Germany and Italy Rise of Fascism Germany and Italy Rise of Fascism.
The Rise of Fascism - misscotten.files.wordpress.com · The Rise of Fascism. Background •After...
Transcript of The Rise of Fascism - misscotten.files.wordpress.com · The Rise of Fascism. Background •After...
The Rise of Fascism
Background
• After WWI, Europe spent the next 5 years
rebuilding
• Germany made huge reparations - hurt the
German economy
Fascism: A New Movement
• Characteristics
– Nationalism
– Reaction against
Liberalism
– Unity of Social
Classes
– All Powerful leaders
– Extreme Militarism
Nationalism
• Highest value was the
nation
• Claimed that the
nation was superior to
all others
Reaction against Liberalism
• Opposed liberal ideas
such as:
– Democracy
– Labor unions
– Socialism
– Strikes
• Strong anti-
Communist
Unity of Social Classes
• A single national party
should unite all social
classes
• Believed that the
strong had a natural
right to dominate the
weak
All Powerful Leaders
• A single all-powerful
ruler could best
represent the national
will and lead the
nation.
Extreme Militarism
• Used violence to
defeat their political
opponents
• Prepared to use war
to expand their
nations
• Saw war as a glorious
experience
Roots of Fascism
• Anti-Semitism: hatred
of Jews
• Racism: hatred of
other races
• Social Darwinism
Europe: Interwar Years
• Germany: Kaiser forced
out after WWI – Weimar
Republic established –
Nazis overthrow this
• Russia: Communist
radicalism scares other
European governments
• Italy: Mussolini copies
Stalin’s methods but
denounces communism
in general
Nazi Germany
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.
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)
Because of the Nazis' flag, the swastika soon became a
symbol of hate, anti-semitism, violence, death, and
murder.
This man represents
the Red Swastika
Society a voluntary
association founded in
China in 1922, who’s
mission was broadly
based in philanthropy
and moral education.
They were not NAZIS!
What most don’t know
is that there are two
kinds of swastikas
which are broken
down below.
Others Uses
As you can see a
multitude of cultures and
religions have at one
point used the swastika
to represent themselves.
The true meaning of a
swastika is not death,
hatred, and intolerance.
It’s real meaning is light,
love, life, good luck,
peace, balance, and
universal harmony!
In places like Asia the swastika is widely
used on Buddhist temples and Buddha's
themselves. The last thing they use the
swastika for is to project anything negative.
Background
• Leaders of Weimar
Republic blamed for
signing Treaty of
Versailles
– Humiliated Germany
– Forced to pay
reparations
Rise of the Nazi Party
• Adolf Hitler- leader
of the Nazi (National
Socialist) Party.
• Hitler’s Vision for
Germany
– Destruction of the
Weimar Republic
– Aryan Supremacy
– Anti-Semitism
Aryan Race
• Believed that Germans were the superior
“Aryan” race who should rule the world
• Planned to wipe out the Slavic peoples to
make room for German settlers in Eastern
Europe
Nazi Anti-Semitism
• Called Jews an “evil
race” that should be
destroyed for causing
Germany’s defeat in
the WWI
• Saw Communism as
a Jewish plot to
control the world
Germany Under the Nazis
• The Nazi party took over every aspect of German social, economic and political life
• Hitler’s Germany was called the Third Reich and was a totalitarian state.
• In Hitler’s “Third Reich” the following changes took place – Human rights violations
– Control of education
– Persecution of Jews
– Economic Changes
– Secret Police
Human Rights Violations
• People were arrested
and executed without
trial
• Rival political parties,
unions and
newspapers were
closed and replaced
by pro-Nazi ones
Control of Education
• Schools taught Nazi
ideas
• Newspapers, radio,
and films broadcast
Nazi propaganda
• No other sources of
information were
permitted
Persecution of Jews
• German Jews lost their citizenship
• Thrown out of government jobs
• Forced to wear yellow stars on their clothes
• Jewish shops were vandalized
• Synagogues were burned
Economic Changes
• Made use of public
works projects
– Building of highways
– Military rearmament
• Goal: to achieve full
employment
• Economic prosperity
returned to Germany
Secret Police
• Nazis used threats and
violence to control society
• The Gestapo (secret
police) arrested
suspected opponents
• Opponents were placed
in concentration camps
where they were tortured
and killed