Download Fascism and Nazism

Fascism and Nazism
World History - LHS
• Characteristics
Fascism
– 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 antireligious (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 NonAggression 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