Fascism and Nazism
World History - LHS
Fascism• Characteristics
– Political philosophy that raises nationalism (& often race) above the individual
– Government is centralized
– Government headed by a dictator
– Strict organization of the economy, society
– Aggressive repression of opposition
– Fascism is generally anti-religious (competition)
Fascism & the Economy• Central planning of
economy– Nationalization of key
industries– Massive state spending
on infrastructure– Price & wage controls
• Private property allowed, but was dependent on owner helping state
• Destroyed labor unions b/c they were “economically inefficient” (& pro-communist)
Fascism and Society
• Social Darwinism prevailed
• Promoted the “superior” individual to weed out the weak
Fascism and Foreign Policy
• Anti-Communist– Fascism sought
support of both workers and the rich
• Anti-Democratic– Democracy gave
power to all, including the weak
The Rise of the National Socialist German Workers’
Party• Party started
at the end of WWI– Stab in the
back theory of loss of WWI (Jews, non Germans)
– Other causes of rise of Party• Lack of
patriotism• French seizure
of Ruhr Valley, 1923-25
Nazi Ideology• Belief in
superiority of “Aryan” race (Germans)
• Strong centralized gov’t necessary to protect Germany from Jews, Communists
• Anti-Semitism = anti Jewish sentiment (inferior race)
Lebensraum: “Living Space”
• Need for lebensraum, at expense of USSR
Adolf Hitler• Corporal in German
Army, in WWI• Joined Nazi Party in
1919; became leader in 1921
• 1923: “Beer Hall Putsch”– Attempt to overthrow
gov’t– Many Nazi’s thrown
in jail, incl. Hitler– Wrote Mein Kampf
(”My Struggle”) while in prison, in 1925
Nazis Takeover Germany• 1920s to early 1930s
– Continued electoral success in Reichstag (German Parliament)
• 1932– Hitler appointed
Chancellor of Germany, by President Hindenberg
– Ordered immediate secret rearming of Germany
Nazis Takeover Germany
• 1933: Fire in Reichstag building– Hitler persuaded
Hindenberg to sign emergency decree suspending civil liberties
– Law passed giving Hitler dictatorial powers
– Law passed abolishing all political parties except Nazis
Nazis Take Over Germany
• 1934: “Night of the Long Knives” (Hitler killed 3000 Nazi rivals)
• 1935: Nuremburg Laws (legal basis for repression of Jews)
The Road to World War II
• 1935: Hitler officially rejected Versailles Treaty
• March 1938: Anschluss (Annexation) of Austria
The Road to World War II
• Sept. 1938: Occupation of Sudetenland (W. Czechoslovakia)
• Seized rest of Czech. in 1939
Road to World War II• Nov. 1938:
Kristallnacht– Coordinated
attacks across Germany vs Jews
– Killed 91, 200k into concentration camps
– Destroyed 1000s of businesses, temples
– Beginning of Holocaust
Road to World War II• Aug. 1939:
Molotov Ribbentrop Non-Aggression Pact– Germany, USSR
enter into agreement
– Both agree to trade treaties
– Both agree to secretly divide E. Europe between them
• Sept. 1939: Invasion of Poland