people that

there is a problem that only the leader can solve.• Leaders use propaganda, and violence to stay in

control.

Italy After WWI

• After WWI, Italians were angry about not gaining land and scared of communist revolution.

• The democratic government appeared weak in handling inflation and unemployment.

Mussolini in Italy

• Benito Mussolini promised to make Italy strong by building an army and fixing the economy.

• In 1922, 30,000 Fascist supporters demanded that Mussolini be put into power, and the king agreed.

Il Duce (The Leader)

• Mussolini became the leader and outlawed all political parties except the Fascists.

• How he secured his leadership:– Secret police jailed his opponents– Radio and newspapers were censored– Outlawed strikes and labor unions– Nationalism

Rise of the Nazis

• National Socialist Workers Party (NAZI)

• Political party that believed that the Treaty of Versailles should be overturned (too harsh) and that communism was dangerous.

Adolf Hitler

• Born 1889, not good at school, failed artist

• Abusive, alcoholic father• Fought in WWI and won 2 Iron Cross

awards for bravery• Joined the Nazis in 1920 and quickly

became known for his speaking ability

Mein Kampf (My Struggle)

• 1923, Hitler tried to take over the government, but failed and was arrested for treason

• Served 9 months in prison during which he wrote Mein Kampf, a book that was a blueprint for his takeover of Germany– Outlined his hatred of the Jews

Hitler’s Beliefs

• Hitler’s beliefs:– Germans, especially “Aryans”, were the master

race (not necessarily blond hair, blue eyed)– Jews, Slavs, and Gypsies were subhuman and must

be removed– Germans needed to regain lands lost by Treaty of

Versailles– Germany was overcrowded and needed

lebensraum (living space)

Hitler Gets Power

• World-wide economic depression due to America’s “Great Depression”

• 1932, America stopped loans to Germany, 30% of Germans were unemployed, and inflation caused starvation

• Frightened and upset, Germans wanted a strong leader.

• 1933, Hitler became Chancellor (president).

Der “Fuhrer” (The Leader)• Hitler created a totalitarian government.• He kept control by:– Arresting & killing political opponents– Secret Police (SS & Gestapo)– Censoring the press– Using propaganda– Burning books– Censoring Churches– Hitler Youth (HJ)– Nationalism

The Power of Speech

“All great world-shattering events haveBeen brought about….

By the spoken word! “

~Adolf Hitler~