The Great Depression & The Rise of Totalitarianism

The Great Depression&The Rise of Totalitarianism Unit 9 Notes

recession depression Franklin D. Roosevelt New Deal inflation Nazi Party totalitarian state censorship fascism Black Shirts Munich Conference Mein Kampf communism Enabling Act anti-Semitism Five-Year Plans collectivization Adolf Hitler Joseph Stalin Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Axis Alliance Unit 9 Key Terms (p. 201-216)

Great Depression Pre-Test • The stock market crash marked the beginning of the Great Depression. • Historians and economists agree on the main causes of the Great Depression. • The United States was the only nation in the 1930s that had severe economic troubles. • President Hoover made many efforts to end the Great Depression. • Franklin D. Roosevelt inspired confidence in Americans with his proposal for the New Deal.

Great Depression Pre-Test • All U. S. citizens showed full support for the New Deal to end the Depression. • First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt encouraged President Roosevelt to develop a second New Deal. • The New Deal had no effect on labor and employment in the United States. • The New Deal plan included efforts to conserve and protect natural resources. • The Great Depression caused a complete halt in the active cultural life of the Roaring Twenties.

From Boom to Bust • following World War I, America’s economy was booming • the United States loaned European nations money to rebuild after the war • the United States produced most of the world’s manufactured goods • investment in the stock market increased – but many investors did so with borrowed money • “Black” days and the stock market crash

A Worldwide Depression • the depression in Europe began sooner and lasted longer than it did in the United States • there was no coordination between countries and most countries turned inward • one common theme was a nationalist response based on self-interest (a line of thinking that says “it’s only about me”)

The Great Depression in Germany • the depression provided the opportunity for radical groups to participate in the political process • the Nazi Party used the depression to gain popularity • Adolf Hitler took advantage of economic anxiety, political discontent and the democratic government of Germany

The Great Depression in Germany • in 1933, Hitler was appointed (not elected) Chancellor and used his position to eliminate opponents and establish totalitarian control • Hitler repeatedly denounced the Treaty of Versailles and the public (who also hated it) supported him

The Great Depression in America • following the stock market crash of 1929, Americans grew discontented with President Herbert Hoover and elected Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) in 1932 • FDR passed several government programs focused on relief and reform called the New Deal • these programs greatly enhanced the national government’s role in the economy and in the lives of individuals • for the first time in American history, direct relief from the government was a significant part of everyday life

Totalitarianism

Forms of Totalitarianism • fascism – radical racial nationalism that calls for an all-powerful dictator supported by the military (Mussolini, Hitler) • communism – radical socialism in which the government controls production, owns all property, and controls all social activity (Stalin) • militarism – system of government in which a nation puts its military above all else and uses it to achieve national goals (Tojo)

Fascism in Italy • Italy was not happy with the Treaty of Versailles – they wanted a large amount of land • democratic government blamed for economic problems • Benito Mussolini founded the Fascist Party in 1919 • his supporters, the Black Shirts, attacked his opponents • Mussolini became Prime Minister in 1922 and would begin to build a totalitarian state • he became “Il Duce” (The Leader) and used secret police and censorship to maintain power

Nazism in Germany • Germany was devastated by World War I and furious with the Treaty of Versailles • many blamed the Weimar Republic, the democratic government of Germany, for the economic depression as well as for the Treaty of Versailles • Adolf Hitler was a member of the National Socialist German Workers Party or Nazi Party – a fascist group who opposed the Weimar Republic • the Nazis attempted to overthrow the government in 1923 – Hitler ended up in jail where he wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle)

Nazism in Germany • in Mein Kampf, Hitler claimed that Germans, or Aryans as he called them, were the master race • he also detailed his goals of uniting all German speaking people, regaining territory, and eliminating the Jews • by 1932, the Nazis were the largest political party in Germany • in 1933, German president Paul von Hindenburg was pressured into appointing Hitler to the position of chancellor • also in 1933, Hitler passed the Enabling Act which gave him dictatorial powers

Nazism in Germany • Hitler became known as “der Führer” (The Leader) • he focused on remilitarizing Germany (in violation of the Treaty of Versailles) • he created a totalitarian state through the Gestapo (secret police), outlawing opposition to the Nazis, propaganda, and controlling the economy

Militarism in Japan • Japan lost large amounts of income during the Great Depression • it also experienced bad harvests at home • military leaders suggested expansionism as a solution • Japan invaded Manchuria (China) in 1931 • the League of Nations voiced disapproval but did nothing and Japan withdrew from the league • Japan attacked the rest of China in 1937

Stalinism in the USSR • Stalin became the leader of the Soviet Union in 1928 after being general secretary of the Communist Party • Stalin exiled his biggest rival, Leon Trotsky, in 1929 • he rapidly industrialized the country • he used the secret police to monitor nearly everything and he censored all sources of information to maintain power

Stalinism in the USSR • during the Great Purge, Stalin removed political opponents (some even from his own party) and had them imprisoned or executed • he implemented a command economy where the government made all decisions • his Five-Year Plans sought to transform the economy from agricultural to industrial as quickly as possible • industrialization came rapidly but there were shortages of consumer goods

Stalinism in the USSR • Stalin also forced the collectivization of farms (combined small privately owned farms into huge government owned farms) • those who resisted collectivization were imprisoned or executed • also in retaliation, Stalin caused forced starvations in which millions died • under Stalin, people had no political rights

Reactions to Totalitarianism • Italian, Japanese, and German aggression led to World War II • Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935 • Germany remilitarized and occupied the Rhineland • Germany, Italy, and Japan formed the Axis Alliance in 1936 • Germany and Italy helped fascist Francisco Franco come to power in Spain in 1936

Reactions to Totalitarianism • the U.S. declared itself neutral and refused to send money or weapons to anyone involved in war • France and Great Britain hoped the policy of appeasement (giving in to the “reasonable demands” of an unhappy nation to avoid war) would work • Hitler annexed Austria in 1938 • Hitler demanded the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia in 1938 and it was given to him • he would later take all of Czechoslovakia and Italy would invade Albania

Reactions to Totalitarianism • despite all of the violations of the Treaty of Versailles, the League of Nations did nothing to stop totalitarian aggression • France and Great Britain finally abandoned appeasement in September 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland and started World War II

The Great Depression & The Rise of Totalitarianism