Download The Rise of Fascism

The Rise of Fascism
Why did Fascism Rise in the 1920’s and
1930’s?
• Perceived failure of Capitalism and Socialism
(The Third Way)
• Outlet for heavy nationalism
• Appealed to militarism
• WWI reparations / disappointment with
results.
• Heavy emphasis on modernism
What exactly is Fascism?
• 1. Extreme Nationalism – they see the conflict
between nations and races as essential. Heritage
is a natural bind between people.
• 2. Expansionism – Warrior mentality promoted.
• 3. Authoritarianism – often times totalitarian
state / autocratic single party state. Usually a
“great” leader.
• 4. Social Darwinism
• 5. Indoctrination – the people are indoctrinated
at a young age – anti-intellectual
• 6. Eugenics
What exactly is Fascism?
• 7. Very masculine as a society – traditional sex
roles
• 8. Corporatism – government planning /
intervention in corporations for the good of
the society – class co-operation
– Protection of small business
– Nationalization of large businesses
Italian Fascism
“Il Duce”
• Benito Mussolini - The great leader
• Rose through military ranks in Italy
• Became disinterested and disillusioned with
socialism – moved to Fascism.
• Ended up establishing fascist government as a
reaction to labor unrest
• Believed in creating a society based upon the
glory of Rome.
What was the state like?
•
•
•
•
•
July 1925 – “officially” starts dictatorship
Created a police state
Huge Agricultural expansion
“Fought” the mafia
Propoganda huge
Economics
•
•
•
•
Mussolini took over about ¾ of all businesses
Induced wage and price controls
Fight for the Land
Gold for the Fatherland
Propaganda
•
•
•
•
Helped control society
Fascist Youth Vanguards
Fascist University Groups
Fascist education is moral, physical, social,
and military: it aims to create a complete and
harmoniously developed human, a fascist one
according to our views". - Mussolini
Foreign Policy
• Set up puppet government in Albania
• Re-organized Libya
• Attacked Ethiopia – defeated them quickly
Alliances
• Supported Francisco Franco in Spanish Civil
War
• Posed as moderate at Munich Conference
• “Pact of Steel” signed in 1939 with Hitler’s
Germany
• Early on, serious critic of Hitler – did not
believe in Eugenics
• However, by 1938, issued the Racial
Manifesto, in line with Nuremburg laws
The End
• By 1943- allies were in Italy moving up coast.
• Mussolini had lost government power and
went into hiding
• Set up Italian Socialist Government
• Eventually captured by Italian patriots and
executed
• Drug and hung in streets of Milan
Franco’s Spain
Francisco Franco
• Fascist who emerged out of the Spanish Civil
War
• In 1931 Spanish Monarchy ended
• After four years of the Second Republic, the
Spanish Civil War broke out when a group of
generals attempted a coup.
• It was a group of right wing extremists
(Nationalists) v. the Republic.
The Spanish Civil War
• Nationalists supported by Italy and Germany,
the Republicans supported by USSR and
Mexico.
• Fascists / Conservatives / Catholics VS. Anticlericalists / Liberals / Communists
• First “Media War”
• International Brigades – formed to support
the Republicans. (Poles, Hungarians,
Americans, Canadians, etc)
Spain under Franco
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Generalissimo
Debate over if this was a true fascist state…
Massive censorship of the media.
Propaganda
Political Oppression
HOWEVER not exactly a conservative
revolution
• Ruled from 1936 - 1975
Nazi Germany
How did Hitler Come to Power?
• After WWI, as part of army, infiltrated the
German Workers Party and eventually became
their head. National Socialist German
Workers Party
• Beer Hall Putsch
• Went to Landsburg Prison after this for 1 year.
• Mein Kampf
How did Hitler Come to Power…Cont.
• After getting out of prison, used the NSDAP to
start legally getting into Reichstag
• Challenged for president in 1932 – lost but
showed power.
• By late 1932, German President Paul Von
Hindenburg forced to make Hitler Chancellor
of Germany
• Reichstag Fire
• The Enabling Act – Became legal dictatorship
• Huge infrastructure projects – autobahn,
Volkswagen
• Encouraging German industry
• Militaristic – Rearmament and Lebensraum
• Anschluss
• Eugenics
• The SS – Gestapo
Huge miscalculations by the world…
•
•
•
•
Munich Pact
Sudetenland
Kristallnact
1939 - Poland