Download Chapter 26: Nationalism, Revolution, and Totalitarianism Around the

Chapter 26: Nationalism, Revolution, and Totalitarianism Around the World: 1911 – 1939
In this chapter, you will learn about the results of the Russian Revolution. You will witness the
creation of Communism and the Soviet Union. You will also learn how nationalism and
hard economic times led to the rise of dictators, including the Nazis in Germany. You will
see how these changes affected Europe and Asia and set the stage for World War II.
Goals for Learning
 To explain how Russia became the Soviet Union
 To describe life in the Soviet Union under Stalin
 To explain why dictators come to power in Italy
 To explain how the Nazis gained power in Germany
 To describe how the Chinese began to build a modern nation after the overthrow of the
government in 1911
 To explain how military leaders took over the government of Japan
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The Development of the Soviet Union
Map Skills: This chapter is about revolution and change in Russia. A group called the
Bolsheviks led the revolution. This map shows the area that the Bolsheviks controlled in
1919. The map also shows the border of the Soviet Union in 1939. This was the new nation
that formed as a result of this revolution.
Study the map, then answer the following questions:
 1. What cities did the Bolsheviks control in 1919?
 2. What seas are shown on this map?
 3. What rivers are shown on this map?
 4. What countries bordered the Soviet Union to the south?
 5. What does this map tell you about the size of the Soviet Union in 1939?
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Reading Strategy: Visualizing
When readers create pictures in their head about what they are reading, they are using
visualization. This is another strategy that helps readers understand what they are reading.
Use the following ways to visualize a text:
 Notice the order in which things are happening and what you think might happen next.
 Look at the photographs, illustrations, and descriptive words.
 Think about experiences in your own life that may add to the images.
Key Vocabulary Words
Lesson 1
Bolshevik: A revolutionary socialist group in Russia
Militia: A group of people who can be called to military service when something dangerous
happens suddenly
Communism: An economic system in which there is little private property and the government
produces goods
Minority: A small group of like people within a larger group
Successor: One who follows another in a position
Lesson 2
Heavy industry: The manufacturing of products, such as machines and raw materials, for use in
other industries
Consumer goods: Products that people buy
Collective farm: A large farm owned by the government and worked by many peasants
Totalitarian state: A government in which a small group totally controls the lives of its
country’s citizens
Purge: To remove from office; to clean by getting rid of unwanted things
Lesson 3
Veteran: A person who has served in the military, especially during a war
Fascism: A form of government in which a dictator and the dictator’s party totally control a
government
Lesson 4
Inflation: A quick increase in prices
Swastika: The Nazi symbol of a cross with its arms bent
Depression: A time of economic collapse when businesses lose money and many people
become poor
Reichstag: The national assembly of the Weimar Republic
Fuehrer: The name given to Adolph Hitler meaning “leader??
Gestapo: Hitler’s secret police force
Lesson 6
Great Depression: The worldwide depression that began in the United States in 1929
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Lesson 1: Russia Becomes the Soviet Union
Objectives
 To identify Lenin and the changes the Bolsheviks brought to Russia
 To describe the Russian Civil War
 To describe how Josef Stalin came to power
 Bolshevik
 A revolutionary socialist group in Russia
 Militia
 A group of people who can be called to military service when something dangerous
happens suddenly
 Communism
 An economic system in which there is little private property and the government
produces goods
The Bolsheviks were a revolutionary socialist group. For many years, they plotted against the
czar. Their party was small, but it was well organized.
A man who called himself Lenin led the Bolsheviks. He became a revolutionary when the
czar’s soldiers killed his brother. Many Russians liked his promise of “Peace, Land, and
Bread.?? The Russian government arrested him and then exiled him. Lenin stayed away
from Russia for 17 years.
What Was the Red Guard?
In the fall of 1917, the Bolsheviks took over the Russian government. They formed a militia—
a group of people who can be called to military service very quickly when needed. This
militia, called the Red Guard, seized the government by force on November 6 and 7. The
Red Guard then arrested the leaders of the provisional government.
This change in government was almost bloodless. The Bolsheviks moved quickly to establish
control. They gave their party a new name— the Communist Party. Lenin became its
leader. This party believed in Communism. Communism is an economic system in which
there is little private property and the government produces goods.
The Communist Party gave Russia a new name. It became the Union of Soviet Socialist
Republics (U.S.S.R.), or the Soviet Union.
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 Minority
 A small group of like people within a larger group
Reading Strategy: Visualizing
How can visualizing help you remember which countries were “Whites?? and which were
“Reds???
What Did the Communist Government Do?
Many Russians did not support the Communists. In the first free elections to choose an
assembly, they received only one third of the vote. The Communists simply closed the
assembly after only one day. Lenin then kept his promise to the Russian people and pulled
Russia out of World War I. The Communists signed a peace treaty with Germany in March
1918. Russia had to give up about a third of its European territory.
Some Russians opposed Lenin and the Communists. These non-Bolsheviks formed a “White??
army. A number of national minorities in Russia supported the Whites. (A minority is a
small group of like people within a larger group.) Countries like Great Britain, France,
Japan, and the United States sent troops to fight the “Reds??—the Bolshevik army.
What Happened During the Russian Civil War?
The Whites and the Reds fought a civil war that lasted until 1920. Among those who died was
Czar Nicholas II and his family. The Bolsheviks shot them because they did not want the
White army to rescue the royal family.
The Reds finally defeated the Whites, but the civil war left Russia with many problems.
Factories had closed and there was nothing to trade. Some of the millions who had died
included the brightest and most skilled people in Russia.
What Did Lenin Do After His Victory?
After the Reds won the Russian Civil War, Lenin and the Communists changed Russia. The
government took control of industry. They also divided land among the peasants. The
government taxed extra grain. However, it allowed the peasants to sell their goods to make
extra money. The Communists also removed Russia’s class system and asked people to
give up religion. They created a powerful dictatorship that controlled the government and
the economy. Finally, they established a secret police that used terror to control the
Russian people.
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Writing About History
Choose one person from this chapter who was important in Russian history or culture. Research
his or her life. Then write a short biography of that person in your notebook.
 Successor
 One who follows another in a position
What Happened After Lenin Died?
In 1922, Lenin became sick. Two Communist leaders began fighting to become his
successor—the one who would take over the government.
Most people expected Leon Trotsky to become the new party leader. He had founded the Red
Guard and had beaten the Whites in the civil war. He was a well-known, popular leader.
He was also an excellent writer and speaker.
Trotsky’s rival was Joseph Stalin. He was a quiet man and not well known, but he had a highranking position in the Communist Party. Stalin had used his power to appoint his
followers to key positions in the government.
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History in Your Life
The World’s Largest Country
Russia is the largest country in the world. It sprawls across northern Europe and Asia. Russia
has about 6,600,000 square miles of land. It is almost twice as large as China or the United
States. The Volga is the longest river in Europe. It flows near Moscow into the Caspian
Sea.
Steppes, or grasslands, cover much of western and central Russia. They run from Ukraine
across Russia into Kazakhstan.
Summers are short and hot. Winters are long and snowy. A low mountain range, the Urals,
separates the steppes from Siberia.
Siberia is the Asian part of Russia. It stretches east to the Pacific Ocean. Northern Siberia has a
subarctic climate—the ground is partly frozen all year. Huge, thick forests cover other
areas. Siberia has about three-quarters of Russia’s mineral wealth.
Lesson 1 Review
On a sheet of paper, use the words from the Word Bank to complete each sentence correctly.
Word Bank
 Lenin
 Reds
 Stalin
 Trotsky
 Whites
 1. The formerly exiled leader of the Bolsheviks was _____.
 2. The Bolsheviks came to be called the _____.
 3. The people who opposed the Bolsheviks became known as the _____.
 4. The founder of the Red Guard was _____.
 5. _____ became leader of the Soviet Union after Lenin’s death.
What do you think?
Why was Lenin smart to promise “Peace, Land, and Bread?? to the Russian people?
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Lesson 2: The Soviet Union Under Stalin
Objectives
 To describe the ways Joseph Stalin changed Russia
 To describe a totalitarian state
 Heavy industry
 The manufacturing of products, such as machines and raw materials, for use in other
industries
 Consumer goods
 Products that people buy
 Collective farm
 A large farm owned by the government and worked by many peasants
Reading Strategy: Visualizing
What words in this paragraph help you visualize what you are reading?
When Lenin died in 1924, two leaders—Leon Trotsky and Joseph Stalin—fought to become
Lenin’s successor. They both wanted to be the one who would follow Lenin and take over
the government.
How Did Stalin Change Russia?
Finally, in 1927, Joseph Stalin won the support of party members. Stalin wanted to industrialize
Russia. He set up a series of Five-Year Plans. Stalin built heavy industry—factories that
make basic products like steel or machines for use in other industries. The government
gave a lot of money to heavy industry, but there was little money to produce consumer
goods. These goods that people buy, like clothing and shoes, became scarce in Russia.
Stalin also set up collective farms. He believed that fewer workers could produce more food on
these large farms. Each farm was owned by the government and worked by many peasants.
The peasants had to sell their crops at fixed prices. The government paid the workers
according to the amount of work they had done. Most peasants hated these collective
farms. Some burned grain and killed farm animals. Stalin sent these people to Siberia. He
ordered the death of thousands of farmers and their families. Historians believe that
between 5 and 10 million peasants died.
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 Totalitarian state
 A government in which a small group totally controls the lives of its country’s citizens
 Purge
 To remove from office; to clean by getting rid of unwanted things
Stalin made the Soviet Union a totalitarian state. A totalitarian state is a government in which
a small group controls the lives of its country’s citizens. That is, people have no rights.
Under Stalin, everyone in the Soviet Union lived in fear. People who spoke out against the
government were sometimes never seen again. Stalin encouraged children to report their
parents if they did or said anything disloyal. His secret police watched everyone. Stalin
even purged, or removed from office, thousands of members of the Communist Party.
Stalin died in 1953. As a ruler, he had changed the Soviet Union—some for the good, but
mostly for the bad. Millions of Russians suffered and died. Living conditions remained
poor. The government completely controlled the lives of the people
But the Soviet Union became a powerful industrialized nation with improved health care and
education.
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Map Study: Europe at the End of 1938
This map shows what Europe looked like at the end of 1938. It also shows the countries under
the control of a dictator. What were the names of five European dictators? Which dictator
controlled the most land? In case of war, why would Britain be more difficult to conquer
than France?
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Then and Now
Dictators
Throughout history, powerful leaders have taken power by force. They have absolute power
and do not allow opposition. Their word is law. In the early 1800s, Napoleon Bonaparte
conquered much of Europe. Napoleon began as an enemy of monarchy, but then he
became a dictator. Also in the 1800s, most of Latin America won its independence from
Spain. Since then, dictators called “caudillos?? have often ruled these countries.
In the 1930s, Franco won the civil war in Spain and became its dictator. Two other dictators—
Mussolini in Italy and Hitler in Germany—took the world to war.
In recent years, people have overthrown dictators in the Philippines and Indonesia. Yet
dictators keep coming to power. Unfortunately, dictators still rule smaller nations around
the world today.
Lesson 2 Review
On a sheet of paper, use the words from the Word Bank to complete each sentence correctly.
Word Bank
 collective farms
 heavy industry
 rights
 Siberia
 totalitarian
 1. Stalin stressed _____, factories that make industrial products such as machines.
 2. Stalin forced farmers to work on _____ owned by the government.
 3. Under Stalin, the Soviet Union became a _____ state.
 4. Under totalitarianism, people had no _____.
 5. Peasants who disagreed with Stalin were sent to _____.
What do you think?
How might the Russian people have felt when their factories produced only a few consumer
goods?
651
Lesson 3: The Fascists Gain Power in Italy
Objectives
 To identify Benito Mussolini
 To describe Fascism and its influence on others
 Veteran
 A person who has served in the military, especially during a war
Reading Strategy: Visualizing
Create a graphic organizer to help you remember some things about fascism.
During World War I, Italy fought on the side of the Allies. The Italians wanted to win territory
from Germany and Austria-Hungary. After the war, the Treaty of Versailles disappointed
them. They wanted more land than the treaty gave them.
World War I also brought economic and political problems to Italy. The war left the country in
debt. Many people lost their jobs. Many political parties arose, and the government was
weak.
Who Was Benito Mussolini?
Many Italians blamed the democratic government for all of their nation’s problems. Some
feared a Communist revolution in Italy like the one in Russia. Benito Mussolini used this
deep fear of Communism and revolution to win power. Most of his followers were
veterans. That is, they had fought for Italy in World War I. They became known as “Black
Shirts.?? In 1919, Mussolini formed the Fascist Party. It opposed both Communism and
democracy. Mussolini promised to make Italy as great as the ancient Roman Empire. In
1922, he became the dictator of Italy. His followers called him “Il Duce,?? or “the
leader.??
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 Fascism
 A form of government in which a dictator and the dictator’s party totally control a
government
Writing About History
Imagine that you are a foreign correspondent in the 1930s. In your journal, write a news story
about one event mentioned in this chapter. Include details that tell who, what, where,
when, why, and how.
What Is Fascism?
Fascism developed during the twentieth century. This government system is a little different in
each country, but they share the following:
 1. They have only one party and one leader. All other political parties are banned.
 2. All fascist governmentsdemand obedience to the state and to its leader.
 3. They take away individual rights and freedom. That is, the state takes away freedoms that
belong to each person. The government censors all books and newspapers.
 4. They preach extreme nationalism. They believe their country is the best and should be the
strongest.
 5. They build up military power. Fascists believe that military force wins land for their
country and makes it great.
Whom Did Mussolini Influence?
Fascists from other countries admired Italy’s fascist dictatorship and borrowed ideas from it. In
Spain, a fascist named Francisco Franco set himself up as dictator. In Germany, Adolf
Hitler carefully watched Mussolini. In a few years, Hitler would become the most feared
fascist leader in the world.
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The League of Nations Fails
When World War I ended, world leaders met to discuss peace. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson
wanted to create an organization to which every nation belonged. He thought this
organization could prevent war. That is, it could keep wars from happening.
The Treaty of Versailles formed this organization—the League of Nations. The nations of the
league promised to defend the territory and independence of all its members.
A test of the league’s strength came in October 1935 when Italy attacked Ethiopia. Ethiopian
Emperor Haile Selassie asked the league for help. It voted to force Italy to withdraw
through economic means. That is, member nations refused to buy goods from Italy or to
sell it war materials.
However, Great Britain and France did not want to upset Italy. They wanted Italy’s support
against Germany. Great Britain continued to allow Italy to send troops and supplies
through the Suez Canal. Italy was then able to defeat Ethiopia.
In 1935, the league failed to stop Italy. It tried to make everyone happy. Instead, it made
everyone mad. Ethiopia lost its independence and the league lost its best chance of
preventing war through nations working together.
Lesson 3 Review
On a sheet of paper, write the answer to each question. Use complete sentences.
 1. What problems led to the rise of Mussolini in Italy?
 2. Who supported the Fascist Party in Italy?
 3. Who were the “Black Shirts???
 4. What are five ways in which most fascist governments are alike?
 5. What are the names of two fascist leaders influenced by Mussolini?
What do you think?
Dictators often do terrible things. Why do you think people allow dictators to rule them?
654
Lesson 4: The Nazis Gain Power in Germany
Objectives
 To describe the conditions that allowed the Nazis to gain control
 To describe Hitler’s rise to power
 Inflation
 A quick increase in prices
 Swastika
 The Nazi symbol of a cross with its arms bentc
 Depression
 A time of economic collapse when businesses lose money and many people become poor
Reading Strategy: Visualizing
Look for clues in this lesson that help you visualize how Hitler came to power.
When German soldiers returned home after World War I, they found little work. Because the
war had destroyed many factories, people had few goods to sell at home or to foreign
markets. Prices went up quickly. This is called inflation.
What Was the Weimar Republic?
At the end of the war, the Allies forced Kaiser William II of Germany to step down. Then the
German people set up a democratic government and wrote a constitution. They called their
new government the Weimar Republic. However, the new government had problems.
Some Germans blamed it for accepting the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
One party that opposed the new government was the Nationalist Socialist German Workers’
Party. It was called Nazi for short. The Nazis adopted a red flag with a black swastika as
its symbol. A swastika is a cross with its arms bent. Adolf Hitler became the Nazi leader.
In 1923, Hitler tried to take control of the German government by force, but he failed. Then the
leaders of the Weimar Republic arrested and jailed him. During his jail term, he wrote
Mein Kampf, which means “My Struggle.??
In his book, Hitler said that the German people were better than other people. He also said that
everyone else was less important than the German people. Hitler came up with a plan to
make Germany a powerful nation once again.
How Did the Depression Help the Nazis?
In 1929, a long drop in business activity—a depression—took place all over the world. By
1932, nearly 40 percent of the factory workers in Germany had no jobs. Many turned to
Communism. But the middle class and the wealthy were tired of inflation; they feared the
Communists. Many of them turned to Hitler because he opposed Communism. Soon the
Nazis became the largest political party in Germany.
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 Reichstag
 The national assembly of the Weimar Republic
 Fuehrer
 The name given to Adolph Hitler meaning “leader??
 Gestapo
 Hitler’s secret police force
What Did Hitler Do As Dictator?
In 1933, Hitler became head of the German government. Then he called for an election. (The
Nazi Party still did not have a majority in the German assembly, or Reichstag. Hitler
needed a majority to become really powerful.)
Just before the election, someone set the Reichstag building on fire. No one knows who started
the fire, but Hitler blamed the Communists. In the election, many German people, fearing
revolution, voted for the Nazis. The Nazis did not win the election, but Hitler later took
control of the Reichstag.
Next, Hitler made himself dictator. He called himself the Fuehrer, which means “leader.?? As
dictator, Hitler did the following:
 1. Banned all other political parties and all labor unions.
 2. Made all army officers promise to obey his orders.
 3. Censored all books, magazines, newspapers, radio programs, and movies.
 4. Burned all books that contained ideas opposed to Nazism.
 5. Established a secret police force called the Gestapo. It made sure that no one said anything
against Hitler or the Nazis.
 6. Rebuilt the German army into a powerful war machine.
Lesson 4 Review
On a sheet of paper, write the answer to each question. Use complete sentences.
 1. Why did the government of the Weimar Republic have problems?
 2. What is the symbol of the Nationalist Socialist German Worker’s (Nazi) Party?
 3. What economic conditions caused the people of Germany to turn to Hitler?
 4. What did Hitler censor as soon as he became dictator?
 5. What was the secret police force that Hitler established? What did it do?
What do you think?
Why do you think Hitler ordered Jews to wear yellow stars?
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Lesson 5: The Chinese Begin to Build a Modern Nation
Objectives
 To describe what Sun Yat-sen did as leader of the Chinese nationalists
 To explain why the peasants support Mao Zedong
Reading Strategy: Visualizing
Draw a picture to help you visualize what Sun Yat-sen wanted for China. How does this image
help you remember?
During the Age of Imperialism, Europe and Japan carved out spheres of influence in China.
European powers controlled Chinese mines, railroads, and some factories. But Chinese
nationalists hated imperialism. They wanted to free China from foreign influence.
What Did Sun Yat-sen Want for China?
Sun Yat-sen led the Chinese nationalists. He wrote a book called Three Principles of the
People, which greatly influenced his country. In his book, he wrote that he wanted three
things for China:
 1. A strong national government free of foreign control.
 2. A democratic government that the Chinese people controlled.
 3. Better living conditions for all the Chinese people.
Why Did the Soviet Union Help Sun Yat-sen?
In 1911, Sun Yat-sen and the Chinese revolutionaries overthrew the government and formed a
republic. However, for the next five years, civil war tore China apart. In 1917, Sun Yat-sen
became leader of the republic. But military leaders who wanted power for themselves still
controlled much of China.
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Reading Strategy: Visualizing
How could this paragraph be written differently to create a stronger picture in your mind?
Sun Yat-sen asked the European nations for help. They would not help, because Sun Yat-sen
had criticized them for being imperialists. Sun Yat-sen then turned to the Soviet Union.
Lenin, the Russian leader at the time, agreed to send money and military supplies to China.
He thought that his country and China faced the same enemies. Lenin also wanted to
introduce Communism to China.
What Started a Civil War in China?
In 1925, Sun Yat-sen died. Then Chiang Kai-shek, an army general, became China’s leader.
Chiang did not trust the Soviet Union or the Communists. Soon after taking power, he
ordered the Soviet advisers out of China and nearly wiped out the Chinese Communist
Party. Only a few Communists managed to escape.
Mao Zedong was one of the Communists who fled to the Chinese countryside. With his
supporters, he fought a long civil war against Chiang. Several times during this war,
Chiang almost destroyed the Communists.
What United the Chinese People?
In this war, bankers and business people in the cities along China’s coast supported Chiang.
The peasants supported Mao Zedong because the Communists took land from the rich and
divided it among the landless peasants.
China’s civil war stopped for a while in 1937 when Japan invaded China. The Japanese killed
many Chinese people and destroyed cities, farms, and factories. Then all the Chinese
people united to fight their common enemy.
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Lesson 5 Review
On a sheet of paper, write the letter of the answer that correctly completes each sentence.
 1. Chinese _____ hated foreign influence in China.
 A industrialists
 B nationalists
 C imperialists
 D Communists
 2. Sun Yat-sen wanted _____ for the Chinese people.
 A a strong national government
 B a democratic government
 C better living conditions
 D all of the above
 3. After Sun Yat-sen died, _____ led China.
 A Chiang Kai-shek
 B Lenin
 C Hitler
 D Mao Zedong
 4. The leader of the Chinese Communists was _____.
 A Chiang Kai-shek
 B Sun Yat-sen
 C Mao Zedong
 D Lenin
 5. In 1937, _____ invaded China and the Chinese people stopped their civil war.
 A Japan
 B Germany
 C Italy
 D Russia
What do you think?
Why do you think some Chinese people hated imperialism?
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Lesson 6: Military Leaders Take Over in Japan
Objectives
 To describe how the Great Depression in the United States affected Japan
 To explain how Japan’s government was like the fascist governments of Germany and Italy
 To explain why Japan attacked Manchuria
 Great Depression
 The worldwide depression that began in the United States in 1929
Reading Strategy: Visualizing
What words in this paragraph help you visualize what you are reading?
The Great Depression started in the United States in 1929 and spread all over the world. It was
hard on Japan, because people no longer had money to buy Japanese silk. Some Japanese
companies that had exported goods to other countries went out of business. Many workers
had no jobs. The Japanese people blamed its government for their problems.
Who Became the Real Leaders of Japan?
In the 1920s, the Japanese government had become more democratic. Before then, it had not
allowed many people to vote. Now they had this right. When the depression hit in the
1930s, some people blamed democracy. Military officers did so because they wanted more
power.
In the fascist countries of Italy and Germany, one military man ruled all the people. This was
not true in Japan. In the 1930s, a small group of military men gained power in the
government. They said that the emperor ruled. But in fact, the military ruled in his name.
General Hideki Tojo—the minister of war—was the chief speaker for the military.
However, Japan’s government had at least four things in common with the fascist governments
of Germany and Italy.
 1. It arrested anyone who spoke out against it.
 2. It controlled the press and censored newspapers and radio.
 3. It ordered schools to teach children that they must always obey.
 4. Its secret police made people afraid to say or do anything against the government.
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Why Did Japan Attack Manchuria?
In September 1931, Japan attacked Manchuria. (This Chinese province bordered on Japanesecontrolled Korea.) Japan quickly overran Manchuria. The Japanese said that they had freed
the province from China. But Japan completely controlled this new state, which it renamed
Manchukuo. Why had Japan attacked Manchuria? For two reasons. First, Japan’s military
leaders wanted Manchuria’s coal and iron for industry. Second, Japan had too many
people. But Manchuria had few people. The Japanese leaders wanted people from Japan to
move to Manchuria and settle there.
What Alliance Developed?
During the 1930s, Germany and Italy had developed close ties. In 1936, Germany and Japan
agreed to join together to fight the spread of Communism. In 1937, Italy agreed to this,
too. The three nations would later agree to help each other if one of them went to war. That
war—World War II—was coming closer and closer.
Lesson 6 Review
On a sheet of paper, use the words from the Word Bank to complete each sentence correctly.
Word Bank
 Germany
 Great Depression
 Italy
 Manchuria
 Tojo
 1. Because of the _____, many Japanese companies went out of business after 1929.
 2. In the 1930s, General _____ ruled Japan
 3. Japan attacked _____ in 1931.
 4. In 1936, _____ and Japan formed an alliance to fight the spread of Communism.
 5. Japan, Germany, and _____ formed an alliance.
What do you think?
In Chapter 13, you read about Japanese feudalism and the samurai. How might this tradition
have prepared the Japanese people for military leadership?
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Document-Based Reading
The Importance of the Peasant Problem
Mao Zedong was leader of the People’s Republic of China and first secretary of the Chinese
Communist Party beginning in 1943. He died in 1976. Mao wrote this speech in 1927 after
spending 32 days in Hunan Province investigating the concerns of peasants and their
potential as revolutionaries. Mao went on to lead the Communists in the struggle to
control China.
During my recent visit to Hunan I made a firsthand investigation of conditions in the five
counties of Hsiantan, Hsianghsiang, Henshan, Liling and Changsha. In the thirty-two days
from January 4 to February 5, I called together fact-finding conferences in villages and
county towns, which were attended by experienced peasants and by comrades working in
the peasant movement, and I listened attentively to their reports and collected a great deal
of material. Many of the hows and whys of the peasant movement were the exact opposite
of what the gentry [people of high social position] in Hankow and Changsha are saying. I
saw and heard of many strange things of which I had hitherto been unaware. I believe the
same is true of any other places, too. All talk directed against the peasant movement must
be speedily set right. All the wrong measures taken by the revolutionary authorities
concerning the peasant movement must be speedily changed.
Only thus can the future of the revolution be benefited. For the present upsurge of the peasant
movement is a colossal event. In a very short time, in China’s central, southern and
northern provinces, several hundred million peasants will rise like a mighty storm, like a
hurricane, a force so swift and violent that no power, however great, will be able to hold it
back. They will smash all the trammels [things that limit movement] that bind them and
rush forward along the road to liberation. They will sweep all the imperialists, warlords,
corrupt officials, local tyrants and evil gentry into their graves. Every revolutionary party
and every revolutionary comrade will be put to the test, to be accepted or rejected as they
decide. There are three alternatives. To march at their head and lead them. To trail behind
them, gesticulating [gesturing] and criticizing. Or to stand in their way and oppose them.
Every Chinese is free to choose, but events will force you to make the choice quickly.
Document-Based Reading Questions
 1. Why did Mao Zedong visit counties in the Hunan Province?
 2. How did he respond to what he learned?
 3. What was Mao Zedong’s biggest concern?
 4. What did he think might happen to the warlords?
 5. What action did he decide to take?
Source: “Report on the Investigation of the Peasant Movement in Hunan,?? Mao Zedong,
March 1927.
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Spotlight Story: Hitler’s Rise to Power
In 1919, Germany was defeated and in ruins. The Treaty of Versailles took away its military
strength. The treaty also ordered Germany to pay $33 billion in war damages to the Allies.
Germans were angry and bitter. Things got worse in the next few years. Inflation soared.
By late 1923, German money was worth almost nothing. Many people were out of work
and hungry. The Weimar government was too weak to do anything. The times were ripe
for revolution.
Playing on these feelings, many nationalist groups formed. One was the Nazi Party. Adolf
Hitler became its leader. In fiery speeches, Hitler blamed Germany’s troubles on the
Versailles Treaty. He attacked the Weimar government. He denounced capitalists and the
Jews. Hitler organized a private army of 15,000 “brown shirts.??
In 1923, the Nazis staged a putsch—an attempt to overthrow the state government of Bavaria.
About 3,000 people, including government leaders, were holding a rally at a Munich beer
hall. Hitler’s “brown shirts?? surrounded the hall. They set up a machine gun in the
entrance. Hitler jumped up on a table and fired his gun into the air. He shouted, “The
national revolution has begun!?? He then led his men toward the center of the city, but
police stopped them. They arrested Hitler and most of the top Nazi leaders.
Hitler and other top Nazi leaders were sent to prison for treason. It was there that he wrote
Mein Kampf (My Struggle). The book stressed nationalism and racism. It also made Hitler
famous in Germany.
From 1924 to 1929, the German economy began to recover. Many Nazis lost interest and
drifted away. Then the worldwide depression hit Germany. Slowly, Hitler began to rebuild
the Nazi Party.
By late 1932, the Nazi Party was the strongest in Germany. Hitler was getting valuable help
from people who preferred Nazism to Communism. In 1933, another government crisis
occurred. Hitler promised to support the government if he were made leader. On January
30, 1933, he took office as chancellor. Six months later, he was dictator of Germany.
Wrap-Up
 1. What conditions set the stage for the rise of nationalism in Germany?
 2. Who did Hitler blame for Germany’s hard times?
 3. What happened at the Beer Hall rally?
 4. What was Mein Kampf?
 5. How did Hitler eventually become leader of Germany?
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Chapter 26 SUMMARY
 The Bolsheviks were revolutionary socialists led by Lenin. They took over the Russian
government in 1917 and became the Communist Party. They called Russia “the Soviet
Union.?? It then dropped out of World War I.
 Non-Bolsheviks formed a “White?? army to fight the Bolshevik “Red?? army. Civil war
continued until 1920.
 With the support of peasants and workers, the Red army won. Lenin took over industry, gave
land to peasants, and set up a dictatorship.
 After Lenin died, Joseph Stalin defeated his rival, Leon Trotsky, and became the new leader
of Russia.
 Russia became a totalitarian state. In the 1930s, Stalin held purges. Millions were arrested.
Russia became a powerful industrialized nation, but its people had few freedoms.
 Italians felt that the Allies had cheated them in the Treaty of Versailles.
 In 1919, Mussolini formed the Fascist Party. It opposed both democracy and Communism.
Italy’s dictator, Mussolini, became known as “Il Duce.??
 Fascism demands total obedience to one party and leader. The state censors books and
newspapers and denies free speech. Fascists believe in nationalism and military power.
 In Germany, the Weimar Republic was the democratic government after World War I. Many
small political groups opposed it.
 Adolf Hitler led a fascist party known as the Nazis. In 1923, Nazi leaders were jailed for
trying to take over the government. While in jail, Hitler wrote Mein Kampf. It described
Hitler’s plan to make Germany strong again.
 An economic depression and fear of Communism helped Hitler gain power. By 1933, he was
head of the government.
 In China, Sun Yat-sen led a nationalist movement. A revolution in 1911 overthrew the
monarchy but led to civil war. Only the Soviet Union sent Sun Yat-sen help.
 After Sun Yat-sen died, Chiang Kaishek led the Nationalists. He conducted a long civil war
against Mao Zedong’s Chinese Communists.
 Japan’s government became more democratic after World War I. However, the depression
hurt the economy. Military leaders used this as an excuse to gain power.
 In 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria, a Chinese province rich in iron and coal. Later Japan
became allies with Germany and Italy against Communism.
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Chapter 26 REVIEW
On a sheet of paper, use the words from the Word Bank to complete each sentence correctly.
Word Bank
 Fuehrer
 Hitler
 Il Duce
 Japan
 Lenin
 Mussolini
 Totalitarian
 Bolshevik
 Stalin
 Nazi
 1. When Russia lost its war with _____, people began to demand more change.
 2. The leader of the Bolsheviks was _____.
 3. In the Russian civil war, several foreign countries sent troops to fight the _____ army.
 4. _____ had a plan to industrialize Russia.
 5. _____ states are governments in which a small group totally controls the lives of all the
citizens.
 6. Benito _____ became Italy’s dictator.
 7. Italians called their dictator _____, which means “leader.??
 8. Adolf _____ led the Nationalist Socialist German Workers’ Party.
 9. _____ is another name for the Nationalist Socialist German Workers’ Party.
 10. Germans called their dictator _____, which also means “leader.??
On a sheet of paper, write the letter of the answer that correctly completes each sentence.
 11. After Lenin and his followers came to power, he _____.
 A took control of all industry
 B gave land to the peasants
 C swept away the class system
 D all of the above
 12. Stalin conducted a _____ in which the government killed millions of workers that he
thought were disloyal.
 A minority
 B purge
 C militia
 D study
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 13. A person who has served in the military, especially during a war, is a _____.
 A veteran
 B Gestapo
 C extremist
 D swastika
 14. The Nazi Party chose a cross with its arms bent, the _____, as a symbol.
 A Reichstag
 B Gestapo
 C swastika
 D Nazi
 15. The name of Germany’s government after World War I was the _____.
 A Fascist Party
 B Weimar Republic
 C Nationalist Party
 D Communist Party
On a sheet of paper, write the answer to each question. Use complete sentences.
 16. Why did Italy and Germany choose fascism and dictators after World War I?
 17. What are six things Hitler did when he became dictator?
 18. What are four things that Japan had in common with Nazi Germany and fascist Italy
during the 1930s?
Critical Thinking
On a sheet of paper, write your response to each question. Use complete sentences.
 19. Stalin wanted to change Russia into a modern industrial power. What was it about the
way he did it that prevented him from being successful?
 20. Mussolini wrote that fascism “was born of the need for action.?? What do you think he
meant?
Test-Taking Tip: Cross off items on matching tests as you use them. Be sure you use each
item only once.
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