Fascism and the Rise of the Nazis

Germany and the Treaty of Versailles

•  Admission of guilt

•  Reparations

•  Army size was limited to 100,000

•  No military in the Rhineland

•  Loss of territory to create Poland

•  Loss of all colonies

•  Forbidden from merging with Austria

Economy of the Weimer Republic

Following the Great War, Germany’s economy collapsed. •  Reparations for WW1 – $35 billion Canadian dollars

•  Massive debt

•  Loss of industries

•  Inflation

Cost of bread: •  1918 – 1 mark •  1922 – 160 marks •  1923 – 200 billion marks

Mussolini

Benito Mussolini – Il Duce

•  1921: Formed the National Fascist Party in Italy

•  1922: Rallies force government to resign

•  October 29, 1922: Mussolini became Italy’s youngest prime minister

•  1924: Mussolini wins rigged elections

•  Banned opposing political parties, unions, strikes and newspapers

“The foundation of Fascism is the conception of the State, its character, its duty, and its aim. Fascism conceives of the state as an absolute… the Fascist State is itself conscious and has itself a will and personality…”

“…affirms the immutable, beneficial, and fruitful inequality of mankind…”

Hitler

Adolf Hitler

•  After WW1, Hitler joins the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazi Party)

•  1923: Hitler is arrested. In prison, he writes Mein Kampf

•  Nazis establish the “brown shirts”

•  Nazis become popular during the Depression, becoming largest party in Parliament

•  1933: Hitler appointed Chancellor of Germany

Adolf Hitler – Der Fuherer

Germany becomes a police state: •  Created private army loyal to Hitler: Schutzstaffel (SS)

•  Created secret police (Gestapo)

•  Banned opposing political parties, unions, strikes and newspapers.

•  Government took control of businesses and ended unemployment.

•  Militarization and rapid industrialization.

Persecution

•  Arresting people that sympathize with communists

•  Persecution of different ethnic and racial groups including Jews

•  Nuremberg Laws

•  Kristallnacht

The Anschluss

Expansionism and Anschluss

Hitler foreign policy, undoing the Treaty of Versailles:

•  Defies the treaty by arming the Rhineland (Mar 1936)

•  Annexes Austria, sending in soldiers (Mar 1938)

•  Takes control of Sudetenland – Britain agrees not to attack Germany

•  Takes control of all of Czechoslovakia (Mar 1939)

•  League of Nations refuses to get involved

Inquiry Activity

Questions

1.  How do Hitler and Mussolini describe Fascism? 2.  How did Fascism impact people in Germany? 3.  Why did the British Government adopt a policy of

Appeasement?

Features of Fascism

•  The nation is more important than individual or material interests

•  People need leadership and direction from elite, ruling class

•  Strength and culture comes from inequality •  War strengthens a nation •  Nations come from race – some are superior to others