Download 15-Italian Fascism & German Nazism

CHC2D – Canadian History
Since World One
Unit 2 – Lesson #10
Italian Fascism and German Nazism
Background
 The rise of Fascist and Nazi governments in Italy and
Germany was caused by several combining elements.
 Both countries experienced anger over the end of
World War I and also experienced economic
difficulties during the 1920’s and 1930’s.
Italy’s Involvement in WWI
 Italy did not join the war on the side of the Triple
Alliance (with Germany and Austria) in 1914 when the
war began.
 After the stalemate of 1914 set in, Italy began to receive
offers from both Germany and Britain to get Italy to join
the war.
 Italy signed a secret treaty with Britain in 1915 which
promised that Italy would be rewarded for entering the
war.
Promises Made & Broken
 Britain offered Italy territories in Austria and several of
the German colonies if the allies won the war.
 Italy concentrated its attacks on Austria in the alps but
never won a single battle.
 Italy did, however, loose 600,000 lives.
 At the negotiations after the war, Italy was given some of
the Austrian territory but none of the German colonies.
Post War Italy
 Italy was divided politically with fascists and communists
at the far ends of the political spectrum.
 During the summer of 1920 there were major strikes in
every major Italian city in the heavy industries and
transportation.
 In the rural areas, peasants rose up and took over land
owned by large landowners.
Fascists vs Communists
 During this period of strikes, Fascists openly fought with
Communists in the streets.
 The 1921 elections saw the Fascists win 35 of 500 seats in
the Italian Parliament.
 As strikes and land seizures continued, Mussolini, the
leader of the Fascists, declared that they would protect
national law and order (meaning property) from the
threat of the communists.
Fascist Support
 The Fascists were supported by business owners, large
landowners and the middle class.
 They feared the potential that the strikes, largely
inspired by the Communists, would have on their
property.
 They eagerly supported the Fascists in their crusade
against the Communists.
How the Fascists Operated
 Groups of men in unofficial uniforms, called the
“blackshirts”, could arrest and beat suspected
communists and destroy their offices.
 Arson and murder were also tactics used by the
fascists.
 A favorite tactic was to beat someone up then force
them to drink castor oil, which causes people to vomit
for hours.
The Role of the Fascists
 The Fascists operated as a semi-military private police
force that people could hire to “solve” problems.
 Squadristi, or a Fascist brigade, would be called up to
break up strikes and disrupt peaceful socialist and
communist rallies.
 Basically, they were thugs for hire by the business elite
of Italy.
The March on Rome
 In October 1922 the blackshirts organized a coup (a
takeover of the government) by marching through the
streets of Rome.
 The Italian government attempted to declare martial
law but the King blocked the move, forcing the Italian
government to resign.
 Mussolini was named Premier and granted 1 year of
emergency powers to govern.
Mussolini Takes Power
 Before the end of the year, Mussolini changed the
election laws so that the party with the largest number
of votes automatically won 66% of the seats in
Parliament.
 In 1924, the Fascists won 60% of the total vote, largely
because of the “supervision” of the election by the
Squadristi.
Mussolini in Power
 By 1929, Mussolini’s government began to limit civil
liberties and take full control of the society in Italy.
 The press was censored, labour unions were outlawed,
it was illegal to strike and all political parties except for
the Fascist party were abolished.
 Mussolini took for himself the title of “Il Duce” or “The
Leader” and began to alter Italy’s political and social
landscape, providing a model by which other Fascist
leaders, such as Adolf Hitler, would follow.
Adolf Hitler
 During World War I; Hitler, who was born in Austria,
served in the German army as a dispatch runner.
 After the war, he was a member of a special army
instructional unit created to combat socialist and
democratic propaganda.
 By 1920, Hitler was the leader of a small political party
called the National Socialist German Worker’s Party.
Hitler Attempts to Seize Power
 In 1923, at the height of the German economic crisis,
Hitler attempted to copy Mussolini’s “March on Rome.”
 In what is known as the “Beer Hall Putsch” Nazi
brownshirts assembled in a Munich beer hall where
Hitler jumped on a platform, fired a pistol into the
ceiling and proclaimed, “the national revolution has
broken out!”
Hitler in Prison
 The police, however, suppressed this revolt and arrested
Hitler, who was sentenced to 5 years in prison where he
wrote Mein Kampf, “My Struggle.”
 Hitler’s trial and book transformed him from a fringe
politician into a figure of national prominence.
Hitler & Economics
 During the German economic revival (1924 to 1929),
Hitler was almost forgotten, but the Great Depression
brought him back into the spotlight.
 Germany suffered the most of all countries during the
Depression, 6 million Germans were unemployed.
Looking for Something to Blame
 While many Germans began to turn to Communism
during the depression, others began to blame the
Treaty of Versailles for Germany’s economic problems.
 Hitler began to denounce many aspects of German
society, but especially the small Jewish minority.
 Only 600,000 Jews lived in Germany.
The Nazis Gain Support
 As the depression wore on, Nazi support in elections
grew:
 1928, they won 12 seats.
 1930, they won 107 seats.
 1932, they won 230 seats and were the single largest party
in the Reichstag.
 Political instability after 1932 led to Hitler’s
appointment as Chancellor in 1933.
Hitler in Power
 Once in power, Hitler began to pass anti-Semitic laws.
 He also defined a person as Jewish if 1 grandparent was
Jewish.
 The Nuremburg Laws of 1935 removed all citizenship
rights from German Jews.
 Jews were barred from the civil service, political office
and from teaching.
Nazi Racism
 The Nuremburg laws also forbade the marriage or
sexual relations between Jews and non-Jews.
 On November 9, 1938; Kristallnacht, the night of
broken glass, Nazi storm troopers smashed Jewish
shops, businesses and synagogues, they beat
thousands and sent 30,000 to concentration camps.
Hitler in Power
 By this time, Hitler had already abolished all other
political parties, outlawed labour unions and made
strikes illegal.
 He basically eliminated any form of opposition to his
government.
 By now, Hitler was know as “Die Fuhrer”