Examples Of An Interwar Totalitarian Rule Of Germany
Germany
The most notorious example of an interwar totalitarian rule can be seen in the NAZI party's control of Germany between 1933 and 1945. This fascist reign, also called the Third Reich, was led by Adolf Hitler and was created in about the same way as the totalitarian governments that arose in other European countries during the same time period.
After World War I, Germany was forced into a state of depression. They were forced to repay a huge war debt due to the Treaty of Versailles, and the nation found itself drowned in economic chaos. This, combined with the country's general sense of despair as a result of its terrible losses during the war, left Germany in need of a strong, captivating leader. The man who came to save them was a young …show more content…
Austrian paperhanger by the name of Adolf Hitler.
Hitler rose to power by stirring strong nationalist sentiments and became Chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933.
He gave the citizens of Germany a feeling of hope in their country for the first time in generations and guided the nation to achieve a level of production and prosperity it had not known for a long period of time. His relief of the economic cloud that had smothered Germany for so long helped his people to overlook the fact that Hitler legislated policies that discriminated against their fellow citizens based on race.
Under the leadership of Hitler, the Nazis tried to make Germany into the state of the Aryan race from 1933 until their defeat in 1945. Before the end of his rule, the Nazis concentrated, deported and afterwards killed 10 million non-Aryan Europeans through organizational massacres as an act of state. Hitler found out that he could force people to believe virtually anything he said or …show more content…
enforced.
Italy
Benito Mussolini's Fascist movement rose to power in the late 1920's as a conservative force, responding to pervasive popular disillusionment with the unproductive government in place at the time. Devastating economic conditions disillusioned Italian citizens and embittered them towards their leaders, creating prime conditions for a coup. One particular grievance of the Italian people in the 1920's was the Treaty of Versailles, which was the Treaty that ended World War I. The Treaty of Versailles was supposed as unfair by the Italian people because it selected no war reparation payments to Italy, though Italy had suffered great losses fighting for Allies. The nation was left poor by the war effort, the government was perceived as unable to solve any problems, and middle-class fear of the socialist revolution paved the way for extreme right wing factions to rise to power.
In the midst of widespread economic and social upheaval, Benito Mussolini founded an extreme right-wing movement in 1919 and termed it 'fascism'. On October 28, 1922 Mussolini and his armed squadrons known as the Blackshirts marched on Rome. Mussolini demanded to be made Prime Minister and threatened to take over the government by force if his orders were not followed. The acting Prime Minister attempted to bring Italian troops to resist the fascist militia, but the king refused to sign the order, and, on the following day, asked Mussolini to form his own cabinet. Power was given to him within the precepts set by the Italian constitution, and on October 30th he traveled to Milan ahead of his fascist forces to organize a parade for his followers. By January of 1923 he had outlawed all political parties other than his own Fascist Party. By doing so he eliminated Italy's fragile democratic state and established his own dictatorial rule. (Halsall, 1997)
Soviet Union
With the onset of the age of concern, political dictatorships grew as people searched for stability and solution to the economic difficulties of the Great Depression.
The end result was a combination of the resurgence of authoritarian rule coupled with a new type of cruel and active tyranny which reached its peak in Nazi Germany and the Stalinist Soviet Union. It was Hitler’s aggression toward Poland that triggered World War II. The horrors of this time period are a disturbing chapter in history, which many would like to believe were an aberration and will not happen again. One would do well to learn the lessons of history, lest they be repeated in our own day.
Such authoritarian governments did not have modern technology or means of communication, and as a result did not have the capacity to control many aspects of the lives of their citizens; however they apparently had no desire to do so, as they were preoccupied with their own survival. Their demands upon their own people largely consisted of taxes, army recruits and passive acceptance of government policy. As long as people did not attempt to change the system, they enjoyed a great degree of personal independence.
After the First World War, the parliamentary governments of Eastern Europe founded on the wreckage of the war sunk and collapsed one at a time. By early 1938, only Czechoslovakia remained faithful to democratic liberal ideals. Germany, Italy, the Soviet Union, as well as Portugal, and Spain all fell to conservative
dictators. (Staff, 2009)
Spain
Franco's regime was the only fascist government to stay in power after World War II. In 1936 the Spanish military revolted against the liberal government in response to left wing victory in the polls and execution of conservative leaders. Franco rose to his position of power from within the military, and remained the head of the Spanish government until his death in 1975.
Franco had been an model soldier and adroit commander of troops in Spain's military. His ability and meticulous leadership brought him a great degree of success, and he ultimately became a general. Though the military's quest for control of the government began in June of 1936, Franco was not involved with its revolutionary effort until mid-July, when the other generals in Spain threaten ed to proceed without him. The other military leaders were believed they were in need of Franco's involvement because of his status and ability to command troops effectively. Although not a member of any particular party, Franco himself was politically associated with the military revolutionaries, hating The Popular Front, a mass of left-wing groups that had won the previous election and intended to institute communistic policies.
Franco relied heavily on German and Italian support during the military's three-year struggle for power. On April 1, 1939 Franco attained an unqualified victory in the Spanish Civil War. Tens of thousands of execution were meted out by Nationalist forces during the war, and similar, politically motivated executions of Spanish citizens continued into the first year of Franco's rule. By the 1950's, however, Franco's regime was becoming more and more liberal in order to allow for the continuity of his rule, and he stayed in power until his death in 1975. (Cala, 2013) Bibliography
Cala, A. (2013, October 11). Franco-fascism on the march in Spain: Is the government doing enough? Retrieved from The Christian Science Monitor: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2013/1011/Franco-fascism-on-the-march-in-Spain-Is-the-government-doing-enough
Halsall, P. (1997, August). Modern History Sourcebook: Benito Mussolini: What is Fascism,1932. Retrieved from Fordham University: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook.asp
Staff, H. (2009). Joseph Stalin. Retrieved from History.com: http://www.history.com/topics/joseph-stalin
The most notorious example of an interwar totalitarian rule can be seen in the NAZI party's control of Germany between 1933 and 1945. This fascist reign, also called the Third Reich, was led by Adolf Hitler and was created in about the same way as the totalitarian governments that arose in other European countries during the same time period.
After World War I, Germany was forced into a state of depression. They were forced to repay a huge war debt due to the Treaty of Versailles, and the nation found itself drowned in economic chaos. This, combined with the country's general sense of despair as a result of its terrible losses during the war, left Germany in need of a strong, captivating leader. The man who came to save them was a young …show more content…
Austrian paperhanger by the name of Adolf Hitler.
Hitler rose to power by stirring strong nationalist sentiments and became Chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933.
He gave the citizens of Germany a feeling of hope in their country for the first time in generations and guided the nation to achieve a level of production and prosperity it had not known for a long period of time. His relief of the economic cloud that had smothered Germany for so long helped his people to overlook the fact that Hitler legislated policies that discriminated against their fellow citizens based on race.
Under the leadership of Hitler, the Nazis tried to make Germany into the state of the Aryan race from 1933 until their defeat in 1945. Before the end of his rule, the Nazis concentrated, deported and afterwards killed 10 million non-Aryan Europeans through organizational massacres as an act of state. Hitler found out that he could force people to believe virtually anything he said or …show more content…
enforced.
Italy
Benito Mussolini's Fascist movement rose to power in the late 1920's as a conservative force, responding to pervasive popular disillusionment with the unproductive government in place at the time. Devastating economic conditions disillusioned Italian citizens and embittered them towards their leaders, creating prime conditions for a coup. One particular grievance of the Italian people in the 1920's was the Treaty of Versailles, which was the Treaty that ended World War I. The Treaty of Versailles was supposed as unfair by the Italian people because it selected no war reparation payments to Italy, though Italy had suffered great losses fighting for Allies. The nation was left poor by the war effort, the government was perceived as unable to solve any problems, and middle-class fear of the socialist revolution paved the way for extreme right wing factions to rise to power.
In the midst of widespread economic and social upheaval, Benito Mussolini founded an extreme right-wing movement in 1919 and termed it 'fascism'. On October 28, 1922 Mussolini and his armed squadrons known as the Blackshirts marched on Rome. Mussolini demanded to be made Prime Minister and threatened to take over the government by force if his orders were not followed. The acting Prime Minister attempted to bring Italian troops to resist the fascist militia, but the king refused to sign the order, and, on the following day, asked Mussolini to form his own cabinet. Power was given to him within the precepts set by the Italian constitution, and on October 30th he traveled to Milan ahead of his fascist forces to organize a parade for his followers. By January of 1923 he had outlawed all political parties other than his own Fascist Party. By doing so he eliminated Italy's fragile democratic state and established his own dictatorial rule. (Halsall, 1997)
Soviet Union
With the onset of the age of concern, political dictatorships grew as people searched for stability and solution to the economic difficulties of the Great Depression.
The end result was a combination of the resurgence of authoritarian rule coupled with a new type of cruel and active tyranny which reached its peak in Nazi Germany and the Stalinist Soviet Union. It was Hitler’s aggression toward Poland that triggered World War II. The horrors of this time period are a disturbing chapter in history, which many would like to believe were an aberration and will not happen again. One would do well to learn the lessons of history, lest they be repeated in our own day.
Such authoritarian governments did not have modern technology or means of communication, and as a result did not have the capacity to control many aspects of the lives of their citizens; however they apparently had no desire to do so, as they were preoccupied with their own survival. Their demands upon their own people largely consisted of taxes, army recruits and passive acceptance of government policy. As long as people did not attempt to change the system, they enjoyed a great degree of personal independence.
After the First World War, the parliamentary governments of Eastern Europe founded on the wreckage of the war sunk and collapsed one at a time. By early 1938, only Czechoslovakia remained faithful to democratic liberal ideals. Germany, Italy, the Soviet Union, as well as Portugal, and Spain all fell to conservative
dictators. (Staff, 2009)
Spain
Franco's regime was the only fascist government to stay in power after World War II. In 1936 the Spanish military revolted against the liberal government in response to left wing victory in the polls and execution of conservative leaders. Franco rose to his position of power from within the military, and remained the head of the Spanish government until his death in 1975.
Franco had been an model soldier and adroit commander of troops in Spain's military. His ability and meticulous leadership brought him a great degree of success, and he ultimately became a general. Though the military's quest for control of the government began in June of 1936, Franco was not involved with its revolutionary effort until mid-July, when the other generals in Spain threaten ed to proceed without him. The other military leaders were believed they were in need of Franco's involvement because of his status and ability to command troops effectively. Although not a member of any particular party, Franco himself was politically associated with the military revolutionaries, hating The Popular Front, a mass of left-wing groups that had won the previous election and intended to institute communistic policies.
Franco relied heavily on German and Italian support during the military's three-year struggle for power. On April 1, 1939 Franco attained an unqualified victory in the Spanish Civil War. Tens of thousands of execution were meted out by Nationalist forces during the war, and similar, politically motivated executions of Spanish citizens continued into the first year of Franco's rule. By the 1950's, however, Franco's regime was becoming more and more liberal in order to allow for the continuity of his rule, and he stayed in power until his death in 1975. (Cala, 2013) Bibliography
Cala, A. (2013, October 11). Franco-fascism on the march in Spain: Is the government doing enough? Retrieved from The Christian Science Monitor: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2013/1011/Franco-fascism-on-the-march-in-Spain-Is-the-government-doing-enough
Halsall, P. (1997, August). Modern History Sourcebook: Benito Mussolini: What is Fascism,1932. Retrieved from Fordham University: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/modsbook.asp
Staff, H. (2009). Joseph Stalin. Retrieved from History.com: http://www.history.com/topics/joseph-stalin