The Rise of Dictators and the Road to War

The Rise of Dictators and the Road to War

The United States and World War II

Main Ideas* Dictators took control of the governments of Italy, the Soviet Union, Germany and Japan after World War I during the 1920s and 1930s * (Why do you think this was?)

* Most Americans did not want to get involved in another American war * (Why not?)

* ITALY – Benito Mussolini (1922)

* USSR – Joseph Stalin (1926)

* GERMANY – Adolf Hitler (1933-1934)

* JAPAN – “Militarism” takes hold (1930s)

*Remember the Treaty of Versailles? (How did it treat Germany?)

* By the 1930s, the Great Depression is WORLD-WIDE… especially in Germany! (hyper-inflation, debt, unemployment)

The $.99 version of Benito

Mussolini’s Rise to Power!

Benito Mussolini – Fascist – Italy * Since the 1870s, the Kingdom of Italy had proved too weak to deal with the country’s growing problems…

* Italians felt slighted as a result of the “peace without victory” outcome…

* WWI debts, unemployment, uncontrollable strikes, communist, socialist and anarchist threat…

* Italian government had to make a choice – Fascism or Communism?

Benito Mussolini – Fascist – Italy * Benito Mussolini organizes the fascist movement in 1919 as a result of the rising tensions in Italy (“Black Shirts”)

1.) Absolute Power of the State: strong centralized gov’t (totalitarian control) – STATE > individual

2.) Rule by a Dictator: charismatic, all-powerful dictators make decisions for the state!

3.) Corporatism: tamed down version of capitalism – private property remains, but means of production are controlled (kind of)

4.) Extreme Nationalism: national glory and fear of outside threats

5.) Superiority of the Nation’s People

6.) Militarism and Imperialism: greatness is shown by conquering and ruling weak nations

“Il Duce”"Mussolini, the man who made the Trains

Run on Time."

Benito Mussolini – Fascist – Italy * 1921, Mussolini formed the National Fascist Party…

* October 1922, Mussolini declared, “Either the government will be given to us, or we will seize it by marching on Rome.”

* A real “SMH” moment ensues in the Italian government…

* King’s Cabinet resigns and King Victor Emmanuel promptly names Mussolini Prime Minister of Italy.

* By 1924, Fascists controlled Italian Parliament and IL DUCE had embarked on his totalitarian control of politics, the economy and the state!

Joseph Stalin – Communist – Soviet Union

Vladimir Lenin Leon Trotsky Joseph Stalin

* Father of the Soviet Union! (USSR)

* Lenin’s handpicked successor…

* Not on Stalin’s watch! * Lead the Bolsheviks in their October Revolution in 1917 * Military leader in the

Red Army

* Eventually became General Secretary of the Central Committee

* Lenin’s #2 man and “heir-apparent”

Joseph Stalin – Communist – Soviet Union“From each according to his ability, to each

according to his need.” – Karl Marx

* What does the Marx quote mean? (Marxism)

* A TRUE Communist society is a form of UTOPIAN society where: 1.) Private property is unnecessary as all men only use that which he needs

2.) All men are sustained by, supported by, and occupied at the public expense (communal living)

3.) Every citizen will make his contribution to the community according to his capacity, his talent and his age

* Communism is a classless, moneyless and stateless social order structured upon common ownership of the means of production of society.

* Marxists believed that to attain communism, violent revolution of the working class (proletariat) was necessary to overthrow the capitalist class (bourgeoisie)…

Joseph Stalin – Communist – Soviet Union* 1922 – Lenin suffers a stroke and retires (kind of) * Argument ensues between Trotsky and Stalin – names called, lives threatened – and then… * 1923 – Trotsky has a heart attack. * 1924 – Lenin dies and Stalin consolidates power throughout the Soviet Union and by 1926 has killed those who were loyal to Trotsky and any of his opposition within the Party!

* Stalin launched a massive program for industrialization (railroads, steel mills, military hardware)… Five-Year Plan to “catch and overtake” the leading capitalist countries in the world.

Joseph Stalin – Communist – Soviet Union

* EXAMPLE) From 1928 to 1937, steel production increased from 4 million tons to 18 million tons…

* Stalin was a paranoid who oppressed and often killed (purged) anyone who was perceived as a threat to his power

* By the late 1930s, the USSR was weak from the removal of its best and brightest – but at least Stalin was secure!

Joseph Stalin – Communist – Soviet Union* He also started a revolution in Soviet agriculture forcing peasants to participate in collectivization (this meant the pooling of farmlands, animals, and equipment for the sake of more efficient, and state-run, large-scale production)

* Knowing that the well-to-do peasants (kulaks) would not accept this, Stalin decided to “liquidate them as a class” (millions were killed outright or sent to forced-labor camps – GULAGS – to suffer a slow death)

* Individual farms (Kulaks)

* Each has own farmhouse,Tractor, Equipment, etc.

* Farmers make $ based on how productive they are…

* The more productive, the more $ they make!

Collectivization of farms

* Collective farm – state (government) owned, all equipment and Housing, pooled together.

* Everyone gets paid the same wages.

* All profits go to government, which then pays the workers.

* No incentive, no ownership of land.

* By 1935, almost ALL agriculture in the Soviet Union has beenCOLLECTIVIZED

Workers live in a communal village, in gov’t housing projects

Collectivization of farms

Collectivization of farms* Many of the peasants refused to cooperate with the Collectivization efforts of Stalin, so, what did they do? (From 1932 to 1933, 10 millions peasants died due to FAMINE)

* To wipe out any remaining resistance, Stalin unleashed terror to crush opposition through a series of purges (750,000 were executed between 1936 and 1938 and those who were not executed were sent to forced labor camps, collectively known as the Gulag)

The $.99 version of Adolf Hitler’s Rise to Power!

Adolf Hitler – Nazi – Germany* Adolf Hitler was a veteran of World War I – coming back from the War, he joined the German Workers' Party in 1919, and became leader of the NSDAP in 1921.

* 1923, Hitler attempted a coup d'état in Munich – the Beer Hall Putsch (failed coup resulted in Hitler's imprisonment, during which time he wrote his memoir, Mein Kampf – “My Struggle”)

* In Mein Kampf, Hitler outlines the Nazi philosophy: 1.) Anti-Communist 2.) Anti-Semitic 3.) Militaristic4.) Acquisition of Lebensraum (“living space”) 5.) Pro-German (Hitler was Austrian)* He blames Marxists, Jews and the Weimar Republic Parliament for problems…

* By 1930, after the economic meltdown worldwide, the Nazi party had gained 18% of votes in Parliament… (from 2% in 1928)

Adolf Hitler – Nazi – Germany* By 1933, Hitler had been a Presidential candidate, the Nazi’s had gained 44% of votes in Parliament and President Paul von Hindenburg had appointed Hitler Chancellor of the Weimar Republic! (the Nazis were rollin’…)

* Hitler had petitioned the President to dissolve the Parliament (several

times, to no avail) – so what does he do?

* Well, allegedly, he did not burn down the Reichstag in 1933 – Communists did! (Hitler, being the opportunist he was, encouraged Pres. Von Hindenburg to suspend basic rights and allow detention without trial)

* Legislation was also passed in parliament which passed legislative authority to Hitler’s cabinet!

Adolf Hitler – Nazi – Germany* By 1934, Hitler had gained full control of legislative and executive branches of government! (Hitler became Germany's head of state with the title of der Führer)

“At the risk of appearing to talk nonsense I tell you that the National Socialist movement will go on for 1,000 years… Don't forget how

people laughed at me 15 years ago when I declared that one day I would govern Germany. They laugh now, just as foolishly, when I

declare that I shall remain in power!” – Adolf Hitler

* As Head of State, Hitler:1.) bullied opposing parties into disbanding2.) killed his opponents within the Nazi party3.) took supreme control over military forces4.) consolidated his political power * Vowed to reverse effects of Great Depression and Treaty of Versailles!

Militarists in Japan* Imperial rule had been restored to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji (almost all leaders in Japanese society during the Meiji period – whether in the military, politics or business – were ex-samurai or descendants of samurai)

* Meiji government viewed Japan as threatened by western imperialism (policy was to strengthen economic and industrial foundations, so that a strong military could be built to defend Japan against outside powers)

Militarists in Japan* Into the 1920s, Japan’s economy began to struggle when it’s exports failed to support it’s imports… * Commence the 1930s Great Depression – U.S. raises tariffs and Japan’s economy worsens…

* Remember those pesky Japanese military leaders? (their solution to these problems was to acquire more territory!)

* 1931, Japan launched an attack on resource-rich Manchuria (within a few days Japanese armed forces had occupied the region of China)

Militarists in Japan* 1933, Japan withdrew from the League of Nations (after criticism for Manchurian Incident)

* 1937, the second Sino-Japanese War broke out (and Japan essentially controlled east coast of China until 1945)

* 1940, Japan occupied French Indochina – Vietnam (upon agreement with the French Vichy government, and joined the Axis powers; Germany and Italy)

* ALL EXAMPLES OF JAPANESE AGGRESSION PRIOR TO WORLD WAR II AND JAPAN’S ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR!

FDR and American NeutralityThe Neutrality Acts, 1935-1937

* Nye Senate Committee…* Arms industry pushed U.S. into WWI* Neutrality Act of 1935

1.) embargo on arms, ammunition or implements of war to nations at war2.) travel restrictions3.) 6 month expiration date

* Italian invasion of Ethiopia (1935)* FDR’s “moral embargo” of Italy* Neutrality Act of 1936

1.) arms embargo on countries at war2.) travel restrictions3.) ban on loans to countries at war

* Spanish Civil War (1936)* Neutrality Act of 1937

1.) arms embargo on countries at war2.) travel ban on warring nations’ ships3.) trade with warring country on a cash-and-carry basis